Avatar (2009)

“Avatar” is a 2009 American science-fiction film directed by James Cameron. The film is set in the mid-22nd century, in which humans are mining a precious mineral called unobtainium on the planet Pandora, inhabited by the Na’vi, a race of blue-skinned, 10-foot-tall humanoids with tails and eyes that glow in the dark. The story follows a disabled former Marine named Jake Sully, who is sent to Pandora to replace his deceased twin brother in the Avatar Program, which uses genetically engineered Na’vi-human hybrids, called “avatars,” to interact with the Na’vi and study their culture.

As Jake learns more about the Na’vi and their way of life, he becomes sympathetic to their cause and falls in love with a Na’vi woman named Neytiri. He eventually becomes involved in a conflict between the Na’vi and the humans, as the latter plan to forcefully remove the Na’vi from their homeland to access the unobtainium deposit.

“Avatar” was a critical and commercial success, breaking numerous box office records and becoming the highest-grossing film of all time until it was surpassed by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019. The film was also praised for its groundbreaking visual effects and immersive 3D technology. Cameron has announced plans for four sequels, the first of which, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” was released in December 2022. My better half wanted to watch it, so we began with a re-watch of the first one. It is better than I remembered, and now I am curious to see what the sequels have in store for us.