Avatar: Fire and Ash is the latest in the ‘Avatar’ movie series. I really enjoyed this movie. I grew up with the first Avatar movie. There may be a bias towards it because of that, but even to this day, Avatar remains one of my favorite movies of all time. The world building is immersive and well-paced, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. The pacing feels real and impactful, and we see the growth in not just the characters, but the story as well.
The movie begins and the world of Pandora is pretty much a mystery, along with its inhabitants. As Jake, the main character of the story, learns more, so do we. We come to enjoy and love the world ourselves and become attached to the universe. For me, the movie hits the high point when Jakesully becomes ‘Toruk Makto’ and leads the tribes into battle. It not only signifies the movie’s undoubtable scale and epic but also the perfectly executed arc of Jakesully’s character.
Being one of many fans, I was super excited when I found out that a second movie was finally coming out. The second movie ultimately didn’t have as much of an impact on me as the first one did, but did not disappoint. The movie seemed to go a different direction in tone and pacing, and felt more like a set up to something. One of the reasons I love the first Avatar is also because of James Horner’s masterful score. Despite my personal thoughts on its decisions, the movie was very enjoyable and serves as an effective sequel that expands the universe.
In the newest movie, Fire and Ash, many new ideas are introduced and balanced well throughout the story. In a way, it felt like an improvement to The Way of Water. Everything that was set up in Way of Water is expanded on and established further, like the system of the ‘Tulkun’ or Kiri’s spiritual journey, and there are new plots that expand the world of Pandora. Since the second movie, the Sully family has become the focal point of the story, where each family member is going through their own struggles and arcs. While the protagonists have to once again deal with the large scale armies that threaten their existence, the characters deal with a lot of personal issues that at some points feel even heavier than the threat of the villains. The emotion of these movies have always played a big part in making them impactful as well, and here the emotions hit heavy. The personal stakes and struggles differentiate this entry from the rest, I feel, because we’ve never seen the characters at this level of grief or emotion that has affected them to this degree. It deepens the audience’s connection to the characters and makes for a more engaging story.
In terms of villains, the movie does not disappoint. The recurring Colonel Quaritch is present once again continuing his personal hunt for revenge against Jakesully. The growth in his character is also exciting to see, as he seemingly becomes more and more attached to the world of Pandora, as well as growing a soft spot for his son, Spider. Stephen Lang masterfully brings the character to life making him both a genuine threat and an enjoyable character. There seems to be a redemption arc that his story is building to which, if it is the case, would definitely be great to see. A Na’vi villain is introduced named Varang, along with a new fire wielding clan known as the Mangkwan Clan, or ‘Ash People’. To see a new villain, especially in the form of a full-blooded Na’vi, is not only refreshing but incredibly exciting.
The Ash People bring an intensity and ferocity that the familiar military presence is unable to capture, and I feel that they weren’t used to their full potential. When I first heard about them, I had expectations that they were gonna be a whole new threat themselves and prove a challenge to the many tribes of Pandora. Instead, they feel more of an add on to the growing threat of Quaritch and his team. They still have an impact, regardless, and are a fresh addition to the franchise.
It’s a safe bet to say that this movie series is the biggest movie series financially on earth. According to Box Office Mojo, a website that tracks movies and their financial status, the first movie remains the highest grossing movie of all time, making over $2.9 billion, while its sequel “The Way of Water” is the third highest grossing of all time, making over $2.3 billion worldwide. The newest entry, Fire and Ash, has made over $1.2 billion worldwide as of writing this, a significant difference between the second movie’s records.
Despite the almost inevitable expectation for the movies to exceed a billion dollars at the box office, and it seemingly being the biggest movie series in the world, there are a LOT of mixed reviews about the franchise, especially from critics.
‘’A stunning spectacle that no longer shocks – proof that even technical mastery can feel static when the story stops evolving’’ (Gabriela Meza, Fuera de Foco).
‘’If you have not been on board with the Avatar universe since the beginning there is nothing here that will make you care any further about it. If you HAVE subscribed to Pandora, even you may admit the story is getting thinner.’’ (Erik Childress, Movie Madness Podcast).
Many reviews seemingly praise the visuals but criticize a lack of originality or bad storytelling. This has been the case ever since the first movie, but they have become more prominent as the newer movies have come out. Other reviews address these aspects but praise the movie’s strengths.
While I do see a shift in story, as well as an understandable feeling of repetition, Fire and Ash is still really enjoyable and exciting. I personally love that each movie is about three hours, especially when those three hours are filled up with development, action, and amazing visuals. King Kong (2005) is one of my all time favorite movies, a movie that is almost 3 hours and 30 minutes long. There’s something about long movies that I love, whether it’s the long action sequences that feel real and drawn out rather than rushed and compacted, or the time to develop characters and their stories naturally. They feel bigger and grander than the average 90-minute film, and in some cases feel more like an experience rather than a movie.
Fire and Ash is filled with character development and excitement. It’s an entertaining and impactful entry to the franchise and a good movie in general. I feel the series could be grander and more grounded, taking a similar route of the first one, but I really like where it’s going now. Putting aside the spectacular effects, the characters are enjoyable and contribute a lot to the story, the action is intense and unlike any other movies, the universe is really cool and is filled with many creative designs and full of potential. The movie is big and stands as a movie on its own while also setting up for more to come. If James Cameron does follow up with his five-movie plan, I am excited to see what happens next and where the story goes.
