Avatar: Fire and Ash review: James Cameron is back for box-office blood

James Cameron has big balls. Like, Terminator liquid-allow nuts. Aware of his box-office dominance, the director’s Avatar: Fire and Ash takes a big budget gamble in cinema’s current climate change. This while he berates the legitimacy of streaming and movies that don’t open wide theatrically. Most meeting that criteria are hollow, even when successful become blades of grass amongst the Motion Picture jungle. The visionary’s catalogue changed the medium. 2009’s Avatar remains the highest grossing flick of all time. Ever. Already heralded as groundbreaking then, he flexed his burgeoned prowess in what was capable for aesthetic composition. The Way of Water sequel snatched more bucks and an Oscar to boot. Every lion needs to roar so often. In the summons of a holy trinity, the auteur takes us back to blue, back to the world of Pandora.

The aqua reefs find Marine turned Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and wife, Na’vi warrior Neytiri, (Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña), with their family living their best lives. Sully, unable to shed his past skin of a solider, and coming off their people’s recent battles with military faction RDA, hasn’t let his guard down. Neither have the other adults. Youthful energy lets the kids bask in surrounding wonders, while adopted human child Spider, (Jack Champion), strives eagerly with the help of a raspatory mask to adapt to an environment uninhabitable to his kind. The vast ocean and its' creatures are strongpoints on the screen, reflecting the production team’s masterful imagery.

Emphasis on visual effects sacrifices performances

Obviously directing, Cameron also helms the screenplay with Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, depicting a family’s existence and survival amidst war. Heavy, heavy. Despite Spider’s desire to stay with his new tribe, they know like him its’ dangerously unfeasible. Road trip! The clan’s travels to return him to safe dwelling catch a snag or two. Bitter and vengeful from their culture’s destruction, Leader Varang (Oona Chaplin) and the Ash People, also Na’vi, upend these plans, making it sink or swim. If the waters weren’t rough already, the RDA gears up again to colonize Pandora with extreme prejudice. 

Sure, Worthington and Saldana hold their own. The ensemble (Kate Winslet, Sigourney Weaver), doesn’t bear standout disappointment, but it doesn’t bear any standout performances either. Considering you only hear their voices, never seeing their actual faces, Fire and Ash’s creative force feels too preoccupied with visual impact and ticket sales, not demanding much from its’ actors. The script shoulders the same burden. It’s explained why the Ash people are driven, yet we never feel or understand the pain steering Varang. General Ardmore (Edie Falco) and Parker Selfridge’s (Giovanni Ribisi) apparent ruthlessness falls flat from one dimensional villains.

Lengthy run-time lacks plot tension

 Confrontations amidst the jungles propose mystical hope for Spider’s ability to function on Pandora naturally. What seems a blessing has a cursed lining. Corporate and military colonization has stifled with the whole “humans can’t breathe there” matter. But bad guy bummers turn totally stoke. Learning of this development builds a bridge for wickedness to walk. Any Sunday Sherlock can detect themes of understanding, acceptance, and the perils of imperialism. Allegories are effective vessels for a fable’s message. The notion warrants praise, more relevant than ever, but the bullseye evades the arrow. The scale is lightened by what’s you’re given. Fictional beings. Made up language. Super abilities. Wrap that in a bright virtual camera stage with uncontroversial writing and it doesn’t go over your head; it seeps under the soles of your Addidas.

 For a story heroizing a rooted, unadorned way of life while demonizing technology and modernity, the picture itself is most reliant and employing of technology. Its’ inception stands on the latest advancements, avoiding traditional and tried styles of filmmaking. Viewers heavily invested in previous installments can join surely packed theatres for the third. Satisfaction may lay on the horizon for them, but the 3hr 17mn run time may daunt those with one foot in the Avatar circle.