Story

In the aftermath of Avatar: The Way of Water, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family are mourning the death of their eldest son, Neteyam. In particular, Neteyam’s younger brother Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) struggles with personal guilt and the weight of his father’s blame.

When Spider (Jack Champion) nearly suffocates after his exo-pack battery runs out, Jake and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) arrange for the Wind Traders to transport him back to High Camp for his safety. During the journey, however, the Wind Traders’ ships are attacked by the Mangkwan clan, led by Varang (Oona Chaplin). In the chaos, Jake, Neytiri and the children are separated, and Spider, again critically low on oxygen, loses consciousness. In a moment of desperation, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) calls upon Eywa, harnessing her connection to Pandora. Mycelium enters Spider’s body, allowing him to breathe the air of Pandora and making him the first human to do so.

Unfortunately, the RDA discovers Spider’s ability to breathe Pandora’s air. The RDA plans to capture him to reverse engineer his adaptation. Concurrently, Spider’s father Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) travels to the Mangkwan’s village to form an alliance, trading firearms for their support against the Na’vi and Eywa.

Later, Spider and Jake are apprehended by the RDA and taken to their base. Neytiri infiltrates the base and helps them escape, but Jake discovers plans to attack the Na’vi and the tulkun (large marine whale-like species native to the oceans of Pandora) during the annual event known as the Calf Communion.

Jake and the Na’vi prepare to fight, but will it be enough to save Pandora from the RDA?

Themes

Suicide; death; family breakdown; animal distress; death of a sibling; children as victims

Violence

Avatar: Fire and Ash has some violence. For example:

• The Mangkwan attack the Wind Traders. Many weapons are used, including guns, bows, suicide bombers and animal warfare. Neytiri is shot with an arrow and falls from the sky into the jungle below, barely alive.
• A Mangkwan is shot with a gun while chasing Lo’ak.
• Quaritch captures Jake at gunpoint.
• The Mangkwan tie up the Sullys.
• Kiri makes a plant shoot thorns, killing many Mangkwan.
• The RDA kill a mother tulkun, leaving its child in mourning.
• Neytiri threatens a pregnant Na’vi.
• The RDA burns down the forest with flamethrowers.
• The RDA tasers the Na’vi.
• Lo’ak is attacked by some squid-like creatures, who attack him with tentacles and attempt to bite him with their beaks.
• Neytiri blows up parts of the RDA base using missile-tipped arrows. She also holds a knife to a Na’vi’s neck to get information.
• Neytiri blows up an RDA soldier in a plane.
• Jake and Neytiri decide to kill Spider to eliminate the possibility of the RDA reverse-engineering his adaptation. Spider begs for his life, and Jake refuses. In the end, Jake can’t bring himself to kill Spider.
• The story ends in all-out war, with the RDA and Mangkwan fighting the Na’vi, tulkun and other wildlife. Arrows and bullets are fired, and many animals, humans and Na’vi die in the conflict.
• A pregnant Na’vi dies soon after giving birth, because of injuries sustained during the battle.
• A Na’vi child is used as a hostage.
• The RDA herd and prepare to eliminate the tulkun with missiles.
• A tulkun bites an RDA employee and drags them underwater.

Sexual references

Avatar: Fire and Ash has some sexual references. For example:

• Varang says the Mangkwan do not ‘suckle on the breast of weakness’.
• Varang tells Quaritch she might keep him as a slave to pleasure her.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Avatar: Fire and Ash shows some use of substances like alcohol and hallucinogenic powder.

Nudity and sexual activity

Avatar: Fire and Ash has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:

• The Na’vi wear very few clothes other than coverings over their genitals.
• Spider also wears little clothing.
• Spider and Kiri kiss.
• Varang and Quaritch begin a romantic relationship. They spend the night together in a tent.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Coarse language

Avatar: Fire and Ash has some coarse language.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Avatar: Fire and Ash is the third instalment in James Cameron’s epic Avatar franchise. This sci-fi action-adventure has stunning graphics, but it also features heavy themes and violent and scary scenes. These features make it unsuitable for children aged under 12. We also recommend parental guidance for children aged up to 14 years.

Like its predecessors, Avatar: Fire and Ash represents a criticism of the colonisation and environmental exploitation of land inhabited by Indigenous people. The movie also reflects on the cyclical nature of war. That is, fire leaves behind ash, and from ash new flames can arise. Finally, the movie explores how grief and guilt can weigh heavily on people and shows that healing often comes from connection with family, community and the environment.

Values in Avatar: Fire and Ash that you could reinforce with your children include courage, environmentalism, family, compassion, resilience, cooperation and unity.

Avatar: Fire and Ash could also give you the chance to talk with your children about serious, real-life topics including racism, colonialism, oppression and environmentalism.