I don’t know about you, but the longer it takes for sequels and other subsequent movies to come out, then the less it takes for my interest to stick around.
Even worse, when films seem to perpetually continue the same storyline!
Such is the case with “Avatar: Fire and Ash” also known as “Avatar 3.”
Audiences are treated to Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully continuing to fight his way through his problems rather than take a moment to think things through.
I will say that the battle sequences continue to grow larger and more intense while the science fiction story elements inch along at a snail’s pace.
But, maybe that’s by design – after all, there are still two more installments left in the franchise before it’s supposed to be concluded.
Either way, I enjoyed some aspects of the film and wasn’t exactly a fan of others, so, that leaves me with rating this movie on the middle of the spectrum.
Avatar 3 is an American epic science fiction film directed by James Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver from a story the trio wrote with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno.
Distributed by 20th Century Studios and produced by Lightstorm Entertainment, it is the sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and the third installment in the Avatar franchise.
Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, and Kate Winslet reprise their roles from the previous films, while Oona Chaplin and David Thewlis join the cast.
The movie clocks in at 197 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images, some strong language, thematic elements and suggestive material.
Jake Sully and his family grieve the death of their son Neteyam, killed in battle with the RDA.
Neytiri (Saldana) has developed a hatred towards humans, while Lo’ak (Dalton) blames himself for his brother’s death and feels unable to earn his father’s trust.
Spider (Champion) bonds with Kiri (Weaver), but because Spider still depends on a breathing mask to survive on Pandora, Jake and Neytiri decide to send him on a flying trading-ship to live in the human High camp.
Jake and his family accompany Spider on the journey.
While en-route the ships are ambushed by an aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan clan, led by the remorseless Tsahik Varang (Chaplin).
The Mangkwan loot and burn the ships which lead to Jake, Neytri and the children become separated, with Neytri being wounded in the arm.
Her banshee carries her to the safety of the High camp where her former clan resides near trusted humans.
After their flying ship crashes to the ground, Lo’ak and Spider escape with the rest of the children.
Jake searches for them but is cornered by Quaritch (Lang) and his team, who have continued to hunt for him.
Quaritch learns from Jake about the Mangkwan; they realize that Spider is without his backup oxygen, which will be fatal.
Quaritch reluctantly teams with Jake to rescue Spider.
Despite that, Spider’s oxygen supply runs out and he apparently dies.
Connecting her kurutail to the ground, Kiri activates spores that revive Spider and let him breathe maskless.
However, the Metkayina soon capture the group and as Varang threatens Lo’ak just before Quaritch and Jake arrive.
During the ensuing scuffle, Varang uses her kurutail to connect to and subdue Quaritch, which also allows her to learn about guns through the connection.
Predictably, things only get worse from there and the Sully family endures a nearly never-ending barrage of bad luck and emotional turmoil until the last 15 minutes or so of the film – watch at your own risk.
