Avatar: Fire and Ash
It was not that long ago that Avatar creator-writer-director James Cameron (Titanic) was talking about the film series as his life’s work: an all-encompassing fantasy epic he expected to work on into his old age across four sequels which would take all of his remaining cinematic talent to bring to life. Recently, however, Cameron’s pronouncements have turned a corner, moving away from the idea of more “Avatar” films and onto other goals such as long rumored film on the nuclear attack on Japan and directing a concert film. After almost 20 years of Avatar it’s a sudden shift, one that seems to have come after watching the final cut of the third and latest Avatar installment, Fire and Ash.
Not that there is anything particularly ‘wrong’ about Cameron’s third trip to Pandora. Everything you would expect to be in an Avatar film is available in this Avatar film; dazzling world building, beautiful vistas, stoic (some might say boring) heroes and greedy but complex villains, all in service of a nature versus industry narrative ending in a fantastic climatic battle tinged in both vengeance and grief. This is Cameron’s first second sequel, despite his long and celebrated career (or perhaps because of it) Cameron has seldom returned to even his most popular narratives and never more than once and in this attempt he finds himself running into many of the problems that have bedeviled so many other talented filmmakers and make franchise film-making – particularly at the auteur level – more difficult than they may seem at first blush.
Some of that is the timing of the film. Picking up just weeks after the end of The Way of Water, and just a few years after said film emerged, Fire and Ash doesn’t have the gap of time the previous film or its narrative offered to rethink and reshuffle its status quo. No new kids or resurrected villains or sudden whale companions. It focuses more on grief and dealing with the outcomes of the previous films battles which allows for some development but also a lot of repetition. Jake (Worthington) still struggles to connect with his surviving son Lo’ak (Dalton) while protecting his family from the rampaging Quaritch (Lang) and the greedy colonizers he represents. There are additions and developments, mostly in the form of angry volcano priestess Varang (Chaplin) who raids her fellow Na’vi and has no qualms with joining with Quaritch and his human handlers, bringing him slowly into a dark reflection of the Sully clan.
But it can only go so far and the changes it can make are more decorative than they are substantive. It is hidden somewhat by changing focus, moving away from Lo’ak’s isolation to focus on human offspring Spider (Champion) and his own split between his biological father Quaritch and his chosen home. It’s the closest thing to a heart Fire and Ash but it is only one of many which keeps the film from ever truly adopting its own identity. Arcs are picked up from the previous films which, particularly within such a ponderous length, leads to characters repeating conflict and dragging out conclusion beyond any real need barring the requirement for everything to reach a head during the action climax. The classical unities were probably never thought of having to be applied to such sources and there is an argument to be made for more experimentation.
That is the one thing Fire and Ash is in short supply of. Barring an early trip on flying airships, Fire and Ash is generally content to return to areas it has spent time in before – visually and thematically – recrossing old tracks until nothing is left but a mire.
It’s as astoundingly visual as any of the films in the series. Russel Carpenter’s cinematography and WETA’s digital effects continue to combine into a rainbow kaleidoscope which, particularly in high frame rate IMAX 3D, can replicate the feel of the most astounding nature documentary ever lensed. And Cameron remains unparalleled in his ability to stage an action climax. In its first hour Fire and Ash offers three which outstrip any other action film of the year. The final climactic battle in the island’s vortex heart may be the best of the series.
For the first time, though, it all feels in service of … nothing. Like Jake’s avatar itself, it looks like one of its siblings but within it can’t help but feel artificial. Maybe, after all this time and money, it’s best for everyone to move on.
6.5 out of 10
Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephan Lang, Oona Chaplin, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Kate Winslet, Giovanni Ribisi, Edie Falco and David Thewlis. Directed by James Cameron.