12/18/25 - Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) - 5+/10

The great juxtaposition between generic and quite dumb script & dialogue vs a transcendent and unique visual spectacle that envelops the viewer unlike any other cinematic experience. I call it down the middle because I both loathe and love Avatar (big screen, 3D being a must in my experience). This one, the one with fire elemental, was a near carbon copy of the 2nd one to a mind numbing extent, while making the allegories infantile. The biblical Job, the Native American proxy with the literal scalping, desiring their "thunder sticks", and disgust of pink skins, the rotating "chosen one" narrative, and their ping-pong ethos - its derivative and simplistic to a rebellious “stick it in your face without a f*ck to give” degree. But, by this point, you know what you are getting into and anyone going to Avatar for the story needs some help. No, it's the silly fun of it all while enraptured by the peerless sublime visuals - a world so masterfully envisioned and flawlessly rendered, you feel a part of it and doubt not its CGI blueness. At this point, I think its safe to say that these are the pinnacle of humanoid acting CGI and artificial world creation, which can be worthy of your time and effort, if so inclined.

Even if the shades-wearing gone native long-term antagonist, aquatic space whale violence, or galactic space baby planet spirit weren’t enough to draw me in and keep me coming back, the villainous anti-Eywa fire clan, notably their most charismatic pyromaniac female leader, was scratching a heated blue itch I didn’t know I had. So, I’ll be back for the next one because even if they are brain drippingly of dubious quality, I have fun every time.