Avatar: Fire and Ash movie review: James Cameron's film is all spectacle, no soul

When the first Avatar was released in 2009, filmmaker James Cameron introduced the world to the wonders of Pandora. The VIsual effects in the film, and the world that Cameron created, were a watershed moment for Cinema at large as many witnessed the greatness of CGI and how it makes films visually rich. It became an inspiration for makers worldwide as they explored realism and alternate universes and worlds in their stories. Cameron captured the imagination of the audience by introducing Pandora and its people, called Na’vi. Alien-like blue creatures who welcomed Jake Sully -one from the Sky people- humans- into their own as he fell deep in love with Na’vi princess Naytiri. Cameron returns to the big screen this Friday with Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in the franchise, hoping to tap on the love that the previous two films had received. But is the film a worthy sequel in the franchise?

The film, like its prequels, remains true to its technical supremacy and James Cameron and his team present a visually stunning film. Some of the frames (best viewed in IMAX) are breathtaking and the scale at which the scenes have been conceptualised is worthy of praise. But can a film simply work on its visual excellence? Shouldn't there be a story to propel the film’s overall appeal?

The plot of Avatar Fire and Ash

The film picks up from where Avatar: The Way Of Water had ended. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family have been living with the water tribe and coping with the loss of their eldest child, Neteyam. While Jake believes in strengthening his tribe and collecting weapons to fight the Sky People, Naytiri (Zoe Saldana) has withdrawn herself completely, mourning the death of her son. They are both now protective of their remaining three children and of Spider.

Meanwhile, Col Miles Quaritch(Stephen Lang), now an Avatar, leads Sky -people in hunting down Sully and Spider and extracting Pandora’s flora and fauna- to create Amrit- the ultimate elixir for life. There is also a rival Na’vi tribe headed by Varang(Oona Chaplin), a barbaric leader, who doesn't want to follow the rules of Pandora and functions in tandem with Sky people.

What works in Avatar: Fire and Ash

Avatar franchise has always been visually rich, and Fire and Ash is equally vibrant. The canvas is huge, and the visuals, especially the ones that highlight the magnanimity of the ocean and its beings, are breathtaking and immersive. You can sense the amount of technical finesse that’s involved in making these characters realistic. The scenes where the Sully kids explore the underwater and connect with other beings in the ocean are beautiful.

Among the characters, Col Quaritch and Varang seem to get better lines and thus have more fun on screen as they create havoc in Pandora. A scene involving Jake Sully, Spider and Naytiri near the climax also stands out for its poignancy.

What does not work in Avatar: Fire and Ash

Expectations are always high for a film which is part of a hit franchise. And in most cases, the sequels disappoint and are unable to match these expectations. Avatar: Fire and Ash, apart from its visual excellence, has a terribly predictable plot and a very jaded storyline line almost giving you a sense of deja vu about past films in the franchise. How much can you marvel at the visual landscape of a film when the story is boring and lacks any kind of surprise element? At 197 minutes, the film is purely an indulgence on the makers' part, who, it seems, just want to show off its technical brilliance and conveniently forget to have a proper story in place.

Final word

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now running in theatres all across.