The Movie Man: ‘Fire and Ash’ a Must-See Addition to the ‘Avatar’ Franchise

Critic Kevin Ganey Recommends IMAX for Full Viewing Experience

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a worthy follow-up to its predecessors Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). 

What drew audiences to the first Avatar movie was the special effects. Normally special effects are confined to action sequences or creating characters. But in this franchise, Director James Cameron uses CGI to build the world of Pandora, inviting the audience to absorb the setting with a sense of childlike wonder.

I saw the first Avatar movie in theaters three times as a college freshman, astounded by James Cameron’s technological achievements, despite its story being conspicuously clichéd. I deduced many years ago that Cameron’s skill as a filmmaker is to get the viewer emotionally invested, regardless of originality. However, I was relieved to realize that The Way of Water had its own original story, as is the case with Fire and Ash. 

Avatar’s basic narrative serves as a reminder of the historic colonization of indigenous people, with the Na’vi being oppressed by humans, who are referred to as “Sky People” driven by greed to seek domination. The juxtaposition is on full display, with the vibrant natural life of Pandora and an industrial Sky People headquarters that resembles Mordor from Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

 In The Way of Water, audiences were introduced to more Na’vi tribes, particularly the aquatic Metkayina tribe. In this installment, we are introduced to the Mangkwan tribe. If if the Na’vi represent the exploited indigenous people, then the Mangkwan clan are caricatures of the “savages” that justified colonizing. After suffering a volcanic eruption, the Mangkwan have turned against the goddess Eywa and embraced sadism. They engage in piracy and all sorts of violence simply because they can.

The characters wrestling with the silence of Eywa during these periods of suffering is an all-too-familiar crisis of faith. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) finds herself hating humans, despite the human origins of her husband, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington); and Jake faces ethical dilemmas as he attempts to protect his people.

Being the third installment in this saga, those unfamiliar with the characters or prior events could have trouble following along. It is also a daunting task to binge two movies that are approximately three hours long before catching this 192-minute flick. For those who have not kept up with the saga since 2009, I think this movie is still worth seeing for the emotional investment in the characters and story, in addition to the special effects. But if being familiar with the narrative could get in the way of enjoying the movie, it is totally understandable to pass on this one. However, I would encourage finding a way to catch up on the first two movies in pieces before Fire and Ash leaves theaters.

But I must advise the reader to find an IMAX theater to properly enjoy this movie. I screened Fire and Ash at the Jordan’s IMAX Theater on the North Shore of Boston, which featured “butt-kicker” speakers placed under the seats to amplify the bass sounds so viewers could feel the explosions. Before the movie began, staff told us the 3D glasses contained security chips that would set off alarms if we attempted to take them home with us. We were also informed that once the credits began, the movie would abruptly stop to move the audience out for the next screening. It’s safe to say that millions still understand the value of the theatrical experience, even as streaming threatens to replace it.

(Audiences will also get a sneak-peak at Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, depicting the Trojan horse being led into Troy preceding the city’s fall.)

Fire and Ash is a must-see. It can be screened at home through a streaming app, but a proper experience at an IMAX theater can give the audience proper appreciation.