AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (2025)

Is the Fire Starting to Dim on This Sci-Fi Franchise?

Grade: B-

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The best way to describe James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash is, “fun, but not great.” It certainly succeeds in entertaining. The CGI and motion-capture effects continue to deliver the goods, taking us back to the beautiful world of Pandora. We are also treated to some interesting new ideas and possibilities, and some good character development. However, the latest chapter in what is claimed to be the next big sci-fi epic is supposed to do more than all this. It must go deeper-much deeper-than ever before. Fire and Ash tries to do so-or rather, it starts to, but Cameron seems to pull back at the last second. For years, Avatar has reigned tall above the other Hollywood blockbusters, even the mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite a divisive reception by audiences. But all good things must come to an end, and Avatar: Fire and Ash, despite its merits, could very well toll the final bell for this franchise.

            Fire and Ash opens on a somewhat interesting note, as Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), the two sons of protagonists Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), are seen flying on their dragonlike Banshees through Pandora’s floating mountains. Neteyam had been killed at the end of the last movie, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), so we are led to believe this is a flashback, until he asks Lo’ak how he had died. It is revealed that Lo’ak is communicating with his brother’s spirit through the ancestral tree of the Metkayina, the Na’vi who inhabit the tropical seas of Pandora.

            Lo’ak serves as the narrator this time around (for the first two movies, it was his father), and not much time has passed since the previous film. Jake and his family are still mourning Neteyam’s death and preparing for battle against the invading human forces led by Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who had been reborn in an Avatar body and is still gunning for Jake. But the war takes an unexpected turn when a hostile clan of Na’vi known as the Ash People and their leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), turn up and join forces with Quaritch. This time, even Jake may not be able to lead the other clans to victory.

            At three hours and fifteen minutes, Fire and Ash is the longest Avatar film to date, and it naturally covers a lot of ground. It is loaded with escapes, chases, fights, and impossible decisions by the characters. There are also a few nudges in terms of character and story development. Quaritch, for example, is forced to team up with Jake temporarily, and is even offered a chance to see the world as Jake sees it. We are introduced to the Wind Traders, a Na’vi tribe who traverse the skies on gigantic, balloon-like creatures. In the climax, we are offered our first real glimpse of Eywa, the goddess who protects and connects every living thing on Pandora. A marine biologist played by Jemaine Clement changes sides and rescues a captive Jake so he can save the highly intelligent, whalelike Tulkun before his fellow humans can wipe them out.

            The biggest and most interesting turning point happens with Spider (Jack Champion), a human boy who loves the Sullys like his own family. Spider is dying, but intervention by Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), Jake and Neytiri’s adopted daughter, leads him to be able to breathe Pandora’s air, as well as bond with the land and creatures, like the Na’vi. Every character knows this could be exploited by the humans in their attempts to colonize Pandora. Alternatively, it could be the key to finally establishing peace between two worlds.

            Unfortunately, many plot points don’t go anywhere, and those that do are often predictable, even if they are drawn out more than usual. Typically, the final battle is the highlight of any action-based Cameron film; it was definitely the best part of The Way of Water. But, aside from the presence of the Ash People, the battle in Fire and Ash is really the same as the first two movies combined. Literally, in fact: Jake rallies the clans for war as he did in the first movie, a plea is made to another party to intercede on the Na’vi’s behalf, the fighting takes place at sea (like the second film), the Tulkun intervene, Jake’s loved ones are taken prisoner, someone important dies, Jake and Quaritch fight hand-to-hand, there is an Eywa-ex-machina, rinse, repeat.

            In the end, what has been accomplished? What has changed? Some stuff, to be sure, but not a whole lot. Quaritch stays villainous and apparently dies (except he obviously doesn’t), the humans are again defeated but not driven off Pandora, the Wind Traders are never seen again (nor, for that matter, is Clement’s character), and, aside from Spider’s new condition and the absence of some characters (but no one in the main circle of protagonists), the movie ends pretty much the same as Way of Water.

            The Avatar movies were never high art, despite their groundbreaking special effects technology. But they were always big and tried to go even bigger. Avatar: Fire and Ash seems to be merely teasing us with change, only pushing ever so slightly into the unknown-and for a movie that apparently cost half a billion dollars to make, it wouldn’t have hurt to push even further. Presumably, Cameron is laying the groundwork for the next two entries in the series…except he has stated that he is ready for the franchise to end if Fire and Ash underperforms. And given the film’s gargantuan cost and below-expectations opening weekend, this could very well be the case. If this is the end, the Avatar franchise may just fade away. In the meantime, Cameron could possibly work on another project he has mentioned-an adaptation of Charles Pellegrino’s novel Ghosts of Hiroshima, which recounts the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their aftermath. With this, Cameron may prove he can make a true comeback, even if Avatar cannot.

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Director: James Cameron

Screenplay: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

Producers: James Cameron, Jon Landau

Cast: Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldana (Neytiri), Stephen Lang (Col. Miles Quaritch), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri), Oona Chaplin (Varang), Kate Winslet (Ronal), Cliff Curtis (Tonowari), Jack Champion (Spider), Britain Dalton (Lo'ak), Bailey Bass (Tsireya), Trinity Bliss (Tuktirey), David Thewlis (Peylak), Edie Falco (Gen. Ardmore), Jemaine Clement (Dr. Ian Garvin), Giovanni Ribisi (Parker Selfridge)

Rated: PG-13 (for intense action, violence, bloody images, strong language, suggestive material, and thematic elements)