Review of 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
Three years ago we saw the most recent Avatar film, Avatar: The Way of Water, so we thought it might be a good idea to watch this film again to remind us what happened. We are very glad we did as “Fire and Ash” follows immediately on from the events in this earlier film with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) having taken his family to safety with the Metkayina Clan, water people of Pandora, then fighting a big battle with the military resulting in the loss of his older son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters). Suffering from their loss, his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) has developed a singular hatred for the humans which she directs at family friend, and human, Spider (Jack Champion). Jake and Neytiri inform the family that Spider is to be sent back to the military but they are forced to reluctantly agree to take the family on the journey. They hitch a ride with the merchant air fleet of the Windtraders which is soon attacked by the aggressive Mangkwan clan or Ash People, led, by their vicious tsahik Varang (Oona Chaplin). After their ship crashes, Jake is separated from his family and captured by Quaritch (Stephen Lang) who reluctantly agrees to help search for his son (Spider) who will die after the oxygen in his mask is depleted. With the rest of the children, Spider's oxygen does run out Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) uses her power to reach out to Pandora to save him resulting in his ability now to breath Pandora's air. When the military learn of Spider's new ability they are determined to discover the secret so they can more easily colonize the planet but in the meantime, Varang has ambitions of her own with the help of her new partner Quaritch, while Mick Scoresby (Brendan Cowell), having lost his arm in the previous film's climatic battle, knows that there is a huge payday waiting for them if they can take advantage of the annual mass mating event of the peaceful, whale-like Tulkun…Expect a really big battle…
Yes, there is a lot going on here and it pays to be familiar with the events of the first film or you will be well over your head. The earlier film is only five minutes shorter than this film which runs to more than 3 hours and 15 minutes so there is a lot of story to get your head around. As always the visuals are stunning and it definitely feels that the story comes second, an excuse for showing more of the wonders of Pandora. This is not a bad thing as we are taken here from the depths of the oceans to the skies and everything in between, meeting more people and animals of the planet along the way. It is somewhat refreshing to see that all is not peace on the planet with the introduction here of the Eywa-shunning Mangkwan clan who provide a third dimension to the story. There is a lot to keep track of here and despite the amazing visuals by the end you feel like you have been through the wringer - as exhausted as the characters. I saw the film in a cinema and am glad I did so as it is so amazing to look at you need to have this experience to concentrate on what you are seeing and take it all in without any distractions.
Of course, it would not be an Avatar movie without the huge, scenery crunching, battle at the end with the action ramped up here significantly from previous films. Not everyone will survive and the door is left wide open for additional films in the series which Cameron has indicated he is more than willing to continue if there is interest.
Looks great, lots of story, lots of action and plenty more to see of Pandora.
I saw this film at The Rex Cinema in nearby Wilmslow which is a lovely old-school theatre with plush seats (and cozy sofas) along with an amazing sound system and screen. Well worth visiting and perfect for the Avatar films…
Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”
Review Date: 2025-12-31
Directed by: James Cameron
Studio: 20th Century Studios
Year: 2025
Length: 197 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1757678/
Other reviewed films by James Cameron:
- Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
- Titanic (1997)
- Avatar (2009)
- Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)