Avatar: Fire And Ash
A grieving Jake Sully returns to Pandora with Neytiri and family, uncovering a fiery Na’vi tribe that threatens the peace they’ve built and forces a new fight for their home.
DIRECTOR
James Cameron (Avatar: The Way of Water)
ACTORS
Sam Worthington • Zoe Saldaña • Sigourney Weaver • Stephen Lang • Kate Winslet
3h 15m • Rated TBC • Action-Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction • USA
The island setting, the modest production, and the humor that often arises from character rather than contrivance work together to keep the film from ever feeling flat. On the flip side, a few feel the pacing is uneven, or that the secondary characters don’t always land. Still, even these criticisms tend to be soft and in the service of a film that is more heartwarming than perfect.
Overall, the consensus sees The Ballad of Wallis Island as a warm, wistful, and soul-soothing film—modest in scope but rich in feeling. It’s not trying to dazzle, but it digs in where it matters: loss, memory, music, human connection. For many, it’s one of the more emotionally satisfying films of 2025.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is a quietly charming British comedy-drama directed by James Griffiths, written by and starring Tom Basden and Tim Key, alongside Carey Mulligan. The story centers on Charles, a lonely lottery winner living on a remote Welsh island, who invites his favorite folk duo—Herb McGwyer and Nell Mortimer—to reunite for a private performance. His motive isn’t just fandom; there are unresolved heartbreaks, nostalgia, and grief behind his idealistic gesture.
Critics are largely enamored with the film’s balance of humor and melancholy. Tim Key’s performance as Charles is praised for being endearingly awkward, verbose, and heart-on-sleeve, often using verbal wit to stave off silence. Basden as Herb, and Mulligan as Nell, deliver subtle, emotionally resonant performances, especially when the old romantic and artistic tensions surface—and you begin to feel what’s been lost, as well as what hope might remain. The original music is another highlight; the songs feel lived in, and the film uses them not as spectacle, but as emotional anchors.
Some reviewers point out that the premise is familiar—a fan’s devotee, reunited artists, romantic regrets—but argue that the execution elevates it.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
Some caution that after the mixed reception of the previous instalment’s extended runtime and allegorical weight, Avatar: Fire and Ash will need to balance its technological bravura with coherent characters and clear stakes to avoid fatigue. If most critics’ hopes hold, this film could deliver the epic homecoming the franchise desires; if not, it may suffer from overreach. In either case, it’s shaping up to be a landmark release in 2025, one that will determine whether the Avatar saga maintains its momentum or begins to falter.
CRITICS ROUNDUP
Epic spectacle poised to test the franchise’s emotional strength.
Reviews so far are necessarily speculative given the film’s unreleased status, but early commentary heralds an ambitious return to Pandora with James Cameron pushing the franchise’s visual and emotional boundaries further than ever. The trailer’s heightened stakes and elemental themes have been noted as bold, promising a deeper exploration of grief and transformation within the Na’vi mythology. Critics anticipate that the film will either reaffirm the series’ capacity for spectacle with heart or risk being overshadowed by its own ambition.