‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ 4K movie review: Latest Pandora adventure a dazzling endurance test
by Joseph Szadkowski · The Washington TimesJames Cameron’s sci-fi fantasy marathon continued last year in another mega blockbuster worth over $1.5 billion at the box office and now moves to 4K home theaters for its massive fan base to own and continue to appreciate in Avatar: Fire and Ash — Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 197 minutes, $49.99).
Viewers are privy to the latest adventures of the hybrid Sully clan comprised of Na’vi body transfer Jake (Sam Worthington), pure Na’vi wife Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), Na’vi son Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), Na’vi daughter Tuktirey (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss), adopted daughter and Dr. Grace Augustine’s inert Na’vi avatar Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) and adopted human son Miles “Spider” Socorro (Jack Champion).
The story returns to the exomoon of Pandora and finds the family still mourning the death of their eldest son Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) after the sky humans attack on the water clan.
After two films about humans coming from the skies to wreak havoc on the Na’vi and their beloved lands through destruction of the ecosystem by terraforming, mining and murder, viewers get more of the same and even more ferocity from a feisty indigenous clan.
Specifically, this time humans headquartered at Bridgehead City, led by Resources Development Administration (RDA) Gen. Frances Ardmore (Edie Falco), align with a vengeful and warring tribe called the Mangkwan (aka the Ash people) that will gladly help him hunt down Sully and his family.
Back again is the villain, Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), now existing as a recombinant (his consciousness being merged into a Na’vi body) after being killed by Neytiri in the first movie.
He’s still after Jake Sully for Sully’s treasonous actions of abandoning humans and aligns strategically and romantically with Varang (Oona Chaplin), the leader of the Mangkwan.
Long-winded to the point of causing mental and eye fatigue, although bombastic, beautiful and explosive, ” Avatar: Fire and Ash” caters to the rabid fan base but might try the patience of the average audience member not hip to the Pandora canon.
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4K in action: Forget the tiresome plot, Mr. Cameron’s digital magicians unleash a visually overwhelming, effects-groundbreaking and gob-smacking dazzling presentation that will mesmerize in every scene as the action literally pops out of the screen looking three-dimensional while soaked in vivid colors.
From the skies to below in the seas, glowing swamp, forests, sandy beaches, coral reefs, cliffs, mountain tops, smoldering volcanoes, babbling streams, the ultrahigh definition translation into a screen-filling odyssey never stops and is often spearheaded by the fastidious detail of the underwater digital photography.
Every single shade of hue sizzles onscreen: the creatures striped with bold neon choices, illuminated sparkles on the faces of the heroes, intricate detail on a golden beige shawl, incredible whale-like creatures exploding from the water, and Neytiri atop her dragon-like Mountain Banshee bathed in blue moonlight.
The collection of bioluminescent creatures and plant life will cause the jaw to drop early and often.
And, to top it all off, a very supportive Dolby Atmos soundtrack surrounds viewers and brings the planet aurally to life down to the crash of waves, rustle of branches and roar of every creature.
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Best extras: As immersive as the film, fans get everything that they would want to know about the movie in the massive 3-hour-long, 13-part documentary, titled “Igniting the Flame: The Making of Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
First covering writing the story in a group setting, the documentary then dives into the minutiae involved in building the worlds of Pandora (1,500 pages of Mr. Cameron’s notes help creators) including the nomadic wind traders and Varang and the Ash people as well as costume design, new creatures, an entire segment on the RDA’s Pandora home base (with its latest vehicular and exoskeleton designs) and the plotting out of action sequences touching on performance capture, stunts, and working with virtual cameras.
Loads of concept art and behind-the-scenes interviews and footage accompany the effort, mixing into areas on stunt choreography, underwater and aerial work, 3D design, editing loads, orchestral score and the endless layering and intimate performances required to make the movie into a seamless universe.
The ultimate takeaway after watching is that filmmakers use an incredible amount of creative brain power to conceptualize, visual and realize every small facet of everything seen on Pandora.
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And, of course, it paid off handsomely for all involved.
Fans of the bad guys will also appreciate a 13-minute, two-part RDA Orientation covering the language and key phrases of the Na’vi from Paul Frommer, director of the xenolinguistics division, and a Pandora survival briefing by Sgt. Kevin Dorman, explaining the clans and terrain.
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Joseph Szadkowski
jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com
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