The social media embargo for Avatar: Fire and Ash has now lifted, and critics have been sharing their initial thoughts on the third film in James Cameron's epic sci-fi saga.
For the most part, the reactions are very positive, with many hailing Fire and Ash as the most visually-striking, action-packed, violent and emotional film of the three. However, it sounds like that mammoth run-time may test the patience of anyone not already fully invested in this universe, and the word "exhausting" is also used on more than one occasion.
As expected, it doesn't seem likely that Fire and Ash is going to make any converts, but fans of the previous two movies should be very excited.
Check out the posts below, and we'll update as more reactions are shared.
We recently learned that Avatar: Fire and Ash will clock-in at 3 hours, 15 minutes, making it the longest movie in the franchise so far. 2009's Avatar ran for 2 hours, 42 minutes, while 2022's The Way of Water was 3 hours, 12 minutes.
Though these movies definitely have their detractors, the first two films were massively successful at the box office, and we fully expect Fire and Ash to follow suit this December - especially as it's now been confirmed that the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday will screen ahead of the movie.
Avatar 3 will see the return of cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo and Duane Evans, with David Thewlis also on board as a new character named Paylak.
Fire and Ash has been hit with numerous delays, but is finally set to release in theaters on December 19. Two additional sequels, the still untitled Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, are in various stages of production and are expected to be released in 2029 and 2031, respectively.