James Cameron’s record-breaking 2009 film Avatar is one of my favourite movies of all time. Honestly, it’s in my Letterboxd top four! I’ve rewatched the movie so many times and cry every single time (that final battle scene gets the tears jerking, sorry not sorry). When Cameron announced that he was continuing the franchise, I was simultaneously ecstatic and terrified. Ecstatic, of course, because we get more of Pandora’s mysticism and beauty, but also terrified because I find that most blockbuster sequels tend to be unnecessary and obvious money-grabs, making the overall production turn into a giant flop.
When Avatar: The Way of Water was released in 2022, I was seated in the theatre on opening night, anxiously munching on popcorn to see if James Cameron could prove my belief about sequels wrong. I’m happy to say he most certainly did: I loved the second film! Avatar will always be number one for me, but Way of Water did an excellent job following up on the story 15 years after the end of the first film. It’s easy to understand why I was so eager to see the third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, desperately hoping that Cameron could keep the momentum going with the introduction of the new Mangkwan Clan, who are led by the terrifying Varang (played by Oona Chaplin). However, my hopes and expectations were unfortunately not met with the third movie, leaving me disappointed rather than satisfied by the rolling of the end credits.
My Spoiler-Free Review
The world of Avatar will always hold a special place in my heart, even if I don’t wholly love one of the franchise’s films. Fire and Ash is firmly in third place in the series’ ranking, but that doesn’t mean the movie was a complete mess.
The standout in this movie was easily the introduction of the Ash People, specifically, Varang. Chaplin’s performance was breathtaking; everything from the character’s movement to the minute physical designs on her Na’vi figure worked effortlessly to create a terrifying but enigmatic antagonist. Learning about the Mangkwan’s background and their rejection of Eywa was also intriguing and offered a new perspective on the world of Pandora.
Zoe Saldaña’s portrayal of Neytiri was also a favourite for me. Saldaña has always done an incredible job representing Neytiri, and I stand by the fact that she was robbed of at least an Oscar nomination for her 2009 performance. The third film explores Neytiri’s grief over the loss of her eldest son, Neteyam, focusing on her conflicting hate for the humans and love for Jake and their mixed children. Neytiri’s self-exploration added a lot of depth to her character and allowed Saldaña to explore a range of emotions throughout her portrayal. Also, Neytiri and Jake’s love for each other remains steadfast in Fire and Ash, which is of utmost importance for my Avatar-loving heart. Those two bring me so much joy, and their devotion to each other is heartwarming.
Of course, we can’t forget the insane visuals that the Avatar series is known for. Cameron delivered yet again in this department and has successfully made another film that not only invites you into the world of Pandora, but also makes you long to be a part of it.
Now, for the negatives (of which there are unfortunately a lot). First, we have to talk about Spider. I can’t with this kid anymore. Jack Champion, who portrays Spider, is a good actor… in everything but Avatar. I think Champion is a little out of his depth with this franchise, especially seeing it’s one of his first film credits. His performance in Way of Water is subpar, and it doesn’t get any better in Fire and Ash. I also despise Spider as a character separate from Champion’s performance. In Fire and Ash, Spider develops the ability to breathe Pandora’s air (not a spoiler, it’s in the trailer!). Alongside this ability, he also gains other Na’vi abilities, which is infuriating (I won’t delve into this as it would border on spoilers). Spider also escapes death several times more than he should be able to, while on the other hand, we had to lose Neteyam at the end of Way of Water to a few stray bullets. I would easily trade Neteyam for Spider a million times over, especially because everyone seems to forget that Spider literally saved Quaritch from the sinking ship in Way of Water, #traitor!
Speaking of Quaritch, it’s time to say buh-bye to him. Stephen Lang does a very convincing job of portraying Mr. Guns-Are-Blazing. However, it’s getting old and overdone. Fire and Ash explores Quaritch and his alliance with Varang and the Mangkwan, seemingly hinting at a wavering in his loyalty to the humans. While Varang is, without a doubt, a baddie and would probably make most people question their allegiance, I find this so out of character for Quaritch. This man has been a hater for a long time and has been anti-Na’vi for just as long. Quaritch’s doubts feel entirely wrong for his character and rushed. Also, Quaritch’s alliance with Varang was heavily marketed leading up to the film’s release, so I was expecting this, especially Varang, to be the main focus on the antagonist side of the war between Pandora and humans. I was surprised to see Varang essentially reduced to Quaritch’s side piece and not take on a more developed and central role in the conflict. Varang was marketed as the main villain in the third film, but was pushed to the side as soon as Quaritch allied with her. The audience has already seen Jake and Quaritch fight each other a million times. Cameron had the opportunity to introduce a new opponent that understood the Pandora landscape and missed the mark.
James Cameron also elects to reuse key dialogue between characters from the first movie in Fire and Ash. While I can appreciate a reference or a literary echo, I draw the line at reusing meaningful conversations between Jake and Neytiri for Quaritch and Varang. Neytiri’s “You have a strong heart, no fear” from the first film is used by Varang when she speaks with Quaritch. The recycling of this iconic line cheapens Neytiri and Jake’s original moment, making it have a reproduced and almost pick-up line quality. The “I see you” line is also reused by Varang, and while this is a more common line throughout the film, it still annoys me.
The overall plot of the film is also essentially an amalgamation of the previous two films’ storyline. Like, I swear, some of the clips from the movie were reused from the first and second films. Again, like with the reusing of the dialogue, this cheapens the series as a whole and takes away some of the magic of the previous films.
Lastly, I have to mention Kiri. Look, do I think Sigourney Weaver is an amazing actress? Without a doubt. But, I don’t think she should be the one to voice the 15-year old Na’vi. Weaver’s voice carries depth and an air of wisdom with it that doesn’t necessarily align with the visual depiction of young Kiri. While this isn’t my biggest grievance with the new movie(s), it definitely doesn’t make watching her scenes enjoyable, which is sad because Kiri’s character as a concept and her connection to Eywa are really intriguing.
Was Avatar: Fire and Ash easily my least favourite film in the Avatar franchise? Yes. Will I be sat in the movie theatre for the release of the subsequent film(s)? Also yes. And you should be too! Even though Fire and Ash wasn’t my favourite, the Avatar series as a whole is too good to pass up. The unique world-building, dynamic characters, and emphasis on protecting the natural world overall create an intense visual experience that you can’t find anywhere else. The next film, if greenlit, is scheduled to release on Dec. 21, 2029. Crossing my fingers, the next one is better than the last!