By Kayla Hamilton

Writer and director James Cameron sweeps us off our feet once again in this dramatic inter-galactic thriller starring breakout actor Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation) as Jake Sully, a paraplegic ex-army vet. Cameron takes the audience on a ride of adventure uncovering the lives of the primitive species, the Na’vi, who live light years away from our planet. Receiving Best Director and Best Picture, Cameron shows a world not far beyond the realm of possibility.

Other cast members include cinema stars Sigourney Weaver (featured in films such as Ghostbusters and Aliens) who plays head research scientist Dr. Grace Augustine. Augustine is only looking for one thing: a way into the hearts of the strange alien creatures. Her team has found a way to give her workers an in, per se, with the Na’vi. Through genetic engineering her scientists can create a Na’vi body using human DNA, yielding an Avatar. The Avatar bodies look just like the Na’vi and the people who inhabit them undergo special training to speak like the indigenous people. These Avatars have one stipulation: only a person with the same DNA can use them.

So when Jake Sully’s twin brother can no longer use his Avatar, Jake finds himself agreeing to more than he bargained for. Living like a Na’vi starts to feel like home to him as he rides a Dire Horse and captures his Banshee, a dragon-like creature, which is the right of all Na’vi. Originally excited by the idea of being able to walk again, Jake is thrown into an internal struggle that lasts the whole movie. Experiencing the best of the Na’vi world, Jake has no idea how much of himself he surrenders every time he uses his Avatar.

Adding to the plot is the tough Colonel Miles Quaritch, played by Stephen Lang, who is willing to do anything to follow the orders given to him. In midst of the world’s current energy crisis, the only hope humans have for survival is the retrieval of a new kind of energy source Unobtanium. The only way to harvest the rich Unobtanium that lies underneath the tribes land is to find a way to remove the Na’vi from their homes.

The Na’vi themselves are a peaceful people. They are not “savages” as the Colonel would say. Pandora, the planet on which they reside, is everything that Earth would be without pollution and industrialization. The Na’vi respect the land more than anything and believe that everything connects back to the same source Eywa, or mother. Neytiri, played by actress Zoe Saldana, first discovers Jake and then is stuck to teach him the ways of her people. She shows him much of the wildlife and as he undergoes the processes of becoming a Na’vi man, Neytiri starts to respect Jake. Eventually the two teach each other a lot about life, and discover a lot about themselves along the way.

The fight that Jake finds in himself is one that captivates the audience throughout the whole movie. While the show time is lengthy, running approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes, the plot will never bore. The scene progression flows artfully well, never giving away more than it should.

For anyone intending to see it, you can be sure you will learn about the Na’vi life as well. Pandora is a beautiful planet, one that Earth could be if it was taken care of better. I would highly recommend getting yourself a seat at the next showing. Soon enough, you might be like Jake Sully and find everything mixed around like “out there is the true world, and in here is the dream.