Movie Review - AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH

When it comes to technical movie-making, no one is better at it than James Cameron (TITANIC) and it is no secret that his latest film, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (the 3rd installment in the on-going AVATAR series of films) is a technological marvel and if one is going to see this film, the recommendation is to view it on the biggest screen possible - and in 3D (if your eyes can handle that sort of thing).

It’s too bad that the rest of the film doesn’t live up to it’s technical excellence.

While credit for the technological achievement that is this film needs to go to Cameron (and he deserves much, much credit for this), the weakness of story, plot, character and dialogue also must be laid at the feet of Cameron (who co-wrote and Directed this feature).

There clearly is an art (and science) to performance capture acting - the type of acting that needs to be accomplished in this film. The legendary Sigourney Weaver (ALIEN) has proven through the first 2 films of this series that she can perform motion capture acting with the best of them (she was the best thing in the 2nd Avatar film, THE WAY OF WATER) and she is a standout in this film as well, reprising the role of Kiri, the…ahem…daughter of Weaver’s character from the first Avatar film.

She is joined at the top of the interesting character list by newcomer to the series, Oona Chaplin (GAME OF THRONES) as the shaman-leader of the FIRE & ASH clan of the indigenous Na’avi people on the planet Pandora. She brings an interesting physicality to her character and every time she shows up on the screen, she demands you pay attention to her.

And here endeth the praise of the performances - mostly because everyone else has such wooden dialogue to spout that even George Lucas would be embarrassed.

Starting with Stephen Lang (the first 2 Avatar films) as (once again) the big bad wolf of this series. Spouting such lines as when someone says “I see you” he responds (in as gruff and macho way possible) “Damn right, you do.” It is laughably bad dialogue and Lang is directed in one dimension - but at least he can lean into that one dimension, and lean into hard he does.

While Lang can hide behind his motion capture performance, the same cannot be said for Edie Falco (THE SOPRANOS) who stands and stares at screens (and not much else) as the General in charge of things. She looks chagrined to be there, but at least she’s earning a darn good paycheck for her efforts.

But, at least they have each other (and some wooden dialogue) to play off of. The same cannot be said for returning Avatar performers Kate Winslet and Cliff Curtis (introduced in the previous film). These two get NOTHING to do in this film - what a waste of their talent. In addition, Oscar winning actress Zoe Saldana (last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner for EMILIA PEREZ) is also wasted in a role with not much to do (it seems that Cameron has run out of things for her character, Neytiri to do in this series).

Unfortunately, Sam Worthington is given VERY much to do and he proves he is just as bland and uninteresting as a performer and a character as he was in the first two films.

The performances suffer because Cameron is not very much interested in them - or their characters - he is interested in the technology and the action scenes and if the reactions of the two 13 year old boys sitting next to me in the movie theater is any indication, he succeeds very well here. Cameron does know how to stage action and the film’s plot is just an excuse to go from action set piece to action set piece.

And the action set pieces are quite a site to behold. Giving this film an energy that helps ride over the dull, poorly written character scenes.

Which, along with the visual technical marvel that is this film, elevates it slightly above average.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the BankofMarquis