REEL | Beneath Pandora – 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' Repeats Itself

"Your goddess has no dominion here."

20th Century Studios / Lightstorm Entertainment

Blockbuster director James Cameron returns to the blue future world of Pandora in his third Na'vi 3D action spectacle outing, Avatar: Fire and Ash. This time centred on a volcano-dwelling, fire-based tribe of the native alien species, the Avatar franchise is just as jaw-droppingly visually dazzling and relentlessly repetitive as it is fully immersive as a cinematic experience.

Picking up right after The Way of Water, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña's married Sully and Neytiri start off with Metkayina clan of water-based Na'vi before they encounter the more aggressive Mangkwan group of "Ash People" scavengers who then align themselves with the colonizing human "Sky People" in exchange for protection and weaponry after they turn their backs on worshipping Eywa due to a natural disaster wiping out much of their tribe.

While the visual effects and motion-capture technology look and feel seamless, Cameron's script, co-written with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, essentially repeats itself over and over again. A cycle of Sully struggling over protecting his prococious teenage Na'vi offspring as they find their own ways while putting themselves in needless danger, sacrificing himself in exchange for the safety of his new clan only to escape, convincing new allies to fight back against their pacifism, going to all out war, maintaining an uneasy alliance with Stephen Lang's Quaritch, and fighting with his wife over their mixed-species identities recycles itself. It gets tiring despite how thrilling it all is.

Cameron's talented eye for action often hurts the audience's ability to pick out many of the supporting character designs or performances beyond the screen. However, Sigourney Weaver's curious performance as a young Na'vi with special abilities continues to stand out. Franchise newcomer Oona Chaplin's villainous Varang, as the diabolical leader of the anti-Eywa fire clan, steals the show in a showstopping performance that lights up the screen with distinct and interesting motivations.

For the third time, Cameron triumphs in his immersive blockbuster visual storytelling with Avatar: Fire and Ash. However, the film repeats itself with the exact same story beats, putting the same people in danger in the same types of situations, and the same conflicts reappearing. Still, it's virtually impossible to not be mesmerized by the exhilarting visuals and seamless special effects.


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