‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is a step in the wrong direction for James Cameron’s world of Pandora

By Gabriel Payne

There have not been many franchise films in recent years that generated more hype and enthusiasm than the third installment to James Cameron’s “Avatar” universe. In 2022, he delivered an impressive and record breaking sequel in “The Way of Water,” defying the cynics who claimed the success of the original “Avatar” could never be repeated. 

As a result, expectations were high for what looked like an exciting new exploration into the world of Pandora, promising high-octane action and a darker spin on the struggle between man and Na’vi. 

The film features the entire cast of the previous movie, focusing on Jake Sully’s (Sam Worthington) continued attempts to liberate Pandora and the Na’vi people from mankind’s heartless greed while protecting his new family. Oona Chaplin (yes as in Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter) makes her “Avatar” debut as Varang, the Tsahik or spiritual leader of the outcast Ash people. 

Worthington and Chaplin offer strong leading performances, as well as “Avatar” veterans Stephen Lang and Zoe Saldaña portraying Colonel Miles Quaritch and Jake’s wife Neytiri. The rest of the performances, while not unbearable, are still weak and in the case of Jack Champion’s character Spider, distracting from the good qualities of the story.

Aside from some weak performances, this film fails to deliver according to its expectations on a multitude of levels. As a sequel, it offers nothing new or better than its predecessors. In many ways, it feels like a carbon copy of “The Way of Water,” in pacing, in storyline and even in character development. 

It also takes entirely too long to reach the climax of the story, with a whopping 198 minute runtime that definitely makes you feel every minute. The transition between the dragging, unfocused setup and the jam packed final battle feels rushed and mishandled. There was so much going on in the first two acts between all the characters. Because of this, there is not a satisfying or complete resolution to any single storyline. This film is a prime example of trying to do so much that you do nothing at all.

The biggest issue plaguing this film is its lack of a soul. The identity of this film, the main point and central themes, are buried deep below a hyperfixation on epic action pieces and a misguided regurgitation of “what worked” in the other films. At the end of the day, it is clear that this movie was not made to tell a story, continue a legacy or even entertain. It was created to make money and the result is a shallow, underwhelming three-hour disappointment. 

While this opinion may seem harsh, it should be reiterated that the film in-and-of-itself is not awful. In typical James Cameron fashion, the filmography is gorgeous from start to finish. The few action pieces are epically proportioned, and the exploration of the spiritual side of Pandora was interesting. These qualities however were not enough to give this project equal standing among its franchise counterparts. 

Despite the weak offering of this installment, there is still great hope for the future of the “Avatar” franchise. The central reason “Fire and Ash” fell short was that it was filmed and written simultaneously with the previous film “The Way of Water.” Therefore it was unable to form its own identity and could never escape the shadow of its predecessor. The future installments to this franchise will not only benefit from a separated filming process but also the feedback the producers are receiving from this project.

All in all, “Avatar: Fire and Ash” was a great letdown of the expectations set by the previous films. It had some redeeming qualities, but not enough to overcome its many issues. I would rate this film a 6/10, which is not a terrible score but nowhere near where a film in the “Avatar” franchise should land.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is currently showing in theatres

Gabriel Payne is a junior Mechanical Engineering major whose greatest passion in life is glorifying the Lord, followed closely by some good soul food.

Pictures courtesy of 20th Century Studios and Lightstorm Entertainment