Avatar: Fire and Ash is director James Cameron’s newest addition to the Na’vi mythology that he has been building up since he was a child. The film again follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family trying to protect Pandora’s flora and fauna from being exploited for their resources while also navigating their own grief and trauma. 

The 3rd film picks up where the 2nd one ended, with the Sully family living as outsiders in the Metkayina, or reef clan. It further explores the vast cultures of Pandora, introducing the audience to the Tlalim clan, or the wind traders, and the Mangkwan, or ash people. 

James Cameron is a master at cinematography. The landscapes of Pandora are some of the most breathtaking I’ve ever seen. Comparing the visuals of the 2009 movie to this one is like night and day. The motion capture technology used to capture the actors’ facial expressions and translate them to their Na’vi counterparts is astounding. Every micro-expression is clear. It is also amazing how well they incorporate Spider (Jack Champion), a human character into this completely digital world. 

The action is impeccably choreographed, something to be expected when it comes to James Cameron. Though the film is a little over 3 hours long, the pacing felt good enough to the point where I never thought it was stagnant. 

As always, the characters are compelling and I truly felt for the plight of the Na’vi. I watched Avatar 3 with my older brother, a man who saw the first film in 2009 when he was 12 years old and never picked up a James Cameron flick again, and he still understood most of what happened with little guidance. 

That being said, I still recommend catching up on the first 2 films before diving into this one. I’ve recommended this film to all of my friends, and I recommend it to any readers of the LHS Devil’s Advocate, too. Overall, I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars.