3D thrills abound in James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash, drawing audiences back into the vibrant world of Pandora. Like its predecessors, the newest film in the Avatar franchise is a science fiction epic and a feat of colorful imaginative world-building. Pandora is still visually engaging. And maybe that was enough to carry the first film 15 years ago when Cameron’s evolution in movie effects was new. Fire and Ash feels unbalanced, though. Plenty of action and pretty scenery struggle to overcome the challenge of characters flattened by too many stereotypes.
Protagonists Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana) and Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) have settled their Na’vi family with the Metkayina aquatic clan and are adapting to their new life while still mourning the loss of oldest son, Neteyam, in ‘Avatar: The Way of Water‘. In Fire and Ash the battle with the humans- sky people- is not done. Neytiri rebounds as a force to fight for herself and her family, but Jake Sully is a bit underwhelming as a leader. The film offers audiences an expanded view of Pandora, a new villain, Varang (played by Oona Chaplain), head of the Mangkwan.
The kids lead the charge this time. Lo’ak (played by Britain Dalton), Spider (played by Jack Champion), Kiri (played by Sigourney Weaver) and Tuk (played by Trinity Bliss) challenge Na’vi traditions to take on the humans. Typical of Avatar films, connection to family, community and the environment are strong themes in Fire and Ash. Protecting their family continues to motivate Neytiri and Jake. It’s even at the root of antagonist Varang’s actions. Family and belonging are also where this sequel’s heroes, the Sully children, find their strength.
The Sully kids save the day in more than one way. With a little more emotional depth and clearer character arcs- particularly through Kiri and Spider exploring, belonging, and Neytiri grappling with grief and her world changing. Along with Oona Chaplin’s great performance as Varang, they spare the film from an overall deficit of character development. Action and fighting are still the Avatar movies’ strengths, making for a visually exciting watch. It’s what these films do really well. But did we need another 3 hours of it? Little is mostly fresh in this movie, especially if you’ve seen the first two.
A new Na’vi wind trader clan, the Tlalim, is introduced, as well as the fierce Mangkwan fire clan, adding only just enough weight to the lean plot. The biggest surprise is that this film doesn’t come very far. It feels a lot like a rehash of the first two films. With more Avatar sequels planned, it’s a relief to see even the little bits of closure and answered questions offered this time. At least it has opened the door for new plot lines, and something interesting and new for Pandora in future films that Avatar: Fire and Ash lacked.
Avatar: Fire and Ash releases in theaters December 19th. I rate this film (2.5/4) 🍿
