"Avatar: Fire and Ash" Mostly Treads Water

"Happy Na'vi families are all alike; every unhappy Na'vi family is unhappy in its own way. Should you require proof, simply drain your bladder, don your 3-D glasses, and settle in for the very long haul of James Cameron's new movie, "Avatar: Fire and Ash." Here, once again, are Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his wife, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), both looking bluer than usual."

"They are Na'vi-cerulean-skinned, feline-bodied humanoid giants, who dwell on a distant moon called Pandora, fly hither and yon on what appear to be tie-dyed pterodactyls, and possess long, braided ponytails that allow them to connect with nature and each other. But Jake and Neytiri are in no mood for hookups. They are grieving the loss of their eldest son, Neteyam, who was slain, at the end of "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022), by mercenary human invaders, bent on seizing control of Pandora,"

Avatar: Fire and Ash follows Jake Sully and Neytiri as they grieve the death of their eldest son, Neteyam. Jake attempts to move forward while Neytiri's grief hardens into rage. Their younger son, Lo'ak, carries guilt over his brother's death. The film revisits Pandora's ecosystems and Na'vi culture, expanding the family tree and intergenerational tensions. The production emphasizes immersive 3-D visuals, expansive worldbuilding, and lengthy runtime. The narrative recycles earlier franchise beats, leaning on spectacle over surprising emotional depth. The result balances technical marvel with a flatter sense of wonder and predictable plotting.

Read at The New Yorker