Avatar: Fire and Ash proves not every franchise needs to keep going

When a director like James Cameron is behind the camera, you expect a mix of storytelling and a visual spectacle that will be talked about for years to come. Avatar: Fire and Ash, his latest film in the popular sci-fi franchise, will be talked about for years too, because it did deliver a visual spectacle but not the story.

Maybe you would want to watch it to see what's happening on the screen, but when it comes down to the story, there's nothing new. Avatar doesn't feel like Avatar anymore. The first film set the stage for something grand. Little did I know that it'd be a grand disappointment.

There was, sort of, this feeling when the trailer dropped that, maybe, they have compiled some clips from Way of Water and the latest film, merged them together, and uploaded it on YouTube. But no, that was all from the latest one.

Sigourney Weaver's Kiri was still making her bond with Eywa stronger through, well, the way of water. And the Ash People? They were supposed to be a fierce new tribe in Avatar: Fire and Ash. However, they felt neither new nor fierce. And this is just the third film in the franchise we are talking about. There are a couple more to come.

Disclaimer: The article contains the writer's opinion.

Avatar: Fire and Ash should be the last one in the franchise

I think Avatar: Fire and Ash should be the last one in the franchise. Not the last film, but the last bad film. Of course, I still want to see Avatar going back to its roots, which, I feel, were more purpose-driven. It had all the elements that kept me hooked to the screen until we saw the Sky People conquered and sent back to Earth.

However, they did return in the sequel, which they had to because they are the main antagonists. And when you have five films planned for a story like this, you've got to bring those people back.

The family thing should end with Avatar: Fire and Ash. Actually, it should've ended with Way of Water. They wanted to show us about a close-knit family, and they did it just fine. The story should've done better if it was more personal. Because, even when the RDA destroyed their Hometree, which was certainly personal, it didn't feel personal.

With Avatar: Fire and Ash, the world needed expansion. Instead, it seemed to have gotten smaller. The upcoming films must avoid doing that, especially avoiding the repetition like this one did. Or, maybe, I might say that Avatar 4 should be the last one. And this time, I mean, literally the last one in the franchise.

But then I do want to see the last film because producer Jon Landau, franchise co-producer, said that it will be taking place on Earth with Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) visiting the planet. Which is an ending I want to see. Sky People exploring the land of Sky People. Huh, that'll be interesting.