Avatar: Fire and Ash

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Avatar: Fire and Ash marks the third instalment in the Avatar series and serves as a direct sequel to Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). In this feature, the Sully family must once again face the threat of humanity, as well as Quaritch and a new enemy, Varang, and the Ash People.

I remember watching the first Avatar with my family in the cinema, 3D glasses on and looking up at that screen with awe. James Cameron had crafted a visual landscape that was entirely unlike anything done before. The story held a central protagonist in an alien world with a military antagonist; it wasn't perfect, but it did enough. Then 2022 came along, and we got The Way of Water, a film that also significantly raised the bar visually but entirely dropped the ball narratively. That feature expanded the world of Pandora, but didn't do anything very different with the central character's story. My biggest surprise with Fire and Ash is that the narrative finally finds some focus. This is a film that has a few moving pieces, but it knows exactly the story it wishes to tell. The Sully family is still on the run from the Sky People (humans) and is also grieving Neteyam at the same time. Yet, there is a new threat - the Ash People led by Varang. This is a group of Na'vi who have chosen to reject Eywa and instead use more ritualistic 'magicks' linked to destruction and fire. Quaritch becomes entangled in this struggle, and within this conflict, Spider gains the ability to breathe the air of Pandora, making him significantly more valuable to humankind. The rest of the film becomes quite interesting, with a central struggle around Spider and how desired he is by the Sky People and whether that means the Sullys should kill him to protect the Na'vi. We also watch as Quaritch introduces advanced military technology to Varang's people, while becoming enthralled himself. There's an interesting commentary here around colonialism and the manipulation of native people by the colonising force, which I found quite interesting to see play out in a blockbuster feature. Watching Varang become coerced into aiding Quaritch due to the destructive power he had to offer became a dark reflection of moments that have happened throughout centuries, as Quaritch guides a Na'vi tribe to work against the rest of the Na'vi people. I also found the whale-like creatures being attacked to be a much tighter story this time, and alarmingly more visceral too. All of these weaving threads culminated well in what can only be described as a climactic war-like battle. That final act battle was a conflict that had been extremely well built towards and a very worthy conflict to end the film on. This movie is over three hours long, but I was surprised by how well the entire package held my attention.

The strongest component of the Avatar films has always been how stunning they are visually, and Fire and Ash is no exception. The camera work is fluid and often in motion alongside entirely CGI characters and through CGI environments. Yet, despite the visual artifice all around, it looks immersive and real. The visual effects are some of the highest quality to grace screens this year. Many frames are pure art in their design from beginning to end.

Sigourney Weaver, who played Kiri, is quite a curious and spiritual character brimming with mystery; I like how Weaver brings forth a younger character who is trying to understand her own identity. Stephen Lang, who played Quaritch, gets his teeth back a bit in this film; Lang starts holding a few more cards and playing the game, showing what made him such a good antagonist in the first film. Oona Chaplin, who played Varang, has a lot of this film built around her character and for good reason; Chaplin crafts an antagonist who is always sinister and often cruel. Kate Winslet, who played Ronal, has a little less to do this time around, but has such great onscreen chemistry with Saldaña; these two actresses challenge one another, and it is interesting to see how their characters grow as a result. Brendan Cowell, who played Scoresby, is a surprisingly engaging antagonist in this sequel; Cowell's character is really callous and out for blood. Jemaine Clement, who played Dr. Garvin, is a fun addition to this cast; Clement's little act of rebellion is quite a fine small moment of heroism in this film. Giovanni Ribisi, who played Selfridge, is a decent minor antagonist to have back; his self-entitled grandstanding never misses. Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, who played Tuk, is easily one of the most likable young performances; I liked watching Bliss act out and make Tuk a bit more daring this time out. 

However, the best performance came from Zoe Saldaña, who played Neytiri. This is a performer who I think best understands what Cameron wants to achieve with these films. Saldaña is so immersed in Neytiri that she understands the character on a rather deep level. At the beginning of Fire and Ash, Neytiri is grief-stricken over her son's death; she is angry and lashes out at others. Across the film, she also faces tremendous physical hardship, and we have to watch her struggle with healing, too. Neytiri is an interesting character; she's probably the toughest fighter in these films and will do anything to protect her family. I like the conflict that she carries with Champion's character, Spider. Watching her try to ostracise him from the family before later realising her error is quite a journey of growth for Neytiri. There's also some brilliant character work between Saldaña and Winslet around what their roles face as mothers. The birth scene that takes place during the final conflict is quite an intense moment, played extremely well by both parties. I think Saldaña really is a major component of Avatar, and these films just don't work without Neytiri.

I think the largest glaring problem this movie has is how absolutely foul the dialogue is. The script for this film is riddled with some of the worst lines I have ever heard. Listening to a group of blue cat aliens bicker and argue using the language a 2025 American household family would use is jarring and lazy writing. This is an issue throughout the feature, and I think these movies don't get taken as seriously because the characters never really have too much to say. More than this, there are a few narrative beats across the feature that feel tired. Repetition is a tough concept to sell your audience on when the film is this long; staying original and inventive needed to be a priority.

The score for the film probably should have impressed me; it is meant to be this grandiose piece interwoven with choral numbers. However, I felt pretty bored by the music in the film and didn't really think anything new was achieved in this space. I also felt the ending bleeding into the awful credits song by Miley Cyrus took a decent bit of weight out of the ending.

Sam Worthington, who played Jake, has never been much of a leading performer in Hollywood; it is almost a shame that the Avatar franchise is stuck with such a weak leading performer. Cliff Curtis, who played Tonowari, is pretty listless as the most dull Na'vi of the film; Curtis has no deeper emotion to give and struggles to make an impact. Joel David Moore and Dileep Rao, who played Norm and Max Patel respectively, feel like unneeded holdovers at this point; the science exposition duo are really just here to continue to dump info on the audience. Edie Falco, who played General Ardmore, has to be one of the performers who struggles the most in these films; Falco's bland and dispassionate line delivery completely undercuts the gravitas of her character. Britain Dalton, who played Lo'ak, is quite similar to Worthington in that he is positioned as a major leading performer but struggles with the responsibility; Dalton just doesn't have the range to make his character interesting. Jack Champion, who played Spider, is one of the most annoying characters of the past two films; Champion is a goofball and seems directionless in his character work. Jamie Flatters, who played Neteyam, is rather unimpressionable as a performer, so it was dull watching him come back; Flatters had no extra emotional edge to lend this film. Bailey Bass, who played Tsireya, is quite underwhelming as Dalton's love interest; her character is never really offered the opportunity to show substance. Filip Geljo and Duane Evans Jr., who played Aonung and Rotxo respectively, are essentially window dressing in this film; even Evans' big final scene left no real impact on the story.

Mix an advance with the visuals to a closer return to narrative form, and this might be my favourite Avatar film yet. I would give Avatar: Fire and Ash a 7.5/10.

Wake Up Dead Man

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Wake Up Dead Man is the third film in Rian Johnson's Knives Out franchise. In this feature, a small-town parish comes under scrutiny after a leading member of the church is killed on the premises.

Something I always find really sharp about Rian Johnson's Knives Out scripts is that they hold a really clear mirror up to current society. Knives Out spoke to the class system and the all-consuming power of greed for wealth. Glass Onion has some interesting observations about society during lockdown, and more significantly, the deification of billionaires. Wake Up Dead Man uses a small town parish setting to highlight something happening on a much larger scale. The people within this parish are quite vulnerable, insecure and easy to manipulate and are steered by a figure in power to look down on others and turn against certain ideas and values. I like that this movie wasn't inherently blaming religion for this (though it did note institutional churches had a heavy hand to play), but speaks more that powerful figures prey upon the vulnerable and turn them against others. It gets right to the heart of why we have people screaming the word 'woke' in Facebook comments or a sharper push in right-wing ideology that has taken on a new, meaner edge to those who don't share their views. It's a complex theme to navigate objectively, and I found this feature does a really great job of presenting its case in the first act. The lead of this film, being a priest, Father Jud, who has done wrong in his life but found redemption through faith, is a very inspired choice. He has a decent chemistry with Blanc that is rather refreshing and a moral centre that will actually have you rooting for him while also leaving you guessing.

I absolutely adore how Rian Johnson finds an aesthetic within these films; each one has its own art style, and none have felt unsteady. This feature is quite gothic in some ways, with harsh shadows and the cold stone edges of an older church facade. This is a feature that plays with lighting creatively, be it capturing a figure by candlelight to the intense red of the flashback scenes. The editing is really tight, often feeling orchestrated with care. I also loved the score, how sinister and intriguing it can be while completely getting comedically obliterated by the soundtrack. 'Shimbleshanks, the Railway Cat' from the musical Cats gets a deserved honourable mention.

Daniel Craig, who played Benoit Blanc, is such a pivotal and iconic performance in these films; I love how he dashes about across this feature like a hound after a bone. Glenn Close, who played Martha Delacroix, is an absolutely inspired bit of casting; there is a scene Close delivers right near the end of the film that is one of the best scenes in the film. Josh Brolin, who played Mons. Jefferson Wicks, is an absolutely despicable and cruel figure here; Brolin is having a phenomenal run in 2025, and Wicks is just another top-level performance. Andrew Scott, who played Lee Ross, is a relatively interesting parasite of a character; Scott finds the simpering demeanour needed to find his character's place under the boot of Wicks. Daryl McCormack, who played Cy Draven, is that toxic need for attention and validation personified; McCormack is a sincerely wicked player bent on greed and power by the end of the film. Jeffrey Wright, who played Bp. Langstrom, is quite a nice subversion of a church leader; Wright has a sharp tongue and a quick wit in this.

However, the best performance came from Josh O'Connor, who played Fr. Jud Duplenticy. This is our guiding central protagonist for the film, and I found it very hard not to like him. O'Connor has a very easy charisma that feels sincere. Jud is a character with a very strong moral compass; he can get downright black and white at times and pretty righteous in his beliefs. O'Connor plays this figure well against the wilting and unusual personalities of the parish. I also found the way he grows excited and barrels into the case work to be quite intoxicating; O'Connor and Craig are dynamite together onscreen. Yet, he's not just this excitable young figure; there's an absolutely gorgeous scene where he supports someone over the phone through prayer that I think anyone would find quite moving. O'Connor is also really playing to the confusing, whirling conflict that is going on here; his character is set up and disputed as the killer multiple times. This is a character who finds himself very lost, so it is almost a breath of fresh air watching him grow so centred at the end.

This is a Knives Out universe film where the mystery sometimes feels a bit too convoluted for its own good. There are fake outs, resurrections, hallucinations, framed killers and a mysterious history to the setting, all flitting in and out of the central plot. This actually doesn't make the mystery very confusing; the killer is frankly quite an obvious suspect. It does, however, make the plot feel quite scattered at times. Wake Up Dead Man sometimes moves in a direction and then zags sharply in a whole other direction in a way that doesn't feel well-considered. The script for this feels like it needed to be tightened down further; the pacing also comes across as very scattered. The first act holds some of the most interesting content, but is also very slow in its delivery. I also felt that the wider ensemble cast just didn't impact the story in the same way other Knives Out franchise films did. Some of these roles were actually very boring and had nothing to add to the story at all, really. I also didn't feel Benoit was used especially well this time. In Wake Up Dead Man, we hear a lot about what Benoit doesn't know and why a thing is impossible, almost to defy our expectations artificially. It's a strange problem for a whodunnit film, but Benoit's ineptitude is almost a fabrication. The latter themes around religion and the truth behind it are about as deep as a couple of uni bros doing a philosophy paper, having a debate. I understand there had to be some deeper commentary around religion due to the setting, but I don't think any interesting material was actually struck.

Mila Kunis, who played Chief Geraldine Scott, is one of the more jarring performances in this film; Kunis feels entirely wrong for the role and style of film she is in. Jeremy Renner, who played Dr. Nat Sharp, gives quite a bland return to the screen; Renner is present in this film, but he gives absolutely nothing to this character. Kerry Washington, who played Vera Draven, is a character who is weirdly pushed to the background a lot; Washington masters self-righteous anger but is limited in her ability to seize the screen for herself. Cailee Spaeny, who played Simone Vivane, isn't even really much of a character performance at all; Spaeny is barely here, and you could've put anyone in that wheelchair and got the same effect. Thomas Haden Church, who played Samson Holt, is a bit too mundane and lacking in presence here; Church doesn't connect well with the rest of the cast and seems mainly positioned in this to die. Annie Hamilton, who played Grace Wicks, is the weakest part of a nice looking flashback scene; Hamilton is just two-dimensional, raving psychosis.

While not quite as mind-blowing as previous entries, Wake Up Dead Man is still one of the better films to grace our screens this year. I would give Wake Up Dead Man a 7.5/10.

Eternity

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Eternity follows Joan, an elderly woman who recently died of cancer and finds herself in the afterlife with her recently deceased husband of 65 years, Larry. The only catch? Her first husband, Luke (who died in the Korean war), has spent 67 years waiting for her to spend the rest of their afterlife together...

I really loved the creativity within this feature; it just felt fun and playful at every turn. Eternity is a truly unconventional take on the romantic-comedy genre, presenting a love triangle between an elderly couple who have recently passed away, and the first husband who died 67 years ago is a very fresh concept. I was really intrigued by how the afterlife was going to be presented here. I was quite pulled in by the comedy and critique of a very commercial beyond; a vast hotel lobby filled with vendors trying to sell you a holiday plan that will be the rest of your life. This leads to some really fun visual gags, with characters walking past eternities that promise "an eternity without men" or a starter kit brochure package with all the worldly religious eternities there to choose from. But it's the relationships at the core of this that I quite enjoyed. Watching the dream of a relationship that could have been perfect versus one that was steady and challenged is fascinating. It became a real moment of thinking about what is love really? It's not this golden thing that never bears imperfection; love is weathered and steady and constant. Love is knowing your partner and doing what it takes to care for their happiness. That is a love worth eternity. I also enjoyed the sort of agency and fight paired with Joan's decision; it's a classic love story routine, but within that, she gets to learn about herself and the sort of love she wants to be a part of. This movie is unique and hilarious, and entirely unexpected.

This is a film with a clear sense of wit to it. I loved watching humour paired with the visual landscape of Eternity, from the skyline curtains to the sunset advertisements, right through to the staged memory scenes. I think this movie evokes the rich beauty and landscape of a drama while capitalising on the unlikely setting of a commercial-style afterlife. The editing for this is also really tight; it takes a real moment to consider how a gag will land and paces the scene accordingly. David Fleming does the music for this, and it will take you on this wonderfully unlikely journey; it's a quirky series of tracks with lingering moments of raw emotional connection in there to surprise you. The Dean Martin gag is a fun point in the soundtrack as well.

Elizabeth Olsen, who played Joan, is a nice central figure grappling with the core conflict of choice here; Olsen has these lingering scenes of memory where her character weighs up her life that felt pretty moving. Callum Turner, who played Luke, is a very suave gentleman type; I like that Turner showed the moments of frustration his character had built up over the life he had lost. Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who played Anna, does her level best to steal the show at every turn; this is a performer who is exceptional at comedy and has some of the best comedic delivery in the film. Barry Primus and Betty Buckley, who played Older Larry and Older Joan respectively, are the perfect performers to kickstart this movie off; I could have sat in that car with those two for another ten minutes.

However, the best performance came from Miles Teller, who played Larry. Larry is your everyday older fella; he grumbles and complains, but he's also got a good nature. It's a lot of fun watching Teller play to the older mannerisms of his character; he and Olsen have a lot of fun playing 70-80-year-olds who find themselves in 30-year-old bodies. I also liked that Teller's take on Larry is that he's a bit aloof, misses the mark and stumbles in his good intentions. Larry is a very sincere character who could do better, but he does okay. Teller and Olsen have a chemistry that feels lived in; it feels like it has lasted a long time and becomes familiar to us all. I loved watching Teller play the more self-sacrificing aspect of his character in that lead-up to the ending; it was a pretty genuine moment of good-natured love and a big sign of why Teller is such a charismatic performer.

Eternity is a comedy, ultimately, and with any comedy, there is often the potential of jokes falling flat. The supporting cast of this feature wasn't always the strongest players, which meant some of the material struggled to land or draw laughter. When Eternity strays from the core cast or this fascinating premise, it does struggle to pack a funny punch. I also felt there were several moments in which the film felt safe hiding within cliché. It would've been nice for the love triangle element to be a bit more daring in some scenes rather than doing some classic elements strongly.

John Early, who played Ryan, just plays his comedy a bit obviously; there are a lot of scenes that lose their motion because of how Early plays them. Olga Merediz, who played Karen, is a bit of a simple joke character; Merediz is a gruff figure and a tough one to pair against Olsen. Ryan Bell, who played Fenwick, is an odd side character with more time than you might expect; his disgruntled employee shtick feels a little lost in everything else going on.

This is the sort of free-for-all creativity that makes me fall in love with genres like romantic comedy. I would give Eternity an 8.5/10.

Zootopia 2

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Zootopia 2 is the sequel to Zootopia (2016) and continues the adventures of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. This unlikely crime-solving duo's partnership is tested when a snake's return to Zootopia upsets the entire city. It will take our heroes to crack the mystery of this case and to find out why those in charge of Zootopia want to keep him quiet.

Something that I really admire about both Zootopia films is that they have some really relevant messages to deliver to a modern audience. We can get delighted by the visual interpretations of what an animal city might look like, how everyday tasks have been developed to work for a sheep, giraffe or bison all living in the same block as one another. But within all this inventive worldbuilding, the film draws our eye to those foundational moments of thinking: how do different creatures living together actually make it work? We got to see prejudices between carnivores and herbivores challenged in Zootopia. This time, our story presents us with reptiles and the origins of the city itself. We are presented with a powerful narrative about an idea to bring all animals together in one place that was stolen by a greedy, rich mogul, who used the concept to push out an entire species from their home. It's a movie about colonisation and paying attention to those who have been removed from their home. I also think the film has a wonderful core story around Judy and Nick. This duo has their ability to stay together as a cohesive partnership really tested, and I liked watching them rise to the challenge for one another. There is a twist around the true antagonist for this film, which really impressed me and lifted the quality of the plot up quite a bit.

The animation here is really vibrant, toting a range of colours and character models that make no one panel alike from the others. This is a very action-heavy film, and the fast-paced style of animation doesn't compromise on clarity. There are also so many well-considered visual gags scattered throughout this feature. The score for Zootopia 2 is a real invitation for adventure, transporting the audience right into the thrill of a moment. I also loved the headliner song for the film, 'Zoo' by Shakira, which is definitely a worthy successor to 'Try Everything'.

Ginnifer Goodwin, who voiced Judy Hopps, is a solid protagonist as the duty-first hero we came to love the first time around; Goodwin really captures Judy's mission at all costs outlook nicely here. Jason Bateman, who voiced Nick Wilde, really gets to stand out and lead more in this one; Bateman's dry, casual wit is perfectly paired with this charismatic fox. Andy Samberg, who voiced Pawbert Lynxley, is a loveable dork for a lot of the film; Samberg also pulls off the big heel turn moment phenomenally. David Strathairn, who voiced Milton Lynxley, is an extremely cold-hearted antagonist; Strathairn has a real hard edge to his voice that makes for a good bad guy. Idris Elba, who voiced Chief Bogo, doesn't have as much to do this time around, but still plays his part well; the no-nonsense police captain bit still works well in Elba's hands. Patrick Warburton, who voiced Mayor Winddancer, is a nice gag at the actor turned political figure; Warburton leans in with an overly dramatic angle to great effect. Quinta Brunson, who voiced Dr Fuzzby, has a calming voice that suits her therapist character; this even tone contrasts nicely with the absurdity of the scene she's working within. Danny Trejo, who voiced Jesús, is quite the mysterious figure at first; Trejo also delivers quite a bit of important exposition in a way that really grabs your attention. Maurice LaMarche, who voiced Mr Big, is a Godfather parody gag that I absolutely adore; LaMarche hits all the right notes of this perfectly. Robert Irwin, who voiced Robert Furwin, is a nice, charismatic beat to end the film on; if you're going to go Australian celebrity for the koala, an Irwin feels remarkably fitting.

However, the best performance came from Ke Huy Quan, who voiced Gary De'Snake. This role is what this movie hinges on in a lot of ways. Gary might not have as many scenes as our two leads, but his very existence is what sets this movie into motion. However, his place as a kind, determined and empathetic creature is what makes you care for him immediately. There is no voice better for this than Quan's. This is a voice performance that captures gentleness and compassion; you truly believe in Gary's goodness from his first scene, and it helps guide the movie forward. Quan crafts a bright, optimistic spark at the heart of this story, which will win audiences of all ages.

I found that Zootopia 2 had a lot it wanted to achieve, be that the visual gags or the worldbuilding elements or quite simply the story itself. Yet, with so much ambition, the film never really seemed to drop anything; there was just a lot there. The pacing for Zootopia 2 could certainly have been sharper and less long in the tooth. There were many moments in which we didn't need to stay sitting within an environment, but could have just moved forward. I also felt that the way the partnership was tested and the greater message about how Zootopians viewed reptiles held a very similar place to story elements from the first feature. This did tend to work, but I hope the pattern of familiarity is challenged a bit if they keep going forward.

Fortune Feimster, who voiced Nibbles Maplestick, is without a doubt the most annoying addition to the main cast; Feimster's voice is painful and the vocal equivalent of easy-going slapstick. Shakira, who voiced Gazelle, sings 'Zoo' well but adds nothing as a character; the film goes out of its way to shoehorn her in this time around. Nate Torrence, who voiced Clawhauser, is a comedic bit role that probably didn't need to come back so predominantly; within a much bigger cast of characters, Clawhauser falls into the background. Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake, who voiced Bonnie Hopps and Stu Hopps respectively, don't serve their purpose so much in the sequel; the overly concerned parents gag falls flat. Leah Latham, who voiced Fru Fru, is an unfortunate consequence of having LaMarche back; Latham's voice is grating and kills the comedy of the scene. Jenny Slate, who voiced Bellwether, really didn't need to be carted back into the sequel; Slate feels quite overused here and entirely superfluous to the plot. 

Zootopia 2 is quite comfortably the best animated feature of 2025. I would give Zootopia 2 an 8.5/10