Movie Review — ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
James Cameron still has stories to tell.
Even though the director has been (slowly) churning out hits since the 1980s, he’s not done yet.
Photo: Complex.com
In his latest outing, the Disney Legend returns to Pandora one more time.
Has Cameron overstayed his welcome? Here’s a review of Avatar: Fire & Ash.
About ‘Avatar’
When Avatar debuted in theaters in 2009, many argued it wasn’t even an anticipated film.
Media reporters focused most of their attention on a Robert Downey Jr. movie, Sherlock Holmes.
After the box office tracking came in, everyone knew that was a mistake, and the results bore that out.
At one point, James Cameron did something unimaginable at the box office.
Avatar became the number one blockbuster of all time, replacing Titanic…a James Cameron film.
The visual effects of both films wowed guests, while the stories served their purpose.
For more than a decade, people dismissed Avatar as leaving no cultural impact.
I always found the argument fascinating for a title with $2.92 billion at the box office.
Photo: Avatar
Oh, and Avatar single-handedly sold Blu-Ray and 3D Blu-Ray DVD players for several years.
People loved the film quietly, not overtly, which caused people to underestimate the franchise.
(Kent Phillips, photographer)
That changed with the release of Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022, which again wrecked the box office.
Avatar 2 even surpassed Titanic, giving Cameron three (!) of the top four films ever, a record that still stands today.
Photo: Avatar
More importantly, The Way of Water expanded the story of Jake Sulley’s adventures on Pandora.
Cameron gave the Avatar a family with the Pandora native, Neytiri, the true breakout star of the first film.
Photo: Collider.com
Since Cameron made it clear he wanted to do several films, we knew that film wouldn’t be the last of this family.
So, they had meaty parts in The Way of Water, and that statement is even more true in its sequel.
The Two Enemies: Fire and Your Watch
At this point, the Avatar franchise has evolved into an epic involving a large core of characters.
Sulley and Neytiri are still with the water people who aided them last time, and Cameron didn’t overthink it.
Photo: D23
After water, he goes to fire with the kind of enemy we all love: a ruthless woman with no regard for life.
The early pitch for Fire & Ash was “evil fire Na’vi,” which is precisely what we get.
Image: Disney
We meet Varang early in the film, and let’s just say that her favorite album is Pyromania.
Oh, and she reeeeeeeeally doesn’t like Neytiri. A clash between them feels inevitable for about two and a half hours.
Photo: Empire
Speaking of which, let’s just get right to it. This film is LONG! It clocks in at 195 minutes.
So, it’s not just a three-hour film but is even a bit longer. Does it feel that way?
Photo: Empire
Honestly, my answer is no. I thought it might after about 20 minutes, but that was just the warm-up act.
Cameron dutifully reminds the viewer of all the people we may have forgotten from The Way of Water.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
Then, he does what he does, shattering all expectations and methodically stretching the tension.
Seriously, when a scene should take 20 seconds, he gives it 40. A two-minute scene becomes five minutes.
Photo: D23
Some people could have handled the third act in 30 minutes. This one clocks in at about 75 minutes.
Just buy plenty of snacks in the theater lobby and make your peace with it.
The Stunning Beauty of ‘Fire & Ash’
Alternatively, just go ahead and wait until Fire & Ash arrives on Disney+. But you’ll miss something.
I’m an ardent proponent of the home viewing experience, yet I’m telling you to watch this one in theaters.
AMC in Disney Springs
Even by Avatar standards, it’s visually stunning. Somehow, the scenes with humans were the ones that felt artificial.
By this point, Cameron and his team have mastered the art of making Pandora feel real.
Photo: 21st Centry Fox
This time, he raises the ante by methodically telling the story across three levels.
Battles occur on land, at sea, and in the air, often all at once. It’s dizzying yet engrossing.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
And that’s the other vital point here. The action is non-stop, almost to the point of being frustrating.
Fire & Ash is an action movie with very little respite.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
Any slower scenes are immediately counterbalanced by aggressive conflict.
So, the final three hours of the film feel like a carefully laid set of dominoes.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
Once the first one tips, nothing’s stopping the story until it reaches a logical, satisfying conclusion.
Now, I’d argue that Cameron added about 30 more dominoes than he needed, but still.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
I definitely got my money’s worth in terms of watching a breathtaking cinematic feast for the eyes.
An Imperfect But Satisfying Story
As for the story, I’ll just say it. I didn’t care for a couple of subplots, one of which didn’t make any sense.
I view that as inevitable in a three-hour movie, though.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
When directors are this self-indulgent, mistakes are made. But there’s one scene I hated.
I wasn’t the only one in theater who felt this way, either. The entire theater recoiled in horror.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
I understood the logic of it, but…no. Just no.
That one is a terrible idea that shouldn’t have been filmed, and I’m confident you’ll know it when you watch it.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
Oddly, as infuriating as that particular scene is – and I haaaated it – it’s quickly forgotten.
That’s the benefit of a super-long action movie that’s all gas and no brakes.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
Even when Cameron tosses in some Pandoran mysticism, there’s always a fight in the offing.
This film is exponentially more antagonistic than the previous ones, which you may not like.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
My wife, who is an incredibly empathetic person, found Fire & Ash a challenge at times.
Some of the sequences are genuinely unsettling. I don’t mean in a horror movie way, either.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
No, these sentiments are better categorized as, “Some humans are really like this, and it’s awful.”
Cameron is challenging the viewer repeatedly in Avatar 3. It’s similar to some scenes from Way of Water, only much worse.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
As such, this one won’t be an easy viewing for some. I wish it were a struggle for all of us.
There’s a potent environmental message lurking beneath the surface of the standard one in Avatar.
Photo: 21st Century Fox
Cameron doesn’t think much of whalers, and he doesn’t want you to like them, either.
Final Thoughts
We’ve reached a point where nobody is going to say no to James Cameron about anything.
At times, that works to his detriment with Avatar: Fire & Ash, as it goes too far in some odd ways.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ poster
Having said that, this is a wonderful film, one overflowing with vision and imagination.
I’m not sure it’s for everyone, as it’s also an exercise in excess. But it is very much for me.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ in Disney Springs
So, I’d give it a solid 8.5 out of 10 and tell you that you won’t regret watching it in IMAX.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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