Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Billy Magnussen, Dwayne Johnson, Daniel Kaluuya, Faithe Herman, Suki Waterhouse, Andre Holland, John de Lancie (voice), John Cena (voice)
Plot: Outside of the famed Kazaria People’s House, Kevin Mogov (Billy Magnussen) stands outside the porch at the top floor. Embracing the tranquility, he walks inside the house, wandering across several extravagant rooms before finding a shiny crystal orb.
Kevin presses onto the orb, a flashing light engulfing the room. Kevin discusses how six months have passed since the last movie and he has settled into the Kazarian presidency. Still, Kevin feels that he has not gotten to see much of Kazaria. Not since the election at least and expresses a desire to see his home and all of its natural beauties.
Not long after, Kevin hears the sweet voice of his wife, Robyn (Suki Waterhouse) asking if he is talking to his ‘orb of thought’ again. Kevin concurs, mentioning the beautiful sunrise he had seen from the top floor porch. A silence falls between them before Kevin asks when they will be able to see the world of Kazaria again. Robyn says that they can right now. Concerned, Kevin asks if his vice-president Garrett (Andre Holland) can handle the responsibilities on his own. Robyn assures him that Garrett can handle things while they are gone. This is enough to soothe Kevin’s worries and the two agree to make plans for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in the most decrypted area of Plissa, someone lies in sheer agony with papers scattered all across the floor. A robot soon walks in, informing Trent (Daniel Kaluuya) of the mess. Hearing him, begins to ramble on about how he has been trying to get back at Kevin for ‘betraying’ him. The robot, referred to by Trent as Volta X1 (voiced by John Cena) picks up a piece of paper and vaporizes it. He asks Trent if he’s alright, only for him to admit that he doesn’t know anymore. Not since Volta died out on him. Sympathetic, Volta suggests going for a walk. Trent is reluctant, claiming that ‘they’re out to get him’. Volta is doubtful, citing that it’s been six months since his actions. Trent sighs, realizing he has no choice and heads out.
The next day, Kevin and Robyn arrive at Gejatop. As Kevin and Robyn look around. The two sneak towards the demonstration given by a tour guide and become awestruck when they see a group of hills changing their shape and size when a young elvish child asks Kevin if he’s the president of Kazaria. Word travels fast among the group and soon Kevin and Robyn are forced to flee, the landscape working against them.
Eventually, Kevin and Robyn come across a large forest for them to hide from the crowd. The two breathe a sigh of relief when they hear soft whimpering noises. Kevin investigates further, coming across a young girl in a fetal position, shivering miserably.. Not wanting to disturb her, Kevin softly introduces himself and asks for her name. The girl quietly tells him that her name is Liya (Faithe Herman) and asks him if he knows where her father is.
Kevin looks at Liya, taken aback by the question. He tries to answer, only for Robyn to see him claim that Kevin will be her father. Upon hearing this, Baffled at this statement, the couple excuse themselves to another part of the forest. Kevin tells Robyn that there’s no way he’s ready to be a father. Robyn however sees this as the only option at this time, due to them not knowing her species or where her parents are. Robyn reassures him that he would love this development and that this could be good for them. Kevin ultimately agrees to help take care of Liya until her parents are found and goes to tell her the good news. When he goes to give Liya a hug as a way of opening himself up, Liya accidentally burns a hole through his shirt, causing Robyn to chuckle in amusement.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of Kazaria, the sun beats down on Trent and Volta. Volta is about to request a break when Trent notices an abnormally large fire in the distance. The two sneak closer to the area, both amazed and shocked by the fire being controlled by two men with their hands. Volta tries to figure out what kind of species they are, but to no avail, leaving Trent to go at it alone. He walks into the rustic-looking village, spotting all the tents and stick houses before nearly being decapitated by a fireball.
Trent lets out a cry for help, drawing attention from everyone else. Not long after, Volta and he are taken to the biggest tent of all, being introduced to Ortuga (Dwayne Johnson). He asks them why they have come here. Trent explains that he came in peace and was merely taking a walk with his friend. Ortuga takes one look at the robot, confused on why he uses ‘such unusual systems’. Trent counters by asking how the people here are able to control fire with their hands. Ortuga begins a demonstration, using his powers to tell a story. In it, he reveals that he is the leader of the Lavita tribe, a descendant of the Plissan people. For a long time, the Lavita were the rulers of fire and heat, being responsible for bringing light to Plissa when it was needed most. As time passed, newer and more refined techniques were introduced, rendering their ways obsolete. To this day, they have lived in this spot in Plissa, otherwise known as ‘Inferno’, the hottest area in all Kazaria.
Ortuga explains that the first Lavita were born from the ashes of a fire and shone from the sun’s rays, hence their powers. He then showcases one of his many powers, doing a rhythmic dance that sends the sun’s rays down on Trent, giving him blisters on his arms. Amazed by all this information, Volta asks if the two could stay in the tribe for the time being.
Skeptical, Ortega asks if they are worthy of trust. It’s here Volta makes a bold declaration. If they can prove their trust, they shall be Gods in waiting. Appreciating his confidence, Ortuga decrees that tomorrow, they shall partake in three trials to prove their commitment to the Lavita tribe.
Having returned to the Kazaria’s People’s House, Kevin tries to take care of Liya as best he can, only for her uncontrollable fire powers to get in the way, including her setting several book pages on fire. Garrett drops in with some new documents when he comes across Liya. He shakes her hand, getting singed in the process. Curious, Garrett asks Kevin if he can take her to a lab for testing.
At the Kazarian Laboratory, Garrett and a team of scientists examine Liya and her powers, becoming stunned when they learn that she is a part of the Lavita tribe. Kevin is confused, having thought they went extinct. Garrett says that a select few still remain, though just where, they don’t know. Garrett offers to help Kevin and Robyn take care of the baby, claiming to have extensive knowledge on the Lavita tribe. Kevin accepts the offer.
Back with the Lavita tribe, Trent stands in front of Ortega, awaiting the first of his trials. In order to prove his worth to the tribe, he must first answer a riddle. “I am hot like fire, but smooth as molasses. Destruction abound, from buildings to grasses. A product of the Earth, with notable girth, an explosion shows the world the danger I’m worth.” The riddle proves too easy for Trent, as he answers with lava.
This leads to his second challenge. Trent must now tightrope walk on top of a volcano. Horrified at the prospect, Trent looks down at his feet and asks if he can take a moment. He flees the area, turning to Volta who provides him with ‘balancing shoes’. Trent returns and upon reaching the top of the volcano manages to complete the second trial perfectly. Impressed, Ortega tells Trent that he has an impressive heart. But Trent still has one challenge left, to face him in a battle.
As Garrett continues to observe and learn of Liya’s powers (creating fire with her hands, warming her body as an act of defense, etc.), Kevin and Robyn plan their days to work around them. Kevin begins to grow more confident in himself as a father and even helps Liya use her powers as a force for good. One day however, Liya goes missing. Kevin, Robyn and Garrett search all over the house and outside the streets of Nilsyck, but find no sign of Liya.
Dejected, Kevin returns home only to find Liya with a mysterious snake looking creature. He stares at Kevin, calling himself IQ (John De Lancie) and easily rattling off Robyn and Garrett’s names. It’s revealed that he is the last of the long forgotten species of Mindreaders. His power is obvious as he gets the upper hand over Kevin in their discussion. Liya tells everyone that IQ claims to know where her family is, exciting everyone.
After being sat down, IQ reveals that he has travelled all over the world in an attempt to find a new home and during one of his travels, he saw a large flame in the heart of Plissa. If he’s correct, this is where the Lavita tribe live. Garrett proceeds to make plans to travel there in the coming days as Robyn and Liya are excited to be seeing her parents again. While no one is looking however, outside the house are several information bots gathering everything IQ says.
Back with the Lavita, a large crowd forms as Ortuga awaits Trent for their duel. Trent comes up to Ortuga, only for Volta to alert him of some new information. Ortuga shuts him down, saying that he must wait until the fight. Upon first glance, it shouldn’t be a contest, but by some miracle, Trent keeps dodging every attack Ortuga makes. Fireball after fireball, flame after flame, the fire of revenge remains bright in Trent’s eyes.
The duel hits a crescendo when it starts to rain, thus weakening Ortuga’s powers. Trent battles back with some ground and pound tactics that wear Ortuga down. It looks as though Trent may actually win, only for the rain to subside and Ortuga to regain his powers. His body turning red, Ortuga turns into literal fire and scorches Trent into submission. The crowd roars in approval as Ortuga is victorious. He glances at the burnt Trent and shows mercy, healing his burns, saying that he has proved himself by showing great determination, something he has never seen from anyone challenging him. Ortuga declares that Trent has earned his trust, drawing cheers of approval. Trent’s shock soon evaporates when Volta asks him if they can talk.
Kevin and Robyn sit at a beach in the peninsula of Limotov, watching as Liya showcases several new tricks with her powers, even walking on water with help from the flames. Despite this, there’s a hint of sadness in Kevin’s eyes, something that’s addressed when the three come together to discuss the Plissa trip. Kevin admits that he’s grown to enjoy being Liya’s caretaker and that he’s going to miss her when she eventually goes back with her parents.
Seeing how sad Kevin is, Liya comes up to him and gives him a hug, saying that she’ll miss him too, as well as everyone else. But no matter what happens, she’ll do her best to stay in touch. Liya heads off, needing some time to herself. As she walks among the beaches, she catches her eyes on a sunset and sits down, the flames telling the story of how she was misplaced.
A few days ago, Liya had gone off to find some wood for her family, mistakenly believing that wood was what they needed for fire. During her journey, she came across several horrid creatures and daunting landscapes that scarred her for life. Despite this, she never gave up until she reached the forests of Creosolm. There, she accidentally caused a wildfire of epic proportions and became wanted by officials. She fled as far as she could, eventually finding herself with in Gejatop. Tired, weak and missing her parents, Liya collapsed onto the ground and started to cry. As the sun begins to disappear, Liya again feels gentle tears sing through her face.
Inside the biggest hut of the Lavita tribe, Ortuga sadly looks at a picture of himself and Liya when Trent walks in. Trent sees Ortuga staring at a picture and asks if everything is alright. To be honest, Ortuga tells Trent that it’s been three weeks since he last saw his daughter Liya, and he’s worried. They’ve tried to search for her, but their powers and resources are limited. He wonders if he’ll ever see her again. Sensing his opportunity, Trent claims to know what became of Liya.
The next day, Trent stands by Volta and a re-energized Ortuga to address the Lavita. It is there Trent and Volta reveal that Liya is still alive and has been kept hostage by Kevin of Kazaria. He uses loaded language to describe his former friend, calling Kevin a snake in the grass who betrays the best interests of others for his own selfish needs. He claims that Kevin is starting a new age of the Lavita without the heart or the soul of their people. Outraged, Ortuga claims that there is only one thing to do. Declare war on Kazaria, a motion made official by Trent.
Back in the Kazaria People’s House, Kevin, Robyn and Liya are preparing for their trip to Plissa when Garrett and IQ arrive with some alarming news. Several towns and areas of Plissa have been experiencing mass fires and burnings, resulting in mass casualties. Even worse, the belligerents have been confirmed by Garrett to be the Lavita Tribe. Why that is remains unclear, but Garrett claims it may be because they know where Liya is. Everyone panics, wondering how the Lavita know only for Kevin to calm everyone down. He’ll make an address immediately and warn the citizens of Kazaria to mobilize in defense.
Several hours later, Kevin gives this address, warning the Lavita tribe to not try the might of the Kazarian lion as multiple frightened Kazarian prepare to either evacuate or fight back. Despite this, it does nothing to dissuade the Lavita tribe, who now worship Trent as their God.
A couple days later, Kevin smells smoke from his bed and wakes up, finding that the Kazaria People’s House is on fire. He is ambushed with fireballs by several tribe members not long after. Kazaria military personnel swoop in to evade the tribe members as Garrett evacuates everyone from the house. Despite several burns on his body, Kevin has the strength to head outside, horrified by the carnage the Lavita tribe has caused. He turns his head over, finding Ortuga and the Lavita fighting off more military. Liya takes a closer look, finding her dad. She tries to run towards him, only for IQ and Robyn to stop her, stating that it’s too dangerous.
Ortuga lays waste to the group when he hears Kevin’s voice. Kevin demands that Ortuga stop with this seamless killing. Ortuga says he only will if Kevin gives him his daughter back. Kevin says that he was planning to until this happened, something that contradicts what ‘their general’ said. When asked who their general is, Kevin is stunned to find Trent and Volta walking towards him.
Trent greets his ‘old friend’, asking how life has been. Kevin demands to know why Trent has brought this hell to Kazaria. Trent keeps to his story, that he had kept a poor girl named Liya hostage in an attempt to keep her away from Ortuga. He knows this because Volta gave him this information. Kevin calls it a baseless lie but no one believes him. With that, Trent solemnly decrees that if Kevin is not willing to give Liya back to their rightful parents, they must use force.
Kevin tries his best to fight off the Lavita tribe, but the numbers are far too great and the amount of burns on his body only grows by the minute. With Kevin almost lifeless, Trent steps forward, revealing his true intentions. Revenge and justice. He carries a large dagger, ready to stab Kevin in the heart when a fireball decks Trent in the face. As Trent goes down, Kevin finds Liya storming toward the group and comes up to Ortuga. Overjoyed by the sight of his daughter, Ortuga gives Liya a big hug.
Liya begs Ortuga to stop attacking Kevin and the citizens of Kazaria, as she believes they have heard the wrong story. Garrett confirms this, having helped Kevin and Robyn understand Lavita culture. One thing that confuses IQ is how they came to the assumption that Kevin was keeping Liya under hostage. He glances at Volta and slinks over to him, hacking into his software and finding a recording the information bots gave him.
Now knowing of Kevin’s true intentions, a remorseful Ortuga heals Kevin’s wounds and asks for forgiveness. Kevin accepts and the two leaders shake hands. Kevin then turns his attention to Trent and Volta and makes a new decree. For their treasonous actions, Trent and Volta are banished from Kazaria. Ortuga goes a step further, declaring that if they ever step foot in their realm again, they will be burnt to death. Trent and Volta are sent away by the military, never to be seen again.
As Liya returns to Ortuga’s custody, he learns of some of the things she has done alongside them and shows them a new trick, fixing the damage caused by the Lavita. Ortuga smiles, thanking Kevin and Robyn for taking good care of his daughter. As the two leaders again shake hands, Liya comes up to Kevin and gives him a hug, saying that she’ll never forget Kazaria. Liya heads home with Ortuga, waving goodbye to the group. Kevin can’t help but smile as Robyn pats him on the back.
Months later, Kevin and Robyn are invited to the region of the Lavita Tribe, partaking in a special ceremony to celebrate the reunion of Ortuga and Liya and the new friendship of the Kazaria and Lavita people. IQ, now the new deputy of foreign policy for Kazaria watches in awe as Ortuga and Liya perform a magical fireworks show, climaxing when Robyn steals a kiss from Kevin.
Post Credits Scene: Inside a large spaceship in outer space, several snake looking creatures are keeping an eye out on the world when one notices someone familiar in the region of Plissa. The group take a closer look, shocked when they find IQ.
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