James Cameron's worldwide hit Avatar returned to Philippine screens yesterday, January 8, in 2D, Digital 3D and IMAX 3D theaters.

The sci-fi film amassed to a worldwide gross of US$1.022 billion in just 17 days of release--inclusive of Philippines' receipt, which totaled P132.12 million.   

The record sets Avatar in the Philippines as the 5th Highest Grossing Film All-Time next to Titanic (P198.61 million), X-Men 3 (P 163.10), Fantastic Four 2 (P 139.76 million) and The Day After Tomorrow (P 138.62 million).  It has now surpassed the records of Die Another Day (P 130.24 million) and Star Wars Episode 3 (P 124.69 million).  

Touted as a revolutionary move in filmmaking, Avatar revolves around Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) himself, an ex marine who on Earth is confined to a wheelchair.  He is recruited by the military to take part in a mission on Pandora, a distant moon. Using genetic engineering, Jake is able to project his   mind and emotions, (or consciousness) inside an 'avatar,' the giant blue body of an alien hybrid, which closely resembles the native population, the Na'vi.


As a powerful avatar warrior, Jake (who can now walk again) is charged with infiltrating the tribe and participating in a program that is plundering Pandora's natural resources—strip mining a valuable mineral.  He falls in love with Zoe Saldana's captivating character, Neytiri, who saves his life. The relationship leads to a transformational journey for Sully and a series of rigorous tests he has to undertake.

The movie is a riveting adventure that is also dazzling visually, as James Cameron draws us into the wondrous world he has created. At the same time, Avatar is a powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of colonization and avarice.