The Mosley Review: Avatar: Fire and Ash

No matter how many films exist in this now trilogy, I am delighted to come back to this enchanting world. Its so immersive and vast that I can't help but not want to leave the theatre when the story is finished. That is a rare achievement in world building that hasn't been seen since J.R.R Tolkien's fantasy world graced the screen 25 years ago. Alot of people had a reservations with the first film in saying it was the basic story of FernGully or Dances With Wolves, but nobody cared. It was an original idea and new world to explore. The second film was truly a oceanic nature documentary in my opinion, but I still loved it. I always have a fear going into the third chapter of a franchise because of it possibly being the most disappointing. Well, this chapter sits somewhere in the middle. It is still breathtaking to witness on the big screen and the lore grows, but the biggest problem was its story. The same story beats and situations are repeated once again and overtake a more emotional core that eventually wins the battle of relevance by the end, but at the cost of time. The performances range from consistent to outstanding and it comes from some unexpected places.

Sam Worthington returns as Jake Sully and he is still a great leader of his family. I liked that after the tragedy his family faced from the previous film, he has to balance his marine instinct to prep his family for next fight and being a supporting husband and understanding father. It leads to many hard truths and strained moments in his relationship with his family and Sam portrays that effortlessly. Zoe Saldana still shines brightest as Jake's wife, Neytiri. Their chemistry is still electric and warm. The emotional journey she goes on as a mourning mother was truly heartbreaking. Her hatred for humans affects her relationship with her family in a powerful scene that gives her character more depth. Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis return as Rona and Tonowari and both continue to be the commanding force of the reef people. I loved the bond and comfort Rona brings to Neytiri and their sometimes hilarious arguments. Stephen Lang continues to be a great villain as the ever present Colonel Miles Quaritch. He is still a hard headed Marine that is driven by his mission to end Jake, but there is something more to him. There are so many chances for him to evolve as he is still a Navi and the identity crisis that comes with being a former human. His beef with Jake becomes repetitive and the both of them even call it out which was nice. Depending on the next film, I feel that there is so much more to explore with Miles. We get a new tribe to explore this time around and they are led by the seductive and intense Varang. Oona Chaplin brings a magnetic presence to her the moment she's on screen. She was the darker pyro maniac version of Neytiri and I loved the dichotomy between them once they meet. The instant attraction between Oona and Miles was fun and like him, I want to dive deeper into the character's story.

I love seeing the Sully family grow into their own. Britain Dalton as Jake's youngest son, Lo'a, delivers a powerful performance as the narrator of the film. You can almost see the entire story unfold through his eyes. I felt his heartbreak as he carries the pain and guilt of the death of his older brother from the previous film. The tension between him and his father was tough as he is constantly trying to take the lead and Jake naturally holds him back out of fear of loss. Bailey Bass returns as Tsireya "Reya" and the relationship between her and Lo'a grows stronger. I loved that she is becoming to his equal in spirit and as a voice of strength. Sigourney Weaver continues to deliver excellence as the young and spiritual teen, Kiri. This time around, we dive deeper into her connection to the spirit of the planet. Her faith is tested and I loved that she fully embraces her heritage and powers by the end. Jack Champion continues to be fun as Spider and I liked that we explored the reality of a human living on Pandora. He truly starts to become part of the family and in one particular scene, he carries the burden of being the biggest threat to the planet. Brendan Cowell returns as the heartless, Captain Mick Scoresby. The man becomes even more unhinged as never stops his bloodlust for money. Jermaine Clement returns as his employee as marine biologist, Dr. Ian Garvin. I was so happy to see the story for both of them from the previous film get wrapped up nicely and in the most satisfying way possible.

Composer Simon Franglen returns and continues the same epic quality from the past film while incorporating the iconic themes from the late James Horner. During the many emotional scenes, Simon nails the tension and sorrow that lives in them. Visually, this film continues the same quality and somehow it looks better than the last film. I saw this film in IMAX 3D with HFR (High Frame Rate) and during the action sequences and a few moments of dialogue, it was the smoothest 3D shot film of all time and it’s truly the only way to experience these films. It is completely enveloping and I never wanted to leave the theatre because I enjoy exploring this world so much. I loved that we got to see new tribes that range from volcanic ash covered landscapes of the Mangkwan clan and the new dreamlike creatures of the Wind Traders. I know the film picks up a few days or so after the second film, but like I said before, the same plot points repeat themselves here and it hurt the overall scope of the new themes that are being explored. Even the finale was repetitive in a certain way. I still enjoyed the storytelling, but I hope for the next film we jump ahead further in time and go for the unexpected. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!