Avatar: Fire and Ash

Avatar: Fire and Ash is a blatant retread of its predecessors, which were thoroughly cliched to begin with. Before, there was mild merit to placing classic tropes inside an original environment. Here, the writing feels creatively drained. Characters turn (formulaic) internal conflicts into (faintly earned) arcs that relate to (obvious) themes, yet its plot concludes where it began (which is also where the last movie started). There's broad humor, blunt dialogue, contrivances, excessive protagonists, and predictability. Some of the acting injects decent layers plus intensity, while other performances come across rather wooden. Consequently, Fire and Ash is stagnant.

Fire and Ash is an epic with diminishing returns. Without anything new, the direction's self-indulgence is more apparent. Despite pretty lighting as well as coherent motion, its imagery rarely seems meaningful. The editing's exhausting runtime is challenging. Occasional subjectivity supports the sound's genre elements. Although recognizable and fitting, its music becomes unvaried after a while. Similarly, despite significant iconography, the production design feels confined by unexpanded worldbuilding. Its cast is incidental. Via detailed facial expressions plus cutting-edge textures, its CGI is this film's calling card. Overall, Fire and Ash is proficient but unnecessary.

Writing: 4/10

Direction: 6/10

Cinematography: 7/10

Acting: 7/10

Editing: 5/10

Sound: 8/10

Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Production Design: 9/10

Casting: 7/10

Effects: 10/10

Overall Score: 7.1/10

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