AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (2025)
Ah James Cameron, once master of the low budget thrill ride, the big budget tech demo, and the director of the ultimate sequel. In some ways he never recovered from the generic nature of True Lies and the mushy slog of Titanic but that's a story for another time. Of course most recently, in a relative sense, the sanctuary moon of 'Pandora' took his focus for fifteen years, not counting all that visual effects development. Which isn't to say this world doesn't have its share of Saturday morning cartoon level thrill power. So when this instalment, perhaps the last but probably not, threatens to be something deeper it's a shame it doesn't stick the landing.
This rambling prologue is nothing that hasn't been said before on this blog. Which is appropriate in a film that is yet again all too familiar. The strengths of the previous movies remain; a basic script with perfunctory dialogue and a series of big set pieces. It's mostly devoid of the ironic quip style humour found in current blockbusters, and there are no moments in which obvious green screens and floating heads appear amongst so much CGI. But what of new details, world building, and most importantly characterisation? Well those things are here in a manner of speaking. But the most familiar element is that big villain Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) is doing all the heavy lifting.
Simply as a menacing figure and a fun performance it's good to see the Colonel back, this time enlisting new allies in the shape of the 'Ash Clan'. Their leader Varang (Oona Chaplin) is also enjoyable as yet another one-dimensional antagonist. There's still no real introspection and their relationship is too brief, but it's good to see some attempt at an inversion of the first film. Meanwhile Jake (Sam Worthington) is still having domestic issues in the aftermath of the last instalment. The biggest one is that his wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) has become filled with hatred towards the human race; which poses a problem given the nature of her family.
These darker elements carry much of the first two acts in what is another gargantuan three-plus hour long product. Stronger personal conflicts and new additions to the Na'vi species are very welcome at this stage. However, very little is done with these new ideas despite the running time and the planet feels like a single continent rather than a vast world. Neytiri's quest for vengeance could have been a whole film. The Colonel's loss of identity could have been a big part of that. The godless brutality of Varang's people could have been a major component. But while the writers include some of these moments there's too much going on elsewhere.
A long stretch of the film is focused on Jake's adopted human son Spider (Jack Champion) and his role as a target for the invading forces. Meanwhile all the other teenage characters from The Way of Water are all still here for some reason. The lure of the volcanic waste was apparently not strong enough for the film-makers so it's never explored or used as a location for a set piece. Elsewhere a band of 'Wind Traders' led by Peylak (David Thewlis) are introduced but never revisited after a single battle. The climax would seem like the natural place for things like molten lava and jellyfish airships but there's no such creativity.
Instead the finale is yet another whale versus whaler sequence with even more ships and whales. There's a sense that the two sequels were once one script and certain pieces were taken and moved here from part two, along with the same ending. Even big moments from the first movie's third act conflict are recycled but with even more flying dinosaurs. When the last bout of hand-to-hand combat between Jake and Quaritch arrives it's a relief from so much visual noise. Which is a let down when there was potential to do so much more in terms of sci-fi action; in the prior movies it was all far cleaner, and more interesting, to look at.
Overall it's still more enjoyable than exhausting but it could have been a case of saving the best for last. Instead there are hints of it all becoming more complex but those moments are never capitalised on... which is again all too familiar. Ideas like being consumed by hate, being a son (or father) to an alien, being a clone, or simply being a sadistic jerk, these things are here but never given enough time. Instead there are too many pointless minor characters and a bunch of things repeated from the last two movies which were both really long to begin with. If there's a next time (which is likely given the box office) maybe it will actually go to new truly alien places.
3/5
BONUS REVIEW
NOBODY 2 (2025)
Elsewhere in the land of recycled goods (albeit on the ultra-low cost end) it's Nobody, again. Which in hindsight is elevated as a superior slice of low budget action. Thanks to a contrived retcon former agency killer Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) has to pay back the mob money he burned last time around. Which means taking a lot of jobs from 'The Barber' (Colin Salmon) and subsequently causing a new rift between himself and his family. Because these characters grow even less than the ones battling for Pandora and the same story has to play out with a Vacation style coat of paint on it.
Beyond the idea that the American underworld cares that the Russian underworld lost thirty million dollars the rest of the story isn't ideal. Hutch still has to deal with a layer of disrespect from his wife and son (this time due to the latter's anger management problems) and he has to upset another eccentric villain. Last time around his old ways were the cause of his emasculated sense of self, a long dormant dark side, now it's apparently just a vague hereditary mean streak that surfaces every so often. Which could be interesting but this isn't a complicated study of such a father-son dynamic.
What matters is that the action during the family visit to a cheap theme park is enjoyable. Sharon Stone is totally wasted in a 'do whatever you feel like' antagonist role (she mostly speaks in a silly voice and does random dance moves) while Colin Hanks as would-be town sheriff is better playing against type. They don't get enough time together; she does all the posing while he does the talking. But the blood soaked confrontations on a boat ride and in a fun-house are good enough. It immediately contrasts with the style of the first outing and veers into real Loony Tunes territory towards the climax, during which the visual effects aren't great. But it's good enough.
3/5
