Saw a screening at a 60ft tall x 80ft wide IMAX screen in IMAX 3D. In my opinion, this is the best Avatar film, though it’s far from perfect. With a name like Fire and Ash, you expect more war and destruction. The first act has a good deal of bloat to it, there’s about as much action as was found in the first Avatar, and the wrap-up is fast and sloppy. The good news is there is more originality to the plot here, the entire third act is essentially nothing but action (and it might be the best action out of all three films). There’s the most character development in the trilogy here, and what was already established in the prior two movies is expanded upon and deepened.
The visuals and 3-D remain stunning. This is the Avatar movie that most takes full advantage of the potential for psychedelic visuals, especially during a very cool scene where Col. Quaritch is drugged and has an intense acid trip. The depth is ok, and there is plenty of screen penetration (though most is subtly done). The 3-D makes this a very immersive experience.
As far as villains go, Brendan Cowell’s Scoresby returns and is the best out of the two here. While he is a secondary antagonist, he's the easiest to despise out of the entire cast. The new villain, Varang, is pretty cool and very evil. She’s the leader of an ultra-violent Na’vi tribe whom Quaritch and crew strike up an alliance with. You expect more with this new tribe, but they mostly just act as another antagonistic force. Speaking of Quaritch, a lot of time is spent with him and he gets a bit more depth added to his character.
Giovanni Ribisi returns as Selfridge, head of the RDA. He’s still fairly entertaining. Indeed, we spend more time with the RDA this go-round, though the anti-aging liquid harvested from the whales is barely focused on. Jemaine Clement’s Dr. Garvin returns. His arc is continued and completed nicely this time. Sigourney Weaver’s Kiri remains the bright spot as far as acting goes. The weak link this time around is Jack Champion’s Spider, who has the weakest lines of the bunch and is overall a bit embarrassing.
This third outing isn’t quite as hollow or archetypal as previous entries, though there isn't much new here. The biggest downside is, while Fire and Ash doesn’t end on a cliffhanger this time and tries to find ways to feel complete and satisfying, it still leaves room for more films in the future. If you are a fan of the Avatar films, you’ll find much to love here. If you aren’t, this one still might end up being your favorite out of the three (though a viewing of Way of Water is required. Fire and Ash is definitely a part two to that movie).
4 STARS