Darker and more intense, Avatar 3 takes viewers to a Pandora ravaged by fire. New tribes, grief, family issues and visual spectacle: here is our review of James Cameron’s new film.
Three years after Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron makes his big comeback with Avatar: Fire and Ashes. Just a few weeks after the tragic end of the second film, Jake Sully’s family is struggling to rebuild their lives with the water people, the Metkayina. But the war is far from over. While humans continue to plunder Pandora, a new threat emerges: the Mangkwan tribe, the people of fire and ashes. More serious and intense, this third instalment places family, grief and division at the heart of its narrative.
A family weakened by grief
After Neteyam’s death, the Sullys are left weakened. Jake and Neytiri have lost a son, while Kiri, Lo’ak and Spider have lost a brother. Whereas the second instalment showed a close-knit clan, Avatar 3 explores the cracks. James Cameron thus depicts an imperfect, divided family, but one that is nonetheless deeply human.
A new threat at the heart of Pandora
While Colonel Miles Quaritch, now in Avatar form, still embodies the antagonist on the side of the sky people, the new threat comes from the Mangkwan. Led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), this tribe of ashes opposes Na’vi spirituality. After their village was destroyed by a volcano, they renounced Eywa. Their red and black lands disrupt the usual lush aesthetic of the saga.
An exceptional but (slightly) redundant spectacle
Between the Mangkwan village and the Wind Merchants, itinerant Na’vis of the skies, the film impresses with its landscapes. Shot in New Zealand, Avatar 3 remains an incredible visual and auditory experience. However, over the course of 3 hours and 17 minutes, the script shows weaknesses. Certain scenes and the final battle are strongly reminiscent of those in the second film. This redundancy does not completely detract from the immersion, but it does limit the feeling of renewal.
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Avatar 3 is currently been in cinemas since Wednesday 17 December.
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