Avatar: Fire And Ash – Review

Cert – 12, Run-time – 3 hours 17 minutes, Director – James Cameron

The Sully family are separated whilst trying to get adopted human Spider (Jack Champion) to a place of safety, each hunted by a tribe of fire Na’vi helping humans cull Pandora’s Tulkun species.

Although this is only the second sequel it feels slightly odd to have another Avatar film so soon after 2022’s The Way Of Water. Made back-to-back with that film it shares a lot of the same DNA, including a third act which feels as if it could be almost identical. For those who have claimed that the first two films were derivative of many films that came before it, including notably Dances With Wolves, then Fire And Ash won’t do anything to change their minds, especially with its similarities to its own previous entries.

Spectacle in this third outing to Pandora, revisiting the water and jungle lands before venturing to burnt forestry belonging to the new fire Na’vi tribe introduced as antagonists alongside returning Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and co, is certainly still present. The design of the world and the creatures in it are still engaging, but there doesn’t seem to be that same sense of wonder or full immersion from them alone. A shame as Cameron spends much of the first hour, and many individual scenes in-between, almost always broken by the sudden re-arrival of the enemy, indulging in the visuals and workings of the planet. Moments contributing to the feeling that a good hour could comfortably be cut from the run-time.

Once things start to very gradually come together the Sully family are separated whilst journeying to get adopted human Spider (Jack Champion) to a place of safety – with Quaritch and the human army still seeking him, and Jake (Sam Worthington). On the way the family are attacked by Varang (Oona Chaplin), who doesn’t seem to be named until around two-thirds into the film, and her tribe – who bring a layer of darkness with their rituals, merciless outlooks and how their seeming isolation has differed them from the other Na’vi we’ve seen so far. While Varang may not have a lot of detail she still manages to get one or two moments where she feels like a real threat, while Quaritch who was once a traditional, albeit slightly clichéd, boo-hiss bad guy has been relegated to an outline. Downgrades are scattered throughout Fire And Ash as even Zoe Saldaña’s has gone from playing Neytiri to a character who may as well be credited as ‘sad wife’.

All meaning that emotional engagement is held back on with the many characters we see in this film. While the action can sometimes feel repetitive, and look like it’s been pulled from a video game, it manages to find a spark when feeling most abrupt and leaning into the actual threat at hand rather than a visual aspect, or jumping around between characters, most of whom I still probably couldn’t name. If the film had a stronger narrative to fill its near 3-and-a-half-hour run-time then it would perhaps flow better and the explosive action, even when underwater, would likely have more of an impact. For what there is here it’s effective, and certainly the film as a whole picks up pace the more it feels as if it’s properly brought things together after a very slow build-up. The second half feels more active with the backing that it has from the scattered events of the first.

Especially when playing out in the human-built city, looking like the Arrakeen palace in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has been placed in Blade Runner’s LA, on Pandora. Battles unfolding here feel more fluid and as if all happening as one, due to the closeness and combined force from each character in that particular sequence. There’s a better sense of connectedness to everything at play here, and the design of the location pays off, especially as an expansive yet still somehow confined area.

Yet, James Cameron has so many individual ideas at play in terms of visuals, from years of collecting them and constructing Pandora alongside production designers and visual effects artists, that the film can often feel like it’s trying to show these off more than move the story along. Yes, there’s still a visually impressive nature, but the marks show here of an overlong film that needs more narrative emphasis.

Cameron has spoken about the individual and overarching stories at play here, the latter which is meant to continue in two more sequels which will explore more parts of Pandora. While these may bring new visually stunning locations they hopefully will offer new details for the plot that plays out in them. As it stands with Fire And Ash, there’s certainly threat, when leaning into upfront character and exploring new points; and, as expected, strong visuals, if feeling slightly retrodden. The flame is certainly not burnt out, but it’s missing a spark or two to properly give it power.

The visuals are still engaging, but not always impressive as they’re sometimes put at the fore over a thin, drawn-out narrative in Avatar: Fire And Ash. Needing to push its characters that bit more, as when it puts them at the the fore the threat and action are stronger and more fluid in this very familiar sequel.