IT IS now 12 years since James Cameron became king of the world with the multi-Oscar-winning Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The love story aboard the doomed ocean liner shattered box office records and countless hearts to the warbling of Celine Dion.

Since then, Cameron has explored the limitations of IMAX technology in the underwater documentaries Ghosts Of The Abyss and Aliens Of The Deep, all in preparation for this special effects extravaganza, rumoured to be the most expensive film ever made.

Every cent is up there on the big screen as the writer-director melds live action with state-of-the-art digital effects to evoke a 21st-century world on the brink of extinction.

Paraplegic war veteran Jake Sully (Worthington) signs up for a tour of duty on the planet of Pandora, which is home to the peace-loving Na'vi.

This magical world, which cannot support human life, conceals vast deposits of an ore which sells for $20m per kilo, and Parker Selfridge (Ribisi) intends to mine the grey rock for vast profit.

Unfortunately, the richest seam lies directly beneath a gargantuan tree, which is home to the Omaticaya tribe led by Eytukan and his wife Mo'at.

Selfridge intends to send in bulldozers in three months’ time, using warmonger Quaritch (Lang) and his troops to clear the area.

So Jake agrees to work alongside pioneering scientist Grace Augustine (Weaver), who has developed a method of fusing the minds of human “drivers” with Na’vi avatars, which can move through the forest and gain the trust of the indigenous people.