Imagine walking into a movie theatre and plopping down in your seat with a few snacks and drinks. A few minutes later, the commercials stop, the lights dim, and the screen illuminates graphics that seem unreal. Huge trees extend high up and the waves of the ocean ripple calmly. Animals with vibrant colors and patterns soar above the land and giant “Tulkun” come up to the surface of the water to get air. The highly anticipated Avatar: Fire and Ash is one of the biggest talking points in the current movie industry. The third installment in the franchise further explores the realm of Pandora and brings new and familiar characters back onto the big screen. Audience members have left reviews of the movie on platforms like Fandango, many calling it a “phenomenal moviegoing experience” and “action packed [and] visually jaw dropping.”
The story of Avatar: Fire and Ash follows the Sully family as they face a new Na’vi tribe, the Mangkwan Tribe, also known as the Ash people. The issue of Pandora’s forced take-over in order to make it habitable for humans continues, pressuring main character Jake Sully and his family to be involved in a war that proves to be deadly for many. The movie focuses on elements of grief, anger, and compassion.
James Cameron, famous Canadian film director who has directed movies like Titanic, is also the director of this new movie. Cameron wanted to move away from the more noble depiction of the main characters and instead reveal a more aggressive side. In January 2023, James Cameron spoke with the French media outlet 20 Minutes, where he said “I want to show the Na’vi from another angle because, so far, I have only shown their good sides…In Avatar 3 we will do the opposite.”
In regards to the actual filming process, the filming of Avatar: Fire and Ash was a time consuming process. To prevent the young cast from getting older, Cameron filmed Fire and Ash at the same time as Avatar’s second installment Way of Water. The filming of the movie took place at a large motion capture studio, Stone Street Studios in Wellington, New Zealand. According to the informational movie and TV show website Collider, Oona Chaplin, who stars as Varang, leader of the Mangkwan tribe, describes the experience of creating these movies as “like being in a playground… like being a child and having a wooden stick, and you’re suddenly like a warrior in a field with a spear,” showing how creative the filmmaking journey was. Many challenges were also overcome by the cast and the production team. Actors had to perform in motion capture suits and cameras all around them that captured every one of their facial expressions. Zoe Saldaña, who plays Neytiri, talks about how difficult it was to express the raw emotions of the characters since the script was so detailed. She said that it “really [took her] breath away.”
There have been many who have raved about the movie, but some disagree. Ian Thomas Malone, a film critic, believed that the movie was “essentially a mashup of the first two movies.” Another critic, Robbie Collin, claimed that “it was longer [and] more humorless than the last.” While there are clearly different views on the movie, James Cameron says that the continuation of this series depends on the success of this one. So far, it has made over $1.38 billion dollars worldwide. Don’t wait long to go watch this movie, since it will only be in theatres up until March 2026.
