‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ review: Even the weakest of James Cameron’s trio is still breathtaking

It’s easy to take Pandora for granted. 

Moviegoers have now made three trips to director James Cameron’s stunning alien planet, and have scaled the flying mountains, hiked among the bioluminescent plants, flown symbiotic dragons and swam in its pristine oceans. 

They’ve probably picked up a few words of Na’vi, the language of the big blue natives. They’re quietly scoping out tree houses on Zillow.

Yet even frequent visitors to Paris can’t help but stare awestruck at the Eiffel Tower.

The third film in the 16-year-old “Avatar” franchise, “Fire and Ash,” may look and feel awfully familiar. The story hews closely to 2022’s “Way of Water,” which arrived like a Christmas present after a long 13-year hiatus. Rather than the significant time jump that began that tale, the action here picks up immediately from where the sequel left off. 

Narratively, as it sits smack-dab in the middle of a planned five films, this is the least satisfying chapter so far. Think more of a “Two Towers” than an “Empire Strikes Back,” which ain’t too shabby.

But the science-fiction series, maintained with exceptional attention to detail by Cameron, remains a gargantuan spectacle unmatched by anything else in Hollywood. More than once during its three-hour-fifteen-minute runtime, I shook my head and laughed. How the hell did they do that? 

Cranks can mock the less-than-witty dialogue all they want. It is what it is. The fact is that this director knows the pulse of the moviegoing public better than any filmmaker alive. 

Number Three, with a reported price tag of more than $400 million, is the most visually glorious of the trio, adding fresh and imaginative beings and environments that further flesh out one of the all-time great fantasy locales. 

If “Fire and Ash” makes one leap forward, it’s that the main character starts to pass the baton. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are still the heroes, for sure, however their kids Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and adopted Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) are fighting the good fight in ways only they can. 

Their friend Spider (Jack Champion), the human teen who prefers his E.T. pals to his fellow homosapiens, is tested in one of “Fire and Ash”’s most emotional threads. And he evolves in a way that threatens the future of the planet.

And while his pop Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who was reborn as a Na’vi, is back to “ooh-rah”-ing and seeking revenge against Jake, the battle is more homegrown than before.

We meet a clan of violent and antagonistic Na’vi called the Mangkwan, a grayscale group that lives among active volcanoes. In a franchise first, they’re barbaric, rather than the perfect indigo angels that so far have populated Pandora.

Their hissing leader, Varang (Oona Chaplin), makes a phenomenal villain. She’s an kooky-but-scary femme fatale a la Famke Janssen in “GoldenEye.” The side she picks in this great oncoming war is a dangerous one.

Because of it, we begin to sense that the inevitable climactic clash over Pandora will be much more complicated than simply bringing down a few boats and airships with the help of the Tulkun — those wise old whales who make their chatty return.

The final confrontation in “Fire and Ash,” aside from the addition of the Mangkwan, is a dead ringer for “Way of Water” — earth’s air and sea vessels duke it out with the flying and swimming Pandorans. The Na’vi sneak aboard, the Tulkun intervene.The scene is huge and incredibly cool. Again.

Cameron’s essential task for “Avatar 4,” which is set to hit theaters four years from now, will be to significantly advance the plot beyond incremental character developments and an anticipated abundance of beauty. He needs to wind this baby down while amping it up.

So far, “Avatar” has been judged by its breathtaking escapism and unparalleled epicness. And tese flying warriors have passed with flying colors. But its ultimate legacy will be impacted by the ending. 

That’s at least six years away. For now, though, just enjoy the view.