Avatar: Fire and Ash picks up right after the heart breaking conclusion of Way of Water. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) after saying their goodbyes to their eldest son fall into a deep grief that begins to fracture the family. Each is doing their best to navigate through their pain, only to fall further into it and take the pain of the loss out on those around them.
Remaining siblings Lo’ak, Kiri and Tuk along with adopted brother Spider struggle to meet their parents expectations creating further tensions between them all. Lo’ak still feels extreme guilt over the death of his brother, carrying it with him and questioning every decision he makes, Kiri is struggling with her own sense of being and worth trying to find herself and her connection to Pandora while Spider continues to try and live amongst the Na’vi severely limited by his human form and need for technology just to breathe. Tuk the youngest is trying her best to be there for everyone and is a small voice of reason for her older siblings.
With the arrival of the wind traders to their idyllic seaside village the family sees an opportunity to make the trip back to Neytiri’s clan who continue to live in harmony with the earth scientists who began the Avatar program. It is hoped Neytiri being around her people and her forest might help her manage her grief and the swelling hatred burning a hole into her very soul.
On the journey home the whispers of bandits attacking the traders come true when they are set upon by a new aggressive tribe known as the Ash People. The previously reclusive tribe thrives on chaos and is fuelled by fire and violence. Their sudden attack splinters the Sully family forcing each member to look after one another in new ways, forge new somewhat uneasy alliances and fight their way back to one another.
Avatar: Fire and Ash is by far the most action packed entry into the Avatar series. Set pieces flow seamlessly between air, earth and water riding all manner of creatures that the Na’vi have bonded with and again highlighting the strong connection they have with Pandora. Yet accompanying this action is a deeper story that I wasn’t expecting. We are now exposed to layer upon layer building on from the previous films. The strong sense of family is fracturing before our eyes as very real feelings of loss and grief affect each of the characters. Neytiri is consumed by it as any mother would be, Sully turns to his training and shuts it out thinking it is best to protect his family and the kids are all at this complex crossroads in their life as they navigate the transition into adulthood while also being the dutiful child their parents seem to need more than ever.
The introduction of the Ash People creates further conflict within the world, one the RDA are only too happy to leverage for their own nefarious plans. Again Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is the main protagonist continuing his hunt for Jake Sully and despite spending time in his new Na’vi body he remains the hardened soldier only interested in completing his mission. A brief encounter with the leader of the Ash Peoples leader Varang (Oona Chaplin) gives Quaritch the idea to utalise their knowledge of Pandora, the other clans that call it home and their brutality to turn them into his own private army setting up an uneasy alliance with his human commanders of the RDA.
Avatar has never been one to blow you away with a complex story and despite the very different facets in this outing there is very little that we haven’t seen before. The story at its core felt a little too familiar and projected much of its direction only allowing slight deviations to expand upon familiar character story lines. Jake and Neytiri are the core anchoring it with exceptional performances from Worthington and Saldana, their love for one another and their family is shown in every scene making the pain and conflict they feel within themselves all the more confronting while leaving us to face their same moral dilemmas questioning how far you would go to protect those you love.
Chaplin’s addition as the villainous Verang proved to be a perfect casting, the manic energy she brought to the role perfectly suited the grounded military type that Lang continues to bring to the Colonel. The energy between the two characters was twisted and almost primal, uncivilised perfectly enveloping the raw violence that seems to drive the Ash People. Her inclusion proved to be the perfect nemesis for Neytiri leading to some epic conflicts between the two.
Avatar has shown itself to be the technological pinnacle of what movie makers can do to fully immerse us into a new world. Once again James Cameron has delivered one of the best looking films to ever grace a screen. Every scene is meticulously detailed making you forget that you’re watching something completely computer generated. The added clarity and depth that comes with 3d only serves to enhance the experience though in all honesty, it took my brain a good 5 minutes to catch up with the frame rate to begin with.
Cameron takes what he has shown us previously and expands upon it on a grand scale. The massive Tulken gracefully gliding through crystal clear waters, the immense scale of the airships the traders travel upon and even the RDA “city” make for a feast for the senses much to the same way the original did all those years ago.
Avatar: Fire and Ash continues to back a winning formula for the series. The decision to film this directly after The Way of Water proved a master stroke from James Cameron as Sam Worthington and Joe Saldana had really settled back into their roles and gave series defining performances. The chaotic energy brought by Oona Chaplain perfectly offset the usually grounded military feel brought by Stephen Lang adding a new depth to the ongoing conflict. The supporting cast from previous films all return some in blink and you’ll miss them moments adding more to the story.
A technologically beautiful film that delves into feelings of loss, the effects of grief and morality Avatar: Fire and Ash needs to be experienced on the big screen to truly appreciate its sheer scale. 3D will always be a point of conjecture for people but if you can experience it you should, it is how Cameron wants it to be seen.
