It’s a terrific war movie.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash,” is James Cameron’s latest film set in the world of Pandora. Beyond its science-fiction setting, it’s a war movie, focused on the differences between cultures and why violence erupts between them.
Jake Sully’s family continues to mourn the loss of their son Neteyam, who was killed in a fight with the “Sky People” who want to colonize Pandora.
Jake was a Marine before his consciousness was transferred into the body of a Na’vi, one of the blue-skinned people of Pandora. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) wants to remove Spider 9Jack Champion) their adopted son whose father (a wonderfully despicable Stephen Lang) killed Neteyam.
Spider is different from the others. He cannot breathe the air of Pandora, so he must wear a mask or suffer a painful death.
Meanwhile, another clan – led by Varang (Oona Chaplin – yes, she’s the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin) – is on the attack, and the Resources Development Administration (RDA,) seeks Jake.
The action seldom lets up for then a few minutes as enemies loom and others flee and hide. You won’t feel the film’s lengthy running time because Cameron will keep you engaged right from the get-go.
The computer-generated imagery that made the first “Avatar” such an iconic moment in cinematic history is even more impressive here. I’m a “creatures” fan, so I never tire of seeing the denizens of the air, land and water and how they differ from, but remain similar to, their counterparts on Earth.
Bottom line: If you enjoyed the first two films, you’ll enjoy another trip to Pandora. It’s where the action is this holiday weekend. And if you can’t get enough of the “Avatar” series, it appears that there’s at least one more Pandora adventure in the works – visit here.
3 1/2 stars
Running time: Three hours and 12 minutes.
Rated: PG-13 for violence and scenes of death.
In theaters.
Watch the trailer here.
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