The experience of watching a larger-than-life film on the big screen is unmatched. James Cameron’s popular franchise Avatar, is known for this, and the third installment, Avatar: Fire And Ash, is soon going to hit theatres. I got the chance to witness the grandeur of Pandora a day before its release, and this very lengthy film packed in a lot for me to process. But the visuals kept me from dozing off. Here’s a quick review. Read on.
Plot
Avatar: Fire And Ash is the continuation of the last part, The Way Of Water. The Sully family is still mourning the death of their eldest child, Neteyam. The film deals with the emotions of every family member, the guilt, the anger, and the remorse, but it mainly focuses on Lo’ak, who blames himself for his brother’s death. Colonel Mike Quaritch continues to look for Jake Sully to complete his mission, and there is a new character in this instalment, who is Varang (Oona Chaplin), the leader of the new Na’vi tribe, the Ash People. Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their family are still seeking shelter with the Metkayina clan. But difficulties don’t end for them! The Sully’s are now up against Colonel Quaritch, and Varang’s tribe, called the Mangkwan clan AKA the Ash People.
Avatar: Fire And Ash also revolves around each character’s journey and their calling, particularly Jake and Neytiri’s children, among the other conflicts. This film attempts to balance some family drama and emotions along with the battles and the world-building.
What Lacks
A Refreshing Story!
Avatar: Fire And Ash lacks any kind of a “wow” factor from story POV. One that hit me the most was the character of Varang, the new villain in this installment, and its writing. This sub-plot is so undercooked that it made question the importance of the character in the bigger picture. The story would’ve have progressed without it. Also the villain felt too dramatic in moments instead of intimidating, sometimes funny too.
Many scenes in the plot were made to evoke an emotion, even though they added nothing to the plot. However, the dull writing of these scenes did literally nothing except extend the running time. Talking about the characters, the most disappointing one was of Jake Sully. In comparison to that, Neytiri’s character went through more layers and transitions as a grieving mother and a brave wife. The grief and the anger erupting inside Neytiri somewhat transformed into the fierceness on the battlefield. Colonel Quaritch gets a really sad end which we do not approve of! Overall, the progression of each character leaves many loopholes that can be questioned!
The first half of the film tested our patience more compared to the second half. The film felt scattered with the several sub-plots and character developments. Along with the emotional conflicts among the Sully family, the many actions sequences fill the first half of the film. But it’s difficult to keep up, honestly.
We Needed Some Good BGM!
As grand as the visuals are, a little effort on the background score would have been appreciated. It would have elevated the viewing experience, but unfortunately, it’s nowhere to be found.
The Climax
The predictable and redundant way of bringing the film to an end is getting a little boring. We see, the huge fight coming in the climax, where the all the clans come together to fight the humans, who bring their big ships and guns to destroy Pandora completely. Also it’s sad that we ain’t supporting the humans here. It’s safe to say that the thrill and curiosity of of entering into the world of the blue people shall not be felt again!
What’s Good?
The visuals, anytime! I enjoyed experiencing the dreamy and larger-than-life world of Pandora on the big screen, yet again. While Avatar: Fire And Ash fumbled big time, it’s the visuals that kept my attention alive for the 3 hours 17 minutes. Some on-the-edge action sequences and the beautiful water creatures got my attention.
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Verdict
Avatar: Fire And Ash is not very enjoyable, especially because of it plot, and the running time that in no way is justified. It keeps you hooked in bits and moments, and mostly because of its visuals. The overstuffed narrative, and underwhelming character developments, especially our hero, Jake Sully is disappointing. It’s an exhausting but treat to the eyes kinda watch. Avatar: Fire And Ash will hit theatres on December 19, 2025.