The plot: Jake and Neytiri’s family grapples with grief, encountering a new, aggressive Na’vi tribe, the Ash People, who are led by the fiery Varang, as the conflict on Pandora escalates and a new moral focus emerges.
Avatar: Fire and Ash was good.
Pros: I like the kids got developed further. It dealt with loss, grief and sacrifice. The Ash people are quite a pair of savages. James Cameron outdone himself in the visual effects department. You feel there are consequences and drama going on. I never feel bored watching because it was so face-paced & the performances are consistent.
Cons: It did have plot holes that haven’t been fulfilled. The action set pieces felt very similar from the last film. The Ash people lose their progression in the third act and the ending didn’t work for me.
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Directed by James Cameron
Produced by James Cameron, Jon Landau
Screenplay by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver
Story by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Josh Friedman, Shane Salerno
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang & Kate Winslet.
Edited by Stephen E. Rivkin, Nicolas de Toth, John Refoua, Jason Gaudio, James Cameron
Cinematography: Russell Carpenter
Music by Simon Franglen
Production companies: Lightstorm Entertainment
Distributed by: 20th Century Studios
Cast:
- Sam Worthington as Jake Sully, a former human and Colonel Miles Quaritch’s former informer later arch-rival who fell in love with Neytiri and befriended the Na’vi after becoming a part of the Avatar Program, eventually taking their side in their conflict with humans and transferred his mind into his avatar permanently. In the second film, he and his family have left the Omatikaya clan and joined the Metkayina clan.
- Zoe Saldaña as Neytiri, Jake’s wife who left the Omatikaya, and joined the Metkayina.
- Sigourney Weaver as Kiri, the daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine’s Na’vi avatar, who was adopted by Jake and Neytiri.
- Weaver also reprises her role as Dr. Grace Augustine, who appears as a spirit.
- Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch, formerly a human military commander who led the forces of the RDA, the human organization colonizing Pandora, and died in their conflict with the Na’vi in 2154. He and other fallen soldiers were later resurrected as Avatar “recombinants”. He seeks revenge against Jake and his family, including his son Miles “Spider” Socorro.
- Oona Chaplin as Varang, the Na’vi leader of the volcano-dwelling Mangkwan clan.
- Kate Winslet as Ronal, a free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari’s wife, who is pregnant.
- Cliff Curtis as Tonowari, chieftain of the reef people clan of Metkayina.
- Joel David Moore as Dr. Norm Spellman, a former scientist of the Avatar Program who chose to side with the Na’vi in the first film.
- CCH Pounder as Mo’at, the Omatikaya’s spiritual leader and Neytiri’s mother.
- Edie Falco as General Frances Ardmore, Quaritch’s successor as commander of the RDA’s military operations.
- Brendan Cowell as Captain Mick Scoresby, the former commander of a private sector marine hunting vessel on the planet of Pandora who previously lost an arm to Payakan.
- Jemaine Clement as Dr. Ian Garvin, a marine biologist employed by Scoresby.
- Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, the disgraced former head administrator for the RDA mining operation in the first film.
- David Thewlis as Peylak, the Na’vi leader of the Wind Traders who will be featured in Fire and Ash along with Avatar 4 and 5.
- Britain Dalton as Lo’ak, Jake and Neytiri’s second son and the narrator of the film.
- Jack Champion as Miles “Spider” Socorro, the teenaged son of Quaritch born in Hell’s Gate (the human base on Pandora in the first film) who was rescued and adopted by Jake and Neytiri after the latter had previously killed Quaritch.
- Trinity Jo-Li Bliss as Tuktirey (“Tuk”), Jake and Neytiri’s daughter and their youngest child.
- Jamie Flatters as Neteyam, Jake and Neytiri’s first son and oldest child who died in battle in the previous film, and now appears as a spirit.
- Bailey Bass as Tsireya (“Reya”), a graceful and strong free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari and Ronal’s daughter. In the second film, Tsireya emerges as Lo’ak’s love interest.
- Filip Geljo as Ao’nung, a young male hunter and free diver of the Metkayina and Tonowari and Ronal’s son.
- Duane Evans Jr. as Rotxo, a young male hunter and free diver of the Metkayina.
- Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, a mercenary who fought and died in the RDA’s battle against the Na’vi in 2154. Years later, the RDA placed his memories into a recombinant.
- Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel, a scientist who worked in the Avatar Program and came to support Jake’s rebellion against the RDA.
I highly recommend watching this new Avatar film in cinemas.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident film reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe