Avatar * * * * *

Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Michelle Rodriguez, Joel Moore

Rated PG-13

Directed by James Cameron

Written by James Cameron

Escape to Pandora, where wondrous creatures and lush plant life exist, all lit from within by the web of energy that unites each organism. The Na‘vi people of planet Pandora have a profound connection to nature, worlds apart from the futuristic technology and weaponry of Earthlings. The Na‘vi way of life is simpler and yet more complex biologically than humans can imagine. James Cameron’s masterpiece is as captivating as it is immensely creative.

U.S. Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is sent to take on the job his dead twin brother was trained to fulfill: direct the body of an “avatar” modeled after the Na‘vi peoples. Unlike his brother though, Sully is confined to a wheelchair and he relishes the freedom of his avatar body immediately. At first his mission is to learn the secrets of the “savages,” and convince them to leave their land. The military corporation based in Pandora plans to tear apart that land, for directly beneath it lies a mineral worth millions of dollars. As Sully adjusts to his avatar body, he comes to understand the nature of the Na'vi way of life. He falls in love with their world, with their spirituality, with their connection to all living things…and with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the daughter of the tribe leader. Sully questions his own reality as his purpose in life takes on new meaning.

Stepping into the world of Avatar is equivocal to bathing in cool waters on a hot day. Experiencing the connection, love and strength within the Na‘vi people is a balm to the raw monotony of everyday life, where commercialism rules and spiritually and a deeper connection to nature often seem all but lost. A kind of virtual reality with the most engaging characters and an incandescent backdrop, “Avatar” is an astounding peek into the nature of our ways and the future of film.