After the watery shenanigans of the second film writer-director James Cameron turns up the heat for Jake Sully and his family with Avatar Fire and Ash.
The story picks up some weeks after the second film that saw Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) killed in combat with the ‘Sky People’ aka the Resources Development Administration (RDA) and Sully and his family are learning to live without him as they integrate into the Metkayina Clan on the beautiful coastal reefs of Pandora. Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), Spider (Jack Champion), and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) are each dealing with the loss in their own way.
It’s Spider who is the problem child, aside from his almost constant use of the word ‘bro’ in the opening sequence and being a bit of an irritating surfer dude, he also is not the 9 ft blue giant of the Na’avi as he is still in human form and relies on a mask to survive in the planet’s atmosphere and is only one faulty mask away from tragedy so Jake decides that he must leave the planet. To facilitate this the whole family travel with the Wind Traders to take him back to High Camp, the Omatikaya’s stronghold. But much like trying to drive round London without Romanian windscreen cleaners jumping out at you, the Wind Traders are attacked by the Ash People led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), rake thin, heavily made up and looking like a Siouxsee Sioux tribute act (one for the bands fans there – everyone else can look them up). They’re an irate lot, furious that their homeland has been destroyed by a volcano erupting for which they blame Pandora’s Mother spirit and have abandoned in favour of fighting and destroy whoever they take umbrage at and in that respect their new gods must surely be Harry & Meghan.
So whilst Sully and co have to deal with the Ash people the RDA are regrouping in a bid to pillage Pandora for its natural resources that includes the peaceful whale like creatures we saw in the second film. That Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) now returns in Na’vi form still with a personal vendetta against Sully ups the stakes further.
All the Cameron trademarks are there – the state of the art visual effects ( the 3D is flawless), the fetishization of military hardware, strong females leads (Zoe Saldana & Oona Chaplin) but since relocating to live in New Zealand and turning vegan his world outlook has changed and plays a major part in these Avatar films. So we have the theme of conservation of nature, especially ocean life (the military want to effectively kill every whale like creature for their valuable oils) and asset stripping of the valuable ores, minerals and anything else they can lay their hands on like some sort of Trump wet dream about Ukraine. It’s all done with the director’s customary flair for spectacle and the set pieces are a treat and there’s are enough script plot turns to keep audiences hooked. The films environmental message is as relevant today, if not more so, than it was 16 years ago and is likely to remain ever more pertinent.
But Avatar Fire and Ash is not without its issues primarily that at 195 minutes its overlong. There’s also the 3D issue because whilst it has leapt on massively in terms of quality since 2009 there’s only the very occasional moment where it really benefits the scenes. It’s clear where a fourth film (partly shot already) will go and after three films of Pandora world building, Cameron now being 71 years of age and his films taking some years to make due to his development of cutting edge technology we really want to see him helm something different such as any of the several projects he’s hinted at (his ‘Ghosts of Hiroshima’ film, a rumoured Alita sequel, and even him retaking the reins of a new Terminator film that will incorporate the threat of AI).
The themes of Avatar are clearly close to Cameron’s heart but with the first two films in the top three box office earners of all time and with this third film likely to break the $2billion again it seems unlikely that he will deviate from the franchise.
related feature : ‘Avatar Fire and Ash’ – the stars turn up for the London premiere
related feature : Roland Emmerich v James Cameron
Here’s the London premiere…..
Here’s the Avatar Fire and Ash trailer….
