Say what you will about the Avatar franchise, but it’s a massive Christmas blockbuster event year after year. James Cameron’s lush and psychedelic world of Pandora makes billions of dollars, so it’s no wonder why he keeps trotting it out, despite film fans complaining about the saga’s lack of cultural impact. Thus, there’s the third (and final?) installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, which as always, is a visual marvel even if the story and characters have shortcomings.
Picking up weeks after the conclusion of Avatar: The Way of Water, Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) are grappling with the toll the war with the RDA has taken on their family. But when a dramatic event changes everything they thought they knew about Pandora, the Sully family find themselves tested, especially when a fire controlling clan, led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), comes to take everything from them.
I won’t waste much time going on and on about the visual effects and the stunning locales of the film, since they’re perfectly executed as always and the main reason people flock to these films in droves, so instead, let’s start with the characters. Much has been written about how the cast of the franchise are one dimensional and forgettable, and for the most part, I disagree. There are some likable characters in the cast, namely Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, who once again, Weaver nails, but the problem is that this film in particular doesn’t know how to handle its ensemble.
Despite what many seem to think, the characters of Avatar have some depth to them; only this third film posits deep, meaningful questions to those characters, but doesn’t do much with them. Longtime villain Quaritch (Stephen Lang) in particular, who is now an Avatar himself, is the chief example of this- Cameron and company try to make the audience feel that there’s more to him then meets the eye, but that’s where the idea stops, despite a compelling dynamic with Varang. Similarly, Jake’s arc in this film forces him to confront the fact that he essentially betrayed mankind for true love, but the emotional toll and moral questions inherent in that conflict are left by the wayside.
And yes, I know that there are two more sequels in the pipeline, but that’s no excuse for setting up tough questions only to not answer them. If Cameron is playing the long game, more needs to be spaced out across this film and frankly, even 2022’s second installment to give the viewers a reason to want more Avatar films and be invested in what happens.
Worse, this film simply feels like an extension of The Way of Water and not an evolution. It connects far too much to its predecessor to the point that rewatching the second film immediately before you see this one is a must. Essentially, it’s Avatar: The Way of Water Part Two, as it retreads much of the same ground, right down to the climax, which replaces a few elements, but feels like the same movie. I got deja vu multiple times watching this, which is not a good sign for the third film in a saga.
If you’re not onboard with Avatar, Fire and Ash won’t do much to change your mind. Yes, it’s a visual masterpiece- Breaking news: Water is wet- but the depth needs to deepen far more for the legions of film fans to rank this franchise as an all time great.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is now playing in theaters.
A native of Boise, Idaho, Bradley is a hardcore entertainment junkie whose interest span many different genres. Favorite shows include: The Originals, Agents of SHIELD, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Silicon Valley and Powers.
