Even Shakespeare’s Polonius once commented that traveling actors' Greek Tragedy speeches went on too long—and after more than four centuries, there’s still something to be said about pushing an audience’s patience. Collectively, viewers have spent over 9 hours experiencing James Cameron’s Pandora in his **AVATAR** films—with their impressive special effects depicting the indigenous Na'vi trying to protect their way of life from intergalactic colonialism intent on exploiting their resources. This isn't quite as harsh as Leopold II's actual subjugation of the Congolese during the late 19th century Rubber Trade—but Cameron made his environmental message clear in his first film, which earned more than $2 billion at the box office. In **WAY OF WATER**, released in 2022, Maori culture and Pacific Islander teenage slang were incorporated with terms like "cuz" and "bro"—terms of endearment that Cameron seemed to expect audiences would accept as common Na'avi nicknames. I didn’t find it convincing then, feeling the dialogue was overly sweet and grating. Still, this is James 'Spectacle' Cameron—and he’s a talented director of action sequences and striking visuals. In **AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH**—(which I saw in IMAX 3D)—the story explores the children of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), as the events of **WAY OF WATER** impact themes of family, unity, and survival. But those are also the same themes from the second film—and this is the central problem with **FIRE AND ASH**—as it starts to feel like a familiar dish with just a different garnish. In this lengthy sequel, the concerns about a returning human military targeting Pandora’s air, lands, and seas remain—and the usual cast of villains are back for another attempt at hunting down Worthington and Saldana's children, led by Stephen Lang's Colonel Miles Quaritch who, like an unwelcome return, keeps showing up to disrupt Pandora. Cameron moves away from emphasizing the virtues of the Noble Savage, introducing audiences to a corruptible and equally warlike Na'vi Ash People, led by Varang (Oona Chaplin) who smirks and engages in aggressive confrontations with Saldana wearing a distinctive frilled headdress that brings back memories of Wayne Knight being ambushed in **JURASSIC PARK**. When Chaplin’s Varang inevitably joins forces with Lang’s Quaritch to face off, once again, against Worthington and Saldana—we're treated to incredible action sequences—that are rich in style but still lack substance. I didn't dislike this film—it's remarkable what Cameron can achieve with a budget that rivals the GDP of a small Third World country—but the supporting Na'vi characters, as they did in **WAY OF THE WATER**, seemed less expressive than the main Na’vi characters, leaving some interactions feeling empty and making it difficult to tell them apart. I wonder how much coding goes into those computer-generated facial expressions for the supporting cast—and I’m sure it’s far less than what they give Saldana, Lang, and Worthington. These **AVATAR** films have been visual successes—but in an era of AI screensavers and digital images that increasingly challenge our ability to tell what's real from what isn't—the novelty Cameron has enjoyed as a visionary director may be diminishing. (It’s ironic for entertainment, considering Cameron's **TERMINATOR** films—especially **T2**—warned society about the dangers of artificial intelligence). I still appreciate Cameron's earlier work and would like to see him tackle other stories from his imaginative mind—including a **TRUE LIES** sequel, another **ALITA** film, and more. I wouldn’t mourn if **AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH** marked his final trip to Pandora (despite the fact that two more sequels are already written, waiting in the wings, presumably depending on this one's box office performance)—and handing these off to someone else, like Guillermo Del Toro, could breathe new life into the films, similar to how Irvin Kershner did for the **STAR WARS** franchise with **EMPIRE STRIKES BACK**.

Source on TMDB