AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH

The IMAX 3D experience of the third AVATAR film is the ultimate way to immerse yourself in Pandora’s world. Yes, all the reasons that people are complaining about are present within this film…

• Length: The movie is way too long. It could’ve easily been a two-hour film and been far better than the current three-hour, eighteen-minute runtime.
• Dialogue: It’s 100% fair to laugh at some of James Cameron’s dialogue as it occasionally lands with the subtlety of an Ikran dive-bomb, but hey, it still soars when it needs to.
• Too many uninteresting subplots: A lot happens in this film, yet most of it feels small. Like a side quest instead of the main story that would fit a video game better than a feature-length film

With those complaints aside, I had a blast in FIRE AND ASH because…

• The Action: James Cameron remains a master at capturing living, breathing worlds full of action set pieces.
• Focused Camera Work: With the advent of digital, filmmakers tend to blur backgrounds, keeping actors in focus only in the foreground. Yet, if you look at the classic films of David Lean or Francis Ford Coppola, we can see what’s happening in the background. In AVATAR, Cameron lets you see every glowing seed and scampering critter in Pandora’s lush background. This allows audiences to explore every corner of the screen and discover hidden beauty with each glance.
• Oona Chaplin as Varang: Now here’s a great freaking villain. She looks like the lead in the video game, HELLBLADE: SENUA’S SACRIFICE, and is genuinely scary. Her presence on screen lifts the film during its bloated runtime.

Final Thought: With AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, James Cameron reminds audiences that he’s the true king of Pandora… and the box office. It’s an overlong ride, but one that left me grinning like a Na’vi at their first flight. For me, it’s my second-favorite of the trilogy, but it burns brightest on the biggest screen possible.

It’s playing in theaters now.