Most of us know Oona Chaplin as “Robb Stark’s wife” from the hit mid-2000s series “Game of Thrones.” But her recent portrayal of Varang in “Avatar: Fire and Ash” showcases the versatility of her skill in acting.
According to Box Office Mojo, the film made 1.2 billion dollars internationally, putting it above “Thor: Ragnarok,” which was arguably the best movie in the “Thor” franchise. However, there were multiple flaws within the third “Avatar” movie ranging from plot, character development and fan expectations.
Varang’s character had great potential to become the main antagonist of the movie, but she was cast to the shadows. Instead, she became Quaritch’s mate, and her role was confined to. Her fascination with human weaponry could’ve led to elevated fight scenes, and/or a new perspective towards the Na’vi’s view on guns. Oona Chaplin did a phenomenal job portraying the animalistic nature of Varang and the Ash Clan, highlighting their rejection of Eywa.
As seen in previous movies, guns are described to “[poison] the heart.” It was a shame to see the Mangkwan Clan, otherwise known as the Ash People, get sidelined in favor of the Resources Development Administration’s continuing battle with Jake Sully and the Metkayina Clan.
It was invigorating to see the Ash Clan’s violent tendencies, including their “kamakazi” way of fighting, which is often highlighted on social media platforms like TikTok. However, the last battle of the movie felt very repetitive.
The fight scene was almost the same as the previous movie; Jake and the Metkayina are winning the battle, until the humans come back with guns and flamethrowers. Only this time, the RDA has the Ash People on their side, thanks to Quaritch’s strategy of winning over Varang and supplying her with guns.
Just as all hope is seemingly lost, Kiri taps into Ewya and saves the day agai, with the help of Spider and Tu, who is always left behind by her siblings, despite their father’s orders to stick together. Finally, we are given a visual as to what Ewya looks like: a giant face. Ewya does not appear to be a Na’vi, which left many fans disappointed with her true form. As an avid Avatar fan, I personally expected Ewya to have a more ethereal/otherworldly appearance.
Now let’s get into Spider and Kiri’s “romance.” Kiri saves him after his oxygen mask runs out–a constant recurrence throughout the entire first half of the movie–harnessing the forest’s power to save Spider while unnecessarily moaning and groaning from the effort. Oh yay, he can breathe again. It only took a few scrutinizingly long minutes of pretending to check my notifications in the theater while that scene went on–definitely an uncomfortable watch with my parents.
My last critique of AFAA is that they never properly addressed the scene where Kiri is told that she is a biological clone of Grace’s avatar. It was just thrown out there, as an explanation for her connection to Ewya. It seemed half-baked, like the directors were tying up loose ends–which makes sense, considering in “Avatar: Way of Water” they randomly drop Jake and Neytiri’s litter of five kids with zero explanation or foreshadowing.
The movie is pretty much summed up by Mr. X, an adult on Common Sense Media: “This movie is basically the same as the second Avatar film, The Way of Water, but a bit worse? The visuals continue to be mind-blowing, epic, and breathtaking.” Granted, once a series continues past a second film, similarities are more easily noticed and bound to happen.
Overall, I give this movie a 6.5/10. I loved seeing Neteyam at the beginning of the movie, and Varang’s character was lit (pun intended) until she accepted Quartitch’s deal and “looked into his soul.” You know what I mean if you’ve watched the movie. I look forward to the next Avatar film, though my expectations are set low thanks to AFAA. In the future, I’d like to see fewer cliché moments and a better storyline execution in Avatar 4.
