The plot of James Cameron's Avatar

Avatar Producer Jon Landau spoke to /Film about the plot of James Cameron's 3D Sci-Fi epic. There are lots of spoilers to the plot here so beware.

Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) has lost the use of his legs, so he accepts the chance to become part of a mining operation on the planet Pandora, where a new mineral is the solution for Earth's energy production. The planet Pandora is so harsh, the usual armor and environmental suit options aren't enough, so humans have come up with a clone program, combining DNA from humans and Na'Vi, the native species on Pandora, to create half-human, half-Na'Vi Avatars that are a genetic match for the individual human.

Jake Sully's brother was one of the original Avatars, but he's dead now. So the corporation asks Jake to come to Pandora and "pilot" his brother's very expensive Avatar, because his DNA is a match. That means Jake will be able to walk again.

The story flashes forward a few years, and Jake has arrived on Pandora, a planet of indescribable beauty, including the weird flora and fauna and the bioluminescence. Floating mountains soar above 900-foot-tall trees. Working for the mining corporation, Jake has a nasty encounter with a Viperwolf, one of Pandora's vicious creatures, and he nearly dies. But an arrow kills the creature — and it's been fired by one of the Na'Vi, played by Zoe Saldana, who starts telling Jake the truth about life on Pandora.

Jake starts to realize the Na'Vi live in harmony with nature, dangerous as it is, on Pandora. And he decides to help the Na'Vi fight for their freedom from humans — even though it means his Avatar will be driven away, and he'll lose the ability to combine with it. He'll give up his ability to walk, in order to save these noble savages. Landau described the film as not dissimilar to Pocohontas. The power suits make up a small part of the film. Cameron is definitely contemplating a sequel.

People who have seen the 3D footage say it is stunning, especially when you see Pandora at night and everything glows with that bioluminescence that must have been inspired by Cameron's undersea adventures.

Everyone is saying that this is going to change the face of cinema forever. It is sounding a bit like the old Harry Harrison Death World novels mixed in with classic Western stories. It doesn't actually grab me as much as I though it would. I'm really looking to see it all and I want to get lost in Pandora when I put on the 3D glasses.

What if it looks amazing but isn't actually a very good film?

Discuss in the forum or leave a comment below.

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