With Avatar 3 hitting theaters this weekend, there are a few things fans of the first two movies might want to know about Fire and Ash before stepping into the theater.
James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash will be the third film in the Avatar franchise, which began in 2009. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are reprising their respective roles as Jake Sully and Neytiri in the film, while Oona Chaplin will play a villain named Varang.
What should people know about Avatar: Fire and Ash before seeing the movie?
Fans should know that Avatar: Fire and Ash differs from many other blockbusters in that one of the main themes of the film is faith and grief.
ComingSoon’s Jonathan Sim wrote in his review, “Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) finds himself questioning his belief in Eywa after the death of his son, struggling to reconcile his loss with the idea of a guiding spiritual force. Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), on the other hand, clings fiercely to her faith because it’s the only thing keeping her grounded. Their emotional divide is subtle but powerful, representing two very human responses to tragedy. Neytiri’s grief is further complicated by her deepening prejudice against humans, whom she holds responsible for her son’s death. The film doesn’t shy away from the uglier sides of grief, allowing resentment and anger to coexist with love and devotion.”
Additionally, Sim and many other critics have noted that some narrative elements in Fire and Ash can feel similar to the previous two Avatar movies, along with other Cameron movies.
Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri said, “Cameron remixes a lot of his favorite motifs in Fire and Ash: There’s bits of Aliens, Terminator: Judgment Day, and The Abyss in here, and a whole lot of Titanic (again). There’s also quite a bit of Way of Water in here, too, which may feel to some like a franchise cannibalizing itself.”
Lastly, it’s worth knowing that Avatar: Fire and Ash may very well be the last film in the franchise. While there were initially plans for Avatar 4 and Avatar 5, and no decision has officially been made as of yet, Cameron has been open about other projects he wants to make and has said that he’s willing to walk away from Avatar if this doesn’t wind up being a major box office hit.
