December 19th saw the release of the long awaited third installment in the historic Avatar Franchise. The first Avatar film is the highest grossing film of all time and is widely recognized for the creation of the 3-D boom of the 2010s leading to the increase and widespread adoption of 3-D movie/television technology. There were a lot of doubts for the second film, Avatar: The Way of the Water, and the return to the Avatar Franchise blew away everyone’s expectations becoming the third highest grossing film of all time and bringing attention back to the slightly dormant franchise. With an expansion in Animal Kingdom, clearly Disney wants Avatar to continue to be the juggernaut it has been previously, so the question is, does Avatar: Fire and Ash hold up, or is Avatar simply a fad that has blown past us.
Overall I feel like Avatar: Fire and Ash, while an enjoyable film, is the weakest of the trilogy as the beautiful effects can’t quite cover up for what feels like a retread of the second film. Director James Cameron has previously stated that he split Avatar 2 into two movies which can be seen after seeing how this one follows up The Way of the Water. Without going into spoilers for the film, the climax of the film almost feels like Deja Vu with how it hits the same points of the previous film. The characters continue to be strong, but most don’t end in that different of a place than the first movie and the arcs are just an exploration of what works in the second one. Filming the second and third films back to back has its upsides as they are able to maintain a continuity between films as the human actor doesn’t seem to age between entires, but this comes with the drawback of being unable to take in criticism to alter the sequel, which as I’ve said leads to a very similar viewing experience. If you’re a fan of the franchise like me, that isn’t necessarily the worst thing, but it does make it harder to rewatch.
The standout performance of the movie has to be Stephen Lang as Quaritch, who continues to be the antagonist of the franchise. Following his death in the first film, he is reborn into a Na’vi body like the protagonist Jake Sully, but without any connection to the world of Pandora. However through the film we see his growth from purely antagonistic force, to at times a reluctant ally to Sully, as he continues to fight for the planet Earth. His growth comes as a result of his recruitment of the hostile Fire tribe, whose leader Varang, is able to give him a link to Pandora, while continuing to be hostile towards Jake Sully. Opposite him is Sam Worthington as the protagonist Jake Sully, once a human, who is now fully one of the Na’vi as he comes to the conclusion that he can’t continue to run away from the threats to him and his family. He makes the conscious decision to fight, thinking that war is the only way for him to protect his family. Quarritch’s growth with the fire tribe serves as a perverse reflection of Jake’s as they continue to oppose each other.
Overall I think that it is another great installment in the Avatar Franchise, but if you aren’t already a fan of the franchise, I doubt this movie will make you one as it doesn’t do much new. If you’re looking for another beautiful looking movie with a serviceable plot, then I’d one hundred percent recommend seeing this film.
