Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their family have settled in with a seaside tribe of Na’vi following the events of the previous film. But the peace is short lived, as they find themselves under attack from the Ash People and their ruthless chieftain, Varang. Further adding to the threat, Jake’s ex-military superior Quaritch has aligned himself with the Ash People. What ensues will be the biggest battle for Jake and his family yet.
When James Cameron released AVATAR in 2009, the movie took the world by storm. Despite a somewhat derivative storyline, the visual effects and big screen spectacle made it the highest grossing film of all time (not adjusted for inflation). It took over a decade to get the first sequel, AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, similarly received positive reviews for its visuals and was a success, but drew criticism for its overlong running time. The third film in the series, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, has finally arrived… but will audiences want to take a third trip to Pandora?
Similar to its predecessors, FIRE AND ASH is a visual feast for the eyes, especially in 3D and on an IMAX screen (which my screening at AMC Town Square here in Las Vegas was). It gives us a great new antagonist in the form of Varang and her Ash People tribe. Unfortunately, it ultimately feels too similar to its predecessor, once again has an excessively long running time. It’s a good film and worth seeing on the biggest screen possible, but viewers may be experiencing a sense of deja vu, for better or worse.
There aren’t enough good things to be said about the visuals of FIRE AND ASH. James Cameron’s production lives up to its predecessors and exceeds them, bringing the world of Pandora to life. Once the latest installment in the AVATAR franchise gets going, you can’t take your eyes off the screen. From the Na’vi people to exotic wildlife and locales, it’s an impressive visual world that never loses any of its splendor. Whether peaceful tribal scenes or intense battles, this movie delivers the visual good and then some.
It’s great to see characters like Jake, Neytiri, and their children coming full circle, seeing how they’ve grown over the course of the films, and the obstacles they must face, along with repercussions for their past actions. One of the best things I can say about FIRE AND ASH is that it doesn’t just feel like a glorified tech demo. The movie actually has a heart and relatable characters. Expanding the world of Pandora is one of the best aspects of the production, with Varang, played by Oona Chaplin (granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin and daughter of Geraldine Chaplin) stealing the show alongside her Ash People. When they ally with Jake’s old nemesis, the film becomes higher stakes than its predecessors. FIRE AND ASH has strong messages about family and togetherness, but doesn’t skimp on the action either.
Unfortunately, FIRE AND ASH does suffer from many of the same issues that its predecessors did. The storyline and the ensuing action sequences are simply too similar to earlier AVATAR films, and the movie doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself. I also fail to understand why the series feels the need to keep bringing back military villains from Earth, when the first movie already made this point strongly enough. Even Varang, the true scene stealer of the movie, gets less screen time that Quaritch, a villain this series has used to death (in some cases literally). Likewise, did the production need to be over three hours long? I miss the days of big-budget blockbusters that barely exceeded the two-hour mark. FIRE AND ASH has too many plot points, and not enough originality. When the inevitable AVATAR 4 comes out one day, it needs to be different than its predecessors. Decidedly different. Give us a story of the tribes, rituals, and battles of Pandora. We don’t need another movie with Earth’s military invaders. That point has already been made. In three films.
I’m ultimately on the fence as to how I feel about AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. James Cameron delivers on the action, spectacle, heart, and visual effects, but the movie ultimately feels like a rehash of earlier installments, shortchanging the new character/group of characters with the most potential. A story set on an exotic foreign world doesn’t need every movie to revolve around human invaders, reusing so many plot elements. The excessive running time doesn’t help either. FIRE AND ASH looks and sounds incredible; I can give this one a modest recommendation for all the things it does well. But please, Mr. Cameron. Make AVATAR 4 different.