in 2009 there was Avatar. It was groundbreaking, visually stunning, epic, etc... A bit simplistic in plot, but nothing terrible.
In 2022 there was Avatar: The Way of Water. It was groundbreaking, visually stunning, epic. Maybe a bit too derivative of the first and long winded, but still epic, etc...
In 2025 there is Avatar: Fire and Ash. It's visually stunning, and I suppose it's epic too. But oh boy, where to begin on how derivative and long winded this one is...
The plot feels like it treads water for the entirety of it's three hour running time. The main plot is, in many regards, exactly the same as the last two turns in this world. Seriously, how many times do we need to see the human armada getting their asses kicked by Pandoran wildlife while Na'vi swoop in on flying mounts firing arrows and spears? How many times do we need to see Jake Sully one-handed firing his assault rifle while flying around? And how does that assault rifle still have ammunition after all these battles? Why did Cameron feel the need to bring back the boat captain who lost an arm in The Way of Water (guess he didn't die) and have him do THE EXACT SAME ACTIONS in this movie, with nearly the exact same outcome? Call me crazy, but if I had my arm ripped off in a confrontation with a huge, intelligent, speaking whale that managed to devastate my entire fishing fleet single handedly, I'd be ever-so-slightly hesitant about putting myself in the same situation again with hundreds more of them. Actually, I'd probably 'nope' my way right off world. This whole subplot is emblematic of just how lazy the writing is across the entire spectrum. Nobody grows, nobody changes, actions are repeated whole cloth from The Way of Water, and the world doesn't move forward in any meaningful way.
And then to rub salt in your eyes, the few potentially interesting developments are shoved aside or backtracked on the moment they get in the way of the 'main plot'. Colonel Quaritch is a great example: In The Way of Water, he's resurrected as a Na'vi, and given a son who's not only still human, but tossed his flag in with the enemy. In Fire and Ash, he's forced to cooperate with Sully, his sworn nemesis, to keep his son safe. Later on, he's casually discarded by the same military he's devoted his (multiple) life(s) to. Man, that's some fertile ground for rich character development, and there are moments when Quaritch genuinely seems to be growing into a more complex character. Oh, but then Cameron seems to remember that nuance is a bad thing, so in the next scene Quaritch devolves once again into the two dimensional 'bad guy' whose only motivation is to kill Jake Sully. Cameron did Quaritch's character development dirty in The Way of Water, and he does the same thing to him here.
A different fate awaits the ash Na'vi, but it's just as frustrating. Arriving to great fanfare early in the movie, they certainly do make a visual impression, especially their leader Varang, a slithering, slinky, ferocious, absolutely feral force of nature. And that's about all they are. Little of their culture is explored beyond how it negatively contrasts with the 'good' Na'vi, and Varang herself ends up being subservient to Quaritch.
Spider, the human offspring of Quaritch and adoptee of the Na'vi gets shafted by the same lack of growth. Two momentous things happen to him in this movie that would change an ordinary (i.e. real) man, yet he's still the same 'I'm too cool for school' smart ass all the way through, and none of it is helped by Jack Champion's flat surfer bro performance.
And let's not forget the biggest misfire of the trilogy: Neytiri. She never was the greatest character, but in the original she had some unique qualities and was memorable as the audience's window into the Na'vi world. Her simple purpose fulfilled, she's been an absolute hole of growth for the last two movies, reduced to moping around the background and standing by her man.
Then there's the rest of the kids. What was amusing banter in The Way of Water is dull here because it's exactly the same. Lo'ak is still the son everybody shits on undeservedly, exactly like the Way of Water. Kiri is still the exact same hippie new age character she was in The Way of Water, although I suppose she finds out a bit more about her abilities. Sigourney Weaver's mature voice coming out of her is starting to get weird though.
And so on and so forth. Cameron even brings back Giovanni Ribisi and Toruk the flying dragon, and then gives them nothing to do after the 'hey, remember me from Avatar 1' side wink to the camera..
It's all so frustrating, especially going on number three of the same. Cameron gave us Jack and Rose, Sarah Connor and Reese, Ripley and Newt, Bud and Lindsey, even Lenny and Mace. He can write good characters that learn, grow and feel authentic. But for whatever reason, he quit trying after the first Avatar. He hasn't reached 'zero f**ks to give' George Lucas levels yet, but he's a long way down from the peak, and it's really dragging the series down. Pandora is still beyond gorgeous to see on the big screen, and it goes without saying that the VFX work here is virtually perfect, with only minor nitpicks if you really go looking for them. But it's getting boring. The wonder and potential of this world is being squandered on a lazy plot with neutered characters that's slowly gone in a circle over nine hours of screen time (so far). The breathtaking visuals and soaring music aren't cutting it anymore.
At least we'll always have Varang sending Quaritch on an LSD trip by blowing dust up his nose and his amusingly nonchalant reaction. That was probably the highlight of the movie. I'd watch a series with those two in it.
In 2022 there was Avatar: The Way of Water. It was groundbreaking, visually stunning, epic. Maybe a bit too derivative of the first and long winded, but still epic, etc...
In 2025 there is Avatar: Fire and Ash. It's visually stunning, and I suppose it's epic too. But oh boy, where to begin on how derivative and long winded this one is...
The plot feels like it treads water for the entirety of it's three hour running time. The main plot is, in many regards, exactly the same as the last two turns in this world. Seriously, how many times do we need to see the human armada getting their asses kicked by Pandoran wildlife while Na'vi swoop in on flying mounts firing arrows and spears? How many times do we need to see Jake Sully one-handed firing his assault rifle while flying around? And how does that assault rifle still have ammunition after all these battles? Why did Cameron feel the need to bring back the boat captain who lost an arm in The Way of Water (guess he didn't die) and have him do THE EXACT SAME ACTIONS in this movie, with nearly the exact same outcome? Call me crazy, but if I had my arm ripped off in a confrontation with a huge, intelligent, speaking whale that managed to devastate my entire fishing fleet single handedly, I'd be ever-so-slightly hesitant about putting myself in the same situation again with hundreds more of them. Actually, I'd probably 'nope' my way right off world. This whole subplot is emblematic of just how lazy the writing is across the entire spectrum. Nobody grows, nobody changes, actions are repeated whole cloth from The Way of Water, and the world doesn't move forward in any meaningful way.
And then to rub salt in your eyes, the few potentially interesting developments are shoved aside or backtracked on the moment they get in the way of the 'main plot'. Colonel Quaritch is a great example: In The Way of Water, he's resurrected as a Na'vi, and given a son who's not only still human, but tossed his flag in with the enemy. In Fire and Ash, he's forced to cooperate with Sully, his sworn nemesis, to keep his son safe. Later on, he's casually discarded by the same military he's devoted his (multiple) life(s) to. Man, that's some fertile ground for rich character development, and there are moments when Quaritch genuinely seems to be growing into a more complex character. Oh, but then Cameron seems to remember that nuance is a bad thing, so in the next scene Quaritch devolves once again into the two dimensional 'bad guy' whose only motivation is to kill Jake Sully. Cameron did Quaritch's character development dirty in The Way of Water, and he does the same thing to him here.
A different fate awaits the ash Na'vi, but it's just as frustrating. Arriving to great fanfare early in the movie, they certainly do make a visual impression, especially their leader Varang, a slithering, slinky, ferocious, absolutely feral force of nature. And that's about all they are. Little of their culture is explored beyond how it negatively contrasts with the 'good' Na'vi, and Varang herself ends up being subservient to Quaritch.
Spider, the human offspring of Quaritch and adoptee of the Na'vi gets shafted by the same lack of growth. Two momentous things happen to him in this movie that would change an ordinary (i.e. real) man, yet he's still the same 'I'm too cool for school' smart ass all the way through, and none of it is helped by Jack Champion's flat surfer bro performance.
And let's not forget the biggest misfire of the trilogy: Neytiri. She never was the greatest character, but in the original she had some unique qualities and was memorable as the audience's window into the Na'vi world. Her simple purpose fulfilled, she's been an absolute hole of growth for the last two movies, reduced to moping around the background and standing by her man.
Then there's the rest of the kids. What was amusing banter in The Way of Water is dull here because it's exactly the same. Lo'ak is still the son everybody shits on undeservedly, exactly like the Way of Water. Kiri is still the exact same hippie new age character she was in The Way of Water, although I suppose she finds out a bit more about her abilities. Sigourney Weaver's mature voice coming out of her is starting to get weird though.
And so on and so forth. Cameron even brings back Giovanni Ribisi and Toruk the flying dragon, and then gives them nothing to do after the 'hey, remember me from Avatar 1' side wink to the camera..
It's all so frustrating, especially going on number three of the same. Cameron gave us Jack and Rose, Sarah Connor and Reese, Ripley and Newt, Bud and Lindsey, even Lenny and Mace. He can write good characters that learn, grow and feel authentic. But for whatever reason, he quit trying after the first Avatar. He hasn't reached 'zero f**ks to give' George Lucas levels yet, but he's a long way down from the peak, and it's really dragging the series down. Pandora is still beyond gorgeous to see on the big screen, and it goes without saying that the VFX work here is virtually perfect, with only minor nitpicks if you really go looking for them. But it's getting boring. The wonder and potential of this world is being squandered on a lazy plot with neutered characters that's slowly gone in a circle over nine hours of screen time (so far). The breathtaking visuals and soaring music aren't cutting it anymore.
At least we'll always have Varang sending Quaritch on an LSD trip by blowing dust up his nose and his amusingly nonchalant reaction. That was probably the highlight of the movie. I'd watch a series with those two in it.
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