Avatar: Fire and Ash

When the first Avatar was released in 2009, filmmaker James Cameron introduced the world to the wonders of Pandora. The VIsual effects in the film, and the world that Cameron created, were a watershed moment for Cinema at large as many witnessed the greatness of CGI and how it makes films visually rich. It became an inspiration for makers worldwide as they explored realism and alternate universes and worlds in their stories. Cameron captured the imagination of the audience by introducing Pandora and its people, called Na’vi. Alien-like blue creatures who welcomed Jake Sully -one from the Sky people- humans- into their own as he fell deep in love with Na’vi princess Naytiri. Cameron returns to the big screen this Friday with Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third instalment in the franchise, hoping to tap on the love that the previous two films had received. But is the film a worthy sequel in the franchise?

At over three hours, it is certainly the longest edition so far. And, as James Cameron watchers would expect from the writer-director, the scale of the new Na’vi adventure is visually stunning. In the fight between the water people (in tune with Nature) and the air people (expansionist humans), a new fire people enter the fray. In short, all the elements in different avatars. The fire people are grotesque and non-believing to boot. Nature has to win.

‘टाइटैनिक’ और ‘टर्मिनेटर’ फेम हॉलीवुड के दिग्गज फिल्मकार जेम्स कैमरून ने साल 2009 में ‘अवतार’ के रूप में पर्दे पर ऐसी अनूठी, अनदेखी दुनिया रची, जिसे देखकर हर कोई दंग रह गया। पैंडोरा के उन नीले शरीर वाले अलग से दिखने वाले भावुक ‘नावियों’ (पैंडोरा वासी) ने दर्शकों का मन मोह लिया। फिल्म खूब चली। इसलिए, जेम्स कैमरून पैंडोरा वासियों की मॉडर्न इंसानों संग जंग की इस कहानी को आगे बढ़ाते हुए 2022 में ‘अवतार: द वे ऑफ वाटर’ लेकर आए। यहां कहानी जंगल से जल की ओर मुड़ चुकी थीं। वहीं, अब वह इसकी तीसरी कड़ी ‘अवतार: फायर एंड ऐश’ में वह आग, राख और शोलों का खेल दिखा रहे हैं। जेम्स कैमरून की यह फिल्म की विजुअली उतनी ही शानदार और भव्य है, मगर कहानी के मामले में इस बार वह मात खा जाते हैं। कहानी पुरानी देखी-देखी सी लगती है, जिसे कोई खास विस्तार नहीं मिलता।

Picking up from Avatar: The Way of Water, Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment in James Cameron’s epic saga, follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their children as they battle not only the returning human colonisers but also a formidable new threat — Varang (Oona Chaplin), the ruthless leader of the fiery Mangkwan clan. Matters escalate when Varang forms an alliance with the humans, setting the stage for yet another war on Pandora.