Avatar: Fire and Ash – Plugged In Movie Review

Movie Review

Things are in turmoil on the world of Pandora.

Human invaders haven’t, as some had hoped, left Pandora after their massive defeat at the hands of the native Na’vi. If anything, they’ve redoubled their marauding efforts. And the human Resource Development Administration (RDA)—a powerful, profit-driven corporation from Earth—has come back with bigger money-making goals and bigger armaments.

In fact, the RDA has trained its sights on something new: an anti-aging liquid that can be obtained from the brains of a whale-like Pandoran creature called a Tulkun. The fact that the Tulkun also happen to be highly intelligent, sentient beings with their own language, culture, music and poetry is … unfortunate from the humans’ point of view. I mean, the Tulkun do have to be deceased in order to drain the fluid. But that sort of uncomfortable detail has never stopped the march of human progress in the past.

So with an up-coming gathering of the Tulkun, the RDA is rubbing its collective hands together in hope of a massive, uh, harvest.

In the meantime, Jake Sully—the former paraplegic human marine who inhabited a cloned Na’vi and eventually became a warrior, clan leader, Na’vi husband and father—is dealing with his own problems. He, Neytiri (his Na’vi wife) and their children are still reeling from the loss of son and brother, Neteyam. The young Na’vi was killed at the command of the RDA.

Oh, but that’s not Jake and Neytiri’s, only concern. Their adopted human son, Spider, is struggling to live among his Na’vi family. Humans can’t breathe the Pandoran atmosphere. And if his oxygen mask’s battery runs out at the wrong time, he will die. Jake’s family doesn’t think it’s safe for Spider to stay with them. So they make an arrangement with the Na’vi Tlalim Clan, the Wind Traders, to transport him to safety.

Oh, but then there’s also the ever-present threat from Spider’s biological father: Colonel Miles Quaritch. He had previously died at Neytiri’s hand, but a digital copy of his consciousness was imprinted on yet another Na’vi clone. And not only does he want to get his hands on Spider, he wants to kill Jake and Jake’s whole family in the process.

But wait, there’s yet another danger present in the world of Pandora: The Na’vi are fighting amongst themselves. The Mangkwan Clan, also known as the Ash People, are warring against … well, everybody. Their leader, Varang, is ruthless, lustful and ready to consume or burn down anything she might lay her sights on.

Yep, there’s a lot of turmoil in the Pandoran mix.