The film is set in the mid-22nd century on the planet Pandora, a lush and vibrant world inhabited by the Na'vi, a blue-skinned, nature-worshipping humanoid species. The story follows Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine who is recruited to participate in a program that allows humans to control genetically engineered Na'vi bodies called "avatars." Jake's mission is to infiltrate the Na'vi and persuade them to leave their homes, which are located on top of a valuable deposit of minerals.