When Hollywood veteran James Cameron introduced Avatar in 2009, the audience gaped in wonderment even as the end credits rolled. Everyone admired Cameron’s imagery, wondering how someone could have such a vivid vision. Not to forget, that was also the time when technology was at the brink of a massive shift, and words like AI hadn’t invaded our daily vocabulary.
13 years later came the film’s sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). The filmmaker took three more years to release the third instalment of Cameron’s Avatar franchise, titled Avatar: Fire and Ash. The film released at a time when creating an artificial imagery of a place you’ve never been to is just one click or command away. Has James Cameron worked his way up again with Avatar: Fire and Ash? What are the new threats that lurk Na’vi? Let’s find out.
Avatar: Fire and Ash: The Story
The film follows the aftermath of the 2022 film, Avatar: The Way of Water. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), also known as Toruk Makto, has fled from the forest with his family and made 'water' their new home. His wife, Neytiri, is dealing with the loss of their son, but has Spider (Jack Champion) as a part of the Sully family now. However, she hates the ‘pink skin’ for the havoc they cause to their beloved Pandora.
Lo'ak (Britain Dalton), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), and Tuk (Trinity Bliss), Jake and Neytiri’s three children, are experiencing changes in relationships and life, as they battle enemies and threats from old and new territories. Varang (Oona Chaplin), the ruthless leader of the Mangkwan clan, known as the Ash People, is the newest threat the Sullys have to brave.
Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), though was ‘killed’ in Avatar: The Way of Water, returns with more treacherous motives. How, you ask? That's for you to find out. He joins hands with Varang, and united in their mission, finish everyone coming their way. How the Sullys navigate the deadly challenges in their lives forms the crux of the story.
Avatar: Fire and Ash: Visual effects
James Cameron is known for stunning his audience with a vision that is hard to even imagine. The filmmaker has played around with nature’s most important elements in each of his parts; only this time, he has gone all out to summon mostly all elements - air, water, fire, earth and space, and that honestly crowds your space. There is just too much happening at all times.
Even though each scene has been meticulously crafted, the film tends to wear you out - every now and then. However, if we were to specifically speak of the VFX, the colours, textures, and movement take over the screen, leaving you mesmerised by the imagery and creation.
Producer Jon Landau once said that the Avatar films have never prioritised release windows. The film relies heavily on “quality”. We now know what he meant when he said so.
Avatar: Fire and Ash: What works
The Avatar franchise is called a visual spectacle, and for all the right reasons. Though 3 hours and 17 minutes long, the film won’t let you watch your clock until the end of the first half. Kudos to James Cameron for imagining a world as tricky as Pandora and also delivering on it.
The film lags towards the interval, but it's momentary. The second half of the film answers the questions of the first half. It has beauty, substance and meaning. Spoiler alert: But the climax sequence after Jake Sully’s arrest deserves a special mention. It’s high on adrenaline, making you sit on the edge of your seats. Kiri plays a pivotal role from the very beginning, and the shift in the narrative focus from Jake Sully to her, at times, feels fresh and engaging.
You know it’s a job well done when you hate the villain. Oona Chaplin as Varang fits the bill well. She is feisty, ruthless, and only means power and trouble. She grows into the role as the story unfolds, and her addition proves crucial to the film’s appeal. Varang, clearly, is one of the highlights of Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Avatar: Fire and Ash: What doesn’t work
We live in times when the world is grappling with a shortened attention span. It is worth noting that Cameron dared to make a film over three hours long and had so much confidence in his story that audiences would sit through its 3-hour-and-17-minute runtime. And that works, too, mostly; however, the first half feels extremely stretched.
We also miss the moments of peace, the moments of sombriety, where the characters would simply flow, and we had the space to admire the world of Avatar, without having to miss the story.
There’s just trouble flowing in from all quarters for the Sullys, and sometimes, it is extremely overwhelming. There is always one villain or another in every scene - sometimes Colonel Quaritch, other times Varang, or at times both together. Everyone is always worried, always in attention mode, as if manifesting a mishap to take place. And if they truly did, it certainly didn’t work for the Na’vis.
The director probably overdid the storyline in an attempt to make the film pacy. However, it backfires and takes the film down, as the proverb goes: “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash: Rating and the final verdict
If you have been a keen observer of Titanic director James Cameron, the film might end up disappointing you. Avatar 3 relies heavily on adventure and storyline rather than just VFX, a contradiction of what Avatar is primarily known for.
If you haven’t followed the previous Avatar instalments, we would suggest you watch them for a better understanding of the characters and storyline. However, be prepared for an adventure that is certain to go overboard with time, and not even give you the space to shift your emotions.
2.5 out of 5 stars for Avatar: Fire and Ash.
