The AVATAR franchise is easily the most immersive 3D film experience to date and AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH continues that wonderful tradition. Whatever one might think about all other aspects of the film, there is no denying the incredible feeling of flying through Pandora on the big screen and in 3D.
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH is the third installment, picking up after AVATAR: WAY OF THE WATER with Jake (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) as their family grieves the loss of their eldest son and brother to Netayam (Jamie Flatters), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), and Spider (Jack Champion). While continuing to run from Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the human military, greedy to kill and steal Pandora’s living resources, the family and Navi people have a new threat to fear. The violent and aggressive Navi tribe called the Ash People, led by the ruthless Varang (Oona Chaplin), will stop at nothing to destroy their own kind and gain power. This is the most basic telling of the story as there are plenty of subplots within the characters who all have their own motives, desires, and connections to one another and the colorful, vibrant, living planet.
Director James Cameron is a master at visual creations and immersive world-building, story-telling through exhilarating, heart-pounding action sequences. The story-telling by itself borrows from popular stories before and repeats itself through the entire AVATAR franchise. However, unlike AVATAR: WAY OF WATER, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH is more adept at masking some of the weaker or even corny moments, by pacing the film with Cameron’s usual touch of frequent action throughout the picture.
In 2009, AVATAR hit the big screen and blew people’s minds with its visuals. You can read my glowing review here: Avatar Movie Review. In 2022, the sequel, AVATAR: THE WAY OF THE WATER came out, which was much longer, boring, and a strange attempt at mistaking complicated dramatic story telling for prestigious art. You can read more of my lukewarm feelings in my review here: Avatar: The Way Of The Water Movie Review. But the fact that 13 years had passed since seeing the amazing 3D visuals helped a younger generation discover a new experience. At 3 hours and 17 minutes AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH is still too long, but corrects the mistakes of the previous film by focusing on the fun aspects of the visuals through well-paced action that leads these characters through danger and into our hearts.
I was lucky enough to bring my kids to the screening, who are now just old enough to get to experience AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH on the big screen. In the last couple of years, we had watched the first two films at home. But it is a completely different experience seeing an AVATAR film in 3D on the biggest screen possible. Watching my children be sucked into the world of Pandora in this format, was an incredible experience. They loved it more than any other because they had never seen anything like it. It’s just not the same watching it in 2D at home.
Perhaps it’s the loose biblical parallels or the fact of having my children there, but admittedly, the film was able to pull at my heart strings for an emotional, tear-eyed moment. I’m not saying it will hit like that for everyone. But my advice, let go of some of the film’s silliness and allow the immersive world wash over you for one entertainingly, thrilling ride. 3D is the only way to fly through Pandora in AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH.
