‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is technologically impressive with a few blemishes

With the latest two “Avatar” films shot back-to-back, audiences didn’t have to wait another decade for the third entry in James Cameron’s billion-dollar franchise — a fitting move, as “Avatar: Fire and Ash” picks up exactly where “The Way of Water” ended.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are still grieving the loss of their son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) when their family faces another threat from within Pandora itself: the savage, fiery Mangkwan clan, led by the brutal Varang (Oona Chaplin), who rejects Eywa, the deity that governs the Na’vi’s way of life.

At the same time, the exploitative Resources Development Administration (RDA) refuses to abandon its war against the Na’vi as it continues its efforts to colonize Pandora.

Closer to home, Jake and Neytiri’s children — Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss) — rebel against their parents’ decision to send away their only human step-sibling, Spider (Jack Champion), from the water-dwelling Metkayina clan.

With these conflicts unfolding simultaneously, the film asks whether Jake and Neytiri can mend their fractured family while fighting a much larger battle to save Pandora itself.

After expanding the franchise’s timeline in the previous film, the first half of “Fire and Ash” doesn’t rely heavily on exposition to move its characters forward. Instead, it delivers significant developments that effectively invest viewers in the story.

The most compelling character is Kiri, who grapples with her unusual identity as a Na’vi child born of a human mother, Dr. Grace Augustine (also played by Weaver in the first film), while navigating teen angst, curiosity, and a deeper connection to Eywa.

At times, however, the development of other characters lacks nuance, particularly for leads Jake and Neytiri. Their arcs feel overly simplified, as if reduced to a public service announcement reminding viewers that abandoning a child like Spider for being different is wrong.

Despite this, the performances, particularly from Saldaña and Champion, elevate the material — lending emotional weight to the family’s story.

There is clear potential in making Varang a deeply complex villain within the “Avatar” universe. The film emphasizes that her rage is shaped by circumstance, but future sequels will need to flesh her out further to make her a more fully realized antagonist.

The RDA, meanwhile, is portrayed as comically evil, to the point that the film preconditions viewers not to root for them — a point that is already obvious and handled with little subtlety.

This lack of narrative restraint is partly why the film’s second half feels like déjà vu, with its final act unfolding like a near copy-and-paste of “The Way of Water,” almost beat for beat.

Still, the film is packed with well-shot, intense action sequences that keep viewers on edge and partially compensate for its shortcomings in its writing.

What keeps “Fire and Ash” engaging is its expansive world-building, boosted by stunning visual effects that remind audiences why the original “Avatar” was revolutionary upon its release in 2009. Years of meticulous work are evident in the CGI, with Cameron’s perfectionism ensuring there is hardly a single weak visual moment.

However, the nearly three-hour experience is weighed down by its presentation choices. Depending on the theater, viewers may watch the film in high frame rate, being played at 48 frames per second — which diminishes immersion.

The traditional 24 frames per second is a cinematic sweet spot, lending films a sense of realism. Here, “Fire and Ash” can feel like a video game with cut scenes that occasionally lag. While the format may enhance action-heavy scenes, it becomes distracting during slower, dialogue-driven moments.

It’s understandable that Cameron wants to push technological boundaries in cinematic storytelling, but offering audiences the option to watch the film entirely in 24 frames per second would have been a welcome compromise.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” is best enjoyed as a popcorn spectacle, an effects-driven blockbuster designed to inspire awe. Despite its narrative flaws, the film delivers enough breathtaking moments to justify the price of admission. Three and a half stars.