Film Review: Avatar: Fire and Ash

There is a lot of anticipation and a lot of expectations when a new Avatar film comes out. The first one took a decade to create and the sequel was made equally a decade later. It comes at a surprise then that the third film comes out only three years after The Way of Water. The story goes that James Cameron’s script for his second instalment was so big and vast in scope that it got split into two scripts; one became The Water of Water and the other became the newest film Fire and Ash. The question is, how does it affect the grand story of the Avatar universe?

James Cameron put so much effort into this universe. He created a new language, created biomes with flora and fauna that feels distinctive enough to distinguish this sci-fi blockbuster from others, namely Star Wars. It looked beautiful with a lot of emphasis on the environment and nature. The visual effects over at WETA have impressed us the last two times and they continue to do so with this third film. Fire and Ash feels photorealistic and that is the highest compliment anyone could give a film that is dedicated solely to visual effects. The water, the landscapes, the creatures and everything in between is breathtaking and fully immerses you into the experience.

The story takes place not long after the events of The Way of Water. Jake and Neytiri are grieving still over the loss of their son, Neteyam. The focus this time is on Lo’ak, who is struggling to come to terms with his own grief as well as the expectations to live up to his family name. This definitely feels like a direct continuation of the previous film with every established character returning from The Way of Water. As the title suggests, there is a new threat as an Ash Clan of Na’vi emerges from the shadows, led by the mysterious Varang. Varang and the returning Colonel Quaritch, in his Avatar suit again, make a formidable couple. Varang shows us a new perspective on Na’vi culture and further proves just how big this world of Pandora is. Together they attempt to capture Jake and bring justice to his actions.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a long film, and it feels like it at points, but the visuals, the scope and the characters all have important roles in keeping the narrative flowing. The balance of nature and faith is a continuing theme that the film explores, and you even have Neytiri’s complex emotions over having a surrogate human son with Spider in their clan. Spider is a very key character and his role is complex and vital in both the survival of the Na’vi and the survival of the Human Race. The stakes have never been higher and everyone has a part to play in the overarching story. You will constantly be in awe with the music, the skylines, the alien creatures and with everything else popping out at the screen.

There is some doubt over whether this will be the final film in the series or not, but if it is then it is good to say that the ending is very satisfactory. It tells an almost complete story that revolves around Jake Sully and his integration into the culture on Pandora. Technology has come such a long way in the past two decades and the motion capture methods have managed to bring us such subtle performances that deserve to the recognised. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang and the others all feel like Na’vi and the magic never wavers. There is no other film franchise like Avatar and that works in its favour, and it is safe to say that Fire and Ash is the strongest instalment in the series.

★★★★★

5/5

Final Verdict:

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a masterpiece of cinema. The epic nature of the story demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible and audiences know that. Yes, it is a very long film but so have other films such as Dune and The Lord of the Rings. The thing with Avatar is the mythology is so rich and dense that you genuinely feel like this place exists and that is part of the magic of this film. Every character is important, nothing is wasted on screen and James Cameron has proven once again why he is the “King of the World”. Avatar: Fire and Ash may be the swan song of the franchise, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that I am not finished at seeing more stories set within this world.

Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions