The story of Avatar begins with an ex-marine Jake Sully, who is given a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to a distant planet called Pandora, in hopes of carrying out his deceased twin brother’s military mission. Paralysed from the waist down, Sully is determined to fulfil the task of deceitfully befriending the indigenous people or Na’vi in hopes of gaining secret and useful information.

Through the physical bodies or Avatars the human scientists have created, Sully, as well as his military and scientist colleagues are able to enter the realistic world that is Pandora without ever leaving the confines of their military base camp. Built from the grafting of genetic and molecular structures of the Na’vi and humans, these Avatars are able to breathe the toxic air on Pandora, communicate effectively, move as efficiently as the natives, as well as transmit informtion to the humans.

On his first expedition outside of the base-camp in his Avatar, Jake finds himself lost and completely bewildered by the world he has been thrust into.

In a moment of danger he receives help from one of the Na’vi women called Neytiri, who relentlessly and resentfully is forced into teaching the ignorant human the spiritual and melodic ways of her people. Jake is quickly entranced and inspired by the Na’vi and the way they choose to live their life in gratitude towards their god and all she provides to them.

He slowly begins to lose sight of his initial mission and task and he becomes entranced by their passion, faith, belief and sheer determination to live their lives in a humbling and gratifying manner. He begins to finally understand the beauty of their world just in time to realise his own race is destroying it.

Disregarding the Na’vi and their home, the humans begin to attack and threaten the lives of all the indigenous people, for their own greed and cruel intensions. Destroying their home, habitat and trying to conquer their faith and beliefs. The Na’vi, however, stood strong against the technology and power the humans have, using their skills, and knowledge of their homeland to overcome the evil that has engulfed their beautiful and entirely unique planet.

The director of the film, James Cameron delivers an outstanding and unbelievably powerful message. I lament not many in the theatre could comprehend the issues brought up in the movie. The Avatar is a clear representation of what we as a civil race used to be and what we have unfortunately become. Our desire to possess wealth, power and materialistic items, has driven us to truly forget the principles we were once so intent on living by. Passion, love, innocence, pride, faith and will are all themes Cameron has lucidly conveyed through the Na’vi and their pure way of life.

As Jake Sully journeys through the life of Neytiri and her people, he soon starts to realise what we all lack and how greedy and ungrateful humans have become.

I sat astonished in the theatre at how powerful and what a remarkable experience this movie was. I thought about how unfortunate that so many did not share my enthusiasm or passion for such a captivating story. The movie will open the eyes and inspire anyone who is open and completely drawn in by its message and encourage all to gain as much as possible from its teachings.

The Na’vi, after all, are inspired and stemmed from our earth’s own indigenous and native people. The very people we all originate from.

Cameron through this extraordinary work of phenomenal graphics, intense music and an amazing cast is able to ignite our memories allowing us if we let him, to realise what we have forgotten for thousands of years. How to love, appreciate, worship, remember, praise and justify what we are truly meant to fight for in this short life.

As a TEENager, I only hope that we can learn how we should live our lives through this movie and how to mould our passion around the important and real things in this lifetime. And with this sacred knowledge, we can learn and benefit in more ways that this generation has. As a TEENager in Jamaica, this movie epitomises what we should all strive to be and live for and how we as a nation have lost the vision towards a fulfilling and humble life.

The Earth is what we chose to make it and Avatar portrays this message through every moment of magic this movie delivers. It is a movie that simply cannot be missed or ignored for all that it represents and what it enlightens. By far the best of the year, Avatar earns its place in history along with its outstanding writer and director James Cameron.

TEENage: 5 out of 5