IR Film Review: AVATAR - FIRE AND ASH [20th Century Studios]
From any point of view, the new "Avatar" film "Fire And Ash" is breathtaking. Granted it uses certain formulas and concepts of history but the sheer spectacle of it coupled with the fact of James Cameron's prowess in making something both immense and intimate simply invites criticism as well as praise. But that said, it is a sprawling story that does take three hours and fifteen minutes to tell and would be hard to tell shorter than that. But the path that Jake Sully leads on this trip shows the maturity that the story has taken on in many ways. The texture of a brother lost, and a son slain at the end of the last film, really comes to bear here. This new film actually does an exceptional job of focusing on certain specific stories. Some work better than others but all are clear which is definitely a feat considering that most of everything in this film is done inside a computer via motion capture. The subtleties are not lost in performance
Sam Worthington comes into his own really here as Jake Sully because, after the previous two films, it is much clearer what he is sacrificing and what is being tested. The character though that really penetrates the story as well is Oona Chapin as Verang, the head of the ash clan. The way she struts and her cunning makes her a much more dangerous character than even Quaritch (Stephen Lang) who even though he is good here...the character has pushed his path a little bit too much. And yet his fate is intertwined within hers as is his fall (which could have been less repetitive in certain ways). The assault of the "pink skins" is a repeated element from previous films but the narrative idea is sound because history does repeat itself. The Earth people simply want to keep coming to drain the resources of a new land (in this case a biological serum born of some of the marine animals)>
Zoe Saldana as mother Neytiri has the harder job in this film because she has to play the bad guy in a lot of the scenes when Sully is the one that needs to listen. He is the chosen one and yet he still thinks like a Marine. The crux of a lot of the film centers though on Jack Champion as Spider whose transformation in a way throttles the film understandably. The most powerful scene in the film is a quiet one that is undeniably Hamlet in certain ways but really powers the final act of the film. Sigourney Weaver's Navi character Kiri also plays a major part. Cameron does understand in this specific film that alot of the narrative needs to play out slowly so it doesn't make sense to cut much. The only one that lags a little bit is the second son simply because it doesn't carry the weight as much (though his journey and thought is what starts the film -- and actually powers the narration).
This film could have been split but in terms of marketing that is tricky since "The Way Of Water" needed to be its own journey. Hrre there needed to be a build overall especially between Quaritch and Verang although the connection seems arbitrary at certain points. Like the differences between tribes, it is about trying to understand what Verang wants in dominance. Creatures are usually not inherently evil but their situation sometimes has to make it so. Spider and Kiri's connection is the most dynamic because it bridges the idea of melding of two worlds which is part of the point and likely part of Cameron's intent. Kiri's basis also reflects the chosen element as well but in a completely different way than Jake. His is born out of protection. Hers is born out of empathy. In 3D, it seems high frame rate was in play at the theater but with the clarity of the images it can be hard to tell. The creation of the water scenes especially where it balances between air and underneath at the same time is mesmerizing. It continues to show the progression of this technology but also the importance in narrative of making it work, even if it is imperfect. But Jim Cameron doesn't suffer fools. His worlds are lived in and they sound and feel like it, even if the world itself is bathed in fantasy. A-
By Tim Wassberg
