Avatar: Fire And Ash Review: James Cameron’s Epic Saga Is Emotional And Epic

James Cameron is a truly legendary filmmaker, and one of the most prolific visionaries we have with us today. His movies are pretty synonymous with using cutting-edge technology, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the Avatar franchise. The sci-fi property burst into theaters back in 2009, although we had to wait over a decade for its sequel The Way of Water to arrive. Luckily he shot the second and third movies at the same time, which is why moviegoing audiences are being treated to the threequel Fire and Ash this holiday season.

Fire and Ash picks up almost immediately after the events of the second film. But instead of being narrated by Sam Worthington's Jake Sully, instead we're in the POV of his second-born son Lo'ak, played by Britain Dalton. In many ways, this third movie feels like more of a sequel to The Way of Water than a brand new, third chapter of this saga. For casual fans, any necessary exposition is delivered early on to remind them of the events of the first sequel.

The full cast is back for Fire and Ash, chief among them being Worthington and Zoe Saldaña. We also follow Jake and Neytiri's kids, Stephen Lang's Quaritch is in his Na'vi body, and the Water People we were introduced to in the last chapter. The world of Pandora expands in the third movie with the Mangkwan clan a.k.a. the Fire People. This is the first time we've the Na'vi have been in conflict with each other, and newcomer Oona Chaplin gives an instantly iconic performance as the villainous Varang.

Of course, there is also the looming conflict with the RDA, which is unrelenting in its quest to drain Pandora of its natural resources. That storyline brings in various human characters, including Edie Falco's General Ardmore and Giovanni Ribisi's Parker Selfridge. Quaritch pivots between the RDA and the Mangkwan, allowing for a strange alliance to be formed between these two factions.

What results is another epic movie in scope, one that is full of huge character revelations, surprisingly emotional moments, and (of course) beautiful visuals that offer a sense of escapism.

Fire And Ash is a meditation on grief.

Avatar: The Way of Water's ending was a devastating one due to the death of Neteyam. This loss is very much at the heart of he story for the third movie, especially since it picks up to shortly after that death. When the movie opens, Lo'ak describes how grief has affected the Sully family as a whole, in particular Saldaña's Neytiri.

Rather than being the emotional center of the story as she was in the previous two movies, Neytiri is in the throws of grief and is angry at all of humankind for the loss of her son. That includes their adopted son Spider, with the tension in their relationship reaching a boiling point during Fire and Ash.

Despite being in a fantastic world full of giant blue creatures, this very human story allows the third Avatar film to be relatable for those of us on planet Earth. This an emotional entryway for moviegoers to feel invested in the Sullys throughout their wild third adventure on Pandora.

The third Avatar movie has less whimsy and more story.

The Avatar franchise is known for its stunning visuals, which are made all the more palpable when watching the movies in 3D on the big screen. That's certainly still the case in Fire and Ash, but there are far fewer new aspects of Pandora offered this time around. And as a whole, the threequel feels more focused on its larger, character-driven story than the wonder and awe that came with the first two installments.

The 2009 original was introducing us to Pandora, and every creature and bioluminescent setting was new and exciting. When The Way of Water finally brought us back to that fictional planet, the Metkayina clan brought new creatures and the underwater world of the planet to the big screen. But aside from the brief Windtraders sequence, the third movie don't introduce us to new side of the Na'vi. The Fire People ride Ikran just like the Sullys, even if they're painted new colors.

If something was missing for me in Fire and Ash, it's probably this lack of wonder. Instead, I'm in a world that I know and understand, allowing James Cameron's characters to take center stage. I wouldn't fault this pivot for a shorter movie, but the Avatar franchise isn't exactly known for its brevity.

The runtime is long, but the ending offers a number of payoffs.

Speaking of which, Avatar: Fire and Ash has a runtime of a whopping 197 minutes. And while there is plenty to enjoy in the threequel, the longest in the franchise thus far, those extra minutes can be felt. Certain sequences could be cut down to trim the fat, and ensure that audiences aren't exhausted by the time the movie's third act arrives.

That being said, it's a pretty excellent ending. Each character gets their moment to shine, and there are a number of sequences that I found quite moving thanks to how much time we've spent with the Sully family. So, even though at times I was looking at my watch to see what time it was during lulls in the movie, I was certainly giving it my full attention during its most important beats.

And while Fire and Ash is the third installment in a previously announced five-movie plan, the stakes don't make it seem like simply the middle point in a larger franchise. James Cameron kills off a number of major characters throughout the threequel, and makes major character developments for those who survive. And by the end, I was ready to see where things go next.

Overall, Avatar: Fire and Ash is an impactful and visually striking film. While it might be a bit too long for some modern audiences, James Cameron sticks the landing with a moving, character-driven story.