Avatar: Fire and Ash First Reactions Ignite Social Media

James Cameron is rolling out Avatar: Fire and Ash for the holidays with the kind of swagger that says the box office will be fine. The twist is he sounds fully prepared to walk away if it is not more than fine. Meanwhile, the first wave of reactions just hit after the premiere, and they are a loud, messy mix: raves for the visuals (obviously), debate over the story (also obviously), and some very specific shout-outs to the new villain.

Cameron on the future: bring your wallet or this might be it

Cameron is not shy about where his head is at. He is confident the movie will make money. He is less sure it will make enough to justify more sequels, and he says he is absolutely ready to park the franchise if the appetite is not there. He also traced his very long road with this thing, from a 1995 script to shelving it for a decade, to getting serious in 2005.

"I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again? ... I have been in Avatar land for 20 years. Actually, 30 years, because I wrote it in '95. But I wasn't working continuously on it for those first ten years. There was a brief flurry of interest in '95, and then everybody said you're out of your mind, and I shelved it for 10 years. Then, we got serious in 2005. Yeah, absolutely, sure. If this is where it ends, cool."

Translation: he will keep building Pandora if audiences keep showing up. If not, door closed, no hard feelings.

So, how is Fire and Ash? Early buzz from the premiere

The reactions are in, and they overlap in a few predictable ways: the VFX and 3D are jaw-dropping and demand a premium screen; the movie runs over three hours and some folks felt every minute while others said it flew; and story-wise, opinions split from best-in-series to we have seen this beat before. Here is the snapshot, cleaned up from social:

• Our own Chris Bumbray caught a preview and says it is a must in IMAX 3D. It is as immersive as The Way of Water, feels like a small step down from that one, but the 3-plus-hour runtime breezes by and he is happy to head back to Pandora again.
• The Awards Garage (formerly Two Peas in a Pod) went full-throttle: calls it the best Avatar yet, crowns Cameron the GOAT, and gushes that the VFX are so seamless they read as physical, not digital. They also loved the story and action and even floated an Oscar push for 'Miley.'
• Jakob Kolness found it overwhelming in both the good and the exhausting way. He warns it might test patience, but says the blockbuster fireworks are undeniable and remind you Cameron still does this scale better than anyone.
• MovieDeathsBlows was blown away: says Cameron drives the saga into its most intense and violent chapter so far, with massive set pieces and a family story that still hits the emotions. Stephen Lang's Colonel Miles Quaritch is a scene-stealer, and newcomer Oona Chaplin's Varang gets singled out as a deliciously hateable villain. They also argue each of the three Avatar films somehow looks more stunning than the last.
• Courtney Howard (Variety/The AV Club) says the third film proves Cameron still has the sauce. It is a big, emotional theater event. She shouts out Payakan as still a favorite, but gives MVP status to Varang.
• Richard Fink (MovieWeb) frames it as the Return of the Jedi of the series: a tick below its predecessors, but still really good. He cites some surprisingly powerful, tear-triggering moments alongside the expected awe in the craft.
• Movie Files is on the other side of the fence: deeply disappointed, calling it a recycle of the last film's weaknesses. He knocks the story as muddled, says the character work is poor, and points to one specific character who is pushed front and center but written and performed badly. Visuals alone could not save it for him.
• Kaitlyn Booth (BleedingCool) dubs it a visual masterpiece while dinging the narrative for repeating the same capture/rescue loop with some unintentionally funny dialogue. She calls the runtime criminal and advises anyone with eye issues to skip the 3D.
• Nikko Supreme agrees the spectacle is unmatched and the 3D is something to behold. Beyond a standout turn from Oona Chaplin and a cool new tribe, he says the story feels like a retread of the first two films: high entertainment, low substance. If you liked the others, you will likely like this, but it is starting to feel played out.

Between the lines: the tech flex is as big as ever, IMAX 3D is the way to go, and Oona Chaplin's Varang looks like the breakout addition while Stephen Lang keeps chewing scenery as Quaritch. The split is over whether the story hits new ground or just hits harder. And yes, Cameron really does sound ready to stop if this one underperforms, which would be a fascinating twist after spending two to three decades living on Pandora.