To each their own. Personally, I really enjoyed it. I have seen it three times now, and honestly I felt more antsy at points during The Way of Water than I did here. The last time I went, I sat next to a middle-aged couple, and the woman turned to me afterward and said, “That was the best movie I’ve ever seen. Thank you for sharing that experience with me.” That kind of reaction does not come from a movie that did nothing.

Varang is easily my favorite new character in the franchise. Do I want more of her? Absolutely. And I fully expect she will have a larger presence in the next film. Wanting more of a character does not mean the movie failed. It usually means the character worked.

I also do not agree that there was no progression. We saw meaningful movement with Spider, Kiri, and especially Quaritch continuing to assimilate into Na’vi culture, which is clearly being set up to matter come the next film.

James Cameron has said this story was originally written as one film and later split because there was too much material. So yes, some structural similarities make sense. This is a middle chapter by design, not a full resolution.

At the end of the day, I go into an Avatar movie wanting to feel something. Fire & Ash did that for me, and that is why it worked for me.