Avatar: Fire and Ash Makes the Funniest Moment of The Way of Water Even Better for People Paying Attention

The Avatar movies may be known for their spectacle action, their deep focus 3D, and their stunning visual effects, but there’s an element of James Cameron’s films that doesn’t get enough praise: their humor. One may not immediately think of the Avatar movies as ones with any levity at all, but considering the dark subject matter and the dense run time for each of the movies, they do have plenty of moments that can cause a laugh. Cameron sneakily injects these into all of his movies, not just Avatar; even Terminator 2: Judgement Day has some hilarious gags.

Avatar: The Way of Water had more than its fair share of funny moments, but one of them was a visual gag that may have gone over some audience members’ heads, not only because it happens very subtly on screen, but because it took place in the midst of a big action scene. In the climax of that movie, as the mighty Tulkun Payakan is attacking the RDA whaling vessels, one of his leaps onto the ship sends a tense steel wire flying through, and as it soars through the air, it catches on the arm of Captain Mick Scoresby, an Ahab-like character, and slices his appendage off. Avatar: Fire and Ash gives this moment not one, but two punchlines. Spoilers follow for Avatar: Fire and Ash.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash Adds Punchline to Payakan’s Attack From Way of Water

When Brendan Cowell’s Captain Mick Scoresby makes his return on screen in Avatar: Fire and Ash, it’s not entirely a surprise, but it does come equipped with an upgrade: a robotic arm. Having survived Payakan’s attack on the ship, he’s now rocking a mechanical appendage to make up for his loss. It’s a moment that elicits a chuckle as we recall the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it severing of his arm and the intense demeanor that the character carries. Man is holding a grudge with a space whale for heaven’s sake. But it gets better.

A major criticism of Avatar: Fire and Ash is that the film’s third act has a lot of similarities to Avatar: The Way of Water. It’s not untrue as they both follow major RDA vessels that approach the Awa’atlu village to hunt down the Tulkun. The set-up is similar, though the outcomes are largely different. One thing that is the same, though, is that Scoresby once again comes under attack by one of the Tulkun, and in true James Cameron fashion, it builds on what came before it. Rather than getting another appendage cut off, one of the Tulkun leaps onto the ship and bites into Scoresby. Still stuck in the beast’s mouth, his fate doesn’t end there, as he’s pulled to the bottom of the Pandoran ocean. We’re going to make an educated guess that he won’t be back for Avatar 4.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is largely a full culmination of the entire franchise to this point, not only bringing in new characters and lore but building on every narrative piece and moment to tell a complete picture across the three films. It’s a rewarding movie for longtime fans, and for those paying close attention to all the details, it’s one that can be pretty funny. Rest in pieces, Captain Mick Scoresby, we loved watching you get the snot knocked out of you by space whales.