James Cameron took more than a decade to dive back into the Avatar universe, spending that time fine-tuning the underwater filming tech for its sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water. The second and third sequels, Fire and Ash, were shot back-to-back, as part of a huge production effort to manage the actors’ aging process throughout the long filming and editing process. This is especially important for Jack Champion, who plays Miles, nicknamed Spider, the Tarzan-like human kid born on Pandora who dreams of becoming a Na’vi. More on him later.

If you missed The Way of Water, Jake Sully and Neytiri faced the heartbreaking loss of their oldest son, Neteyam, who was tragically shot during the final battle while trying to protect his younger brother, Lo’ak (Britain Dalton). Fire and Ash picks up shortly after this event, showing the Sully family grieving while still living with the oceanic Na’vi clan on the reefs of Pandora, led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis) and his pregnant wife Ronal (Kate Winslet). Although the Metkayina clan is welcoming, we encounter a new, hostile Na’vi tribe called the Ash People (Mangkwan clan), led by a female warrior, Varang (Oona Chaplin). This tribe, shaped by the tragedy of their home being destroyed by a volcano, follows a brutal, survivalist lifestyle and views the Sullys and the reef people as threats.

Even the most dedicated Avatar enthusiast would probably agree with me that the excessive runtime of 3 hours and 17 minutes to convey pretty much the same story is absurd. Cameron is a genius when it comes to technical and visual aspects, but storytelling isn’t really his forte. He even acknowledged this in an interview with ABC News, where he mentioned that while working on Titanic, his main emphasis was on the technology. However, he realized he needed a narrative, which led him to slap on the Romeo & Juliet plot on the ill-fated ship. This situation is quite similar, as the main emphasis is on the visual extravaganza, yet he finds it challenging to present anything fresh in terms of the story.

The visuals are still the main reason to check out Avatar 3. Sure, the title is Fire and Ash, but we still get plenty of breathtaking underwater scenes with the hyper-realistic deep-sea environments. The crew did an amazing job of blending CGI with live-action so well that you can barely tell the difference. They’re absolutely glorious to watch, and I really love the glowing plants and animals, plus the interactions with the sentient whale-like beings, the Tulkuns. The subplot involving Payakan, an outcast Tulkun, gets a bit lost on me, though.

This third sequel also brings something new to marvel at… the Wind Trader airships, which are these cutting-edge organic-tech crafts, using jellyfish-like creatures for lift and stingray-like animals for propulsion. I still remember being blown away by the Mountain Banshee Ikran from the first Avatar, that big, dragon-like flying predator. That creature is still incredible, but now it has a lot of competition that’s even more jaw-dropping.

Now, just having spectacle alone doesn’t cut it for a movie… I mean, unless we’re talking about those IMAX flicks shown at science museums. The script by Cameron, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver raises the stakes for many tribes on Pandora, but it doesn’t explore new narrative grounds. Most of the film builds up to a huge battle in the third act, where the Mangkwan clan joins forces with Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and the greedy Earth corporation RDA, which is hell-bent on colonizing Pandora and getting its hands on its precious mineral, unobtanium. A lot of it feels pretty familiar, safe, even recycled—the plot is basically stuck in a loop. Even the battle scenes, particularly the ocean ones, look almost the same as in Avatar 2.

The main issue is placing a weak character at the core of the story. Spider (sometimes called Monkey Boy by his Na’vi friends) has an even more significant role this time around. He was the weakest link of Avatar 2, and that’s still the case here as the character comes across as awkward, and the clumsy dialogue does him no favors. Nevertheless, Spider is crucial to the storyline, with many emotional moments depending on him. There’s a budding romance with his close friend Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), while he finds himself perpetually caught between two factions: the Sullys and his malevolent father, Quaritch.

Midway through, there’s a scene that brings to mind the Biblical tale of Abraham and Isaac, but the actor’s performance doesn’t deliver the emotional weight it deserves. This isn’t necessarily a critique of the actor, as I can only imagine how incredibly difficult it must be to perform in live-action scenes on a bare stage with fellow actors in performance-capture suits.

I came across an article where Cameron said he tried to write the sequels without Spider, but he said ‘the story fell apart.’ I think part of the issue is that he seems determined to have Quaritch as the main villain once again. Varang sometimes gets relegated to the background as the main conflict is between Quaritch and Jake. Quaritch is even more detestable now that he’s in a Na’vi body. The seduction scene between him and Varang is really cringeworthy and drags on way too long. If we could just let him go and introduce a new antagonist, it might really revitalise the story.

No matter how stunning the visuals are, I found myself getting pretty bored and kept glancing at my watch. I’m still not a fan of those pesky 3D glasses, which hurt the back of my ears, so I have to keep taking them off. I’m sure glad the 3D craze hasn’t caught on; if only Cameron would put it to rest.

The main stars of the franchise, Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña, don’t have much to do other than what we’ve already witnessed. Poor Edie Falco is stuck playing a one-dimensional, ruthless military leader, while Giovanni Ribisi fares even worse. At least Jemaine Clement’s Dr. Gavin has a bit more to work with, but he vanishes quickly once his storyline isn’t relevant anymore. I’ve never seen Oona Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter) before, but she brings this witchy, vicious vibe that’s just right for playing the ‘hell hath no fury’ villainess.

In summary, if you’re not particularly fond of Avatar to begin with, there’s no incentive to watch this one. For those who love the franchise, we’re left with a story that feels repetitive. I’m not excited for more Avatar movies, unless somehow Cameron could pivot narratively and give us something more than just pretty things to look at.

Have you seen AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH? Well, what did you think?

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