NEW AVATAR TRAILER

WHEN the Avatar teaser trailer was launched back in August, movie fans were split into two camps.

Those who were intrigued and excited by the possibilities of a brand new £120 million movie directed by James Cameron, and whinging idiots.

And now, surely, the naysayers will be silenced. Because this brand new three-and-a-quarter minute trailer sets out Cambo's stall more clearly than ever. There Will Be Robots. There Will Be Aliens. There Will Be Carnage. But most importantly, There Will Be Plot.

Convinced? No? Then read my shot-by-shot analysis - and, more importantly, watch the damn thing yourselves and savour the sweet, sweet blockbuster magic.

* Avatar is in cinemas on December 17.

0.03 "Are you Jake Sully? I'd like to talk to you about making a fresh start..."

The first thing we see is a pair of eyes, opening. James Cameron wants you to OPEN YOUR EYES and appreciate his new VISION. Do you see?!?!

Character

0.16 "I became a marine for the hardship. I told myself I can pass any test a man can pass. All I ever wanted was a single thing worth fighting for..."

Aha! Something about character. One of the few legit criticisms of the first Avatar trailer was there wasn't much more to it other than a means of introducing the film's rough plot and the Na'vi, the ten-foot blue cat people who make up about half the film's cast.

But Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) is the star of the show and now we find out a bit about him. He's a wheelchair-bound marine who wants to get back in the game. And a mining operation on a far-off planet is going to give him that chance. How? Read on...

0.24 "Ladies and gentlemen, you are not in Kansas any more..."

Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) introduces the marines to the planet Pandora, where most (if not all) of Avatar is set. We get amazing shots of big colourful rhino beasts, floating islands and pterodactyl thingies.

"You should see your faces," says Michelle Rodriguez. Cameron will be hoping this applies to the audience too.

By the way, the first film reviewer to describe Pandora as "Jurassic Park on acid" WILL be fired.

0.40 "This is why we're here. Because this little grey rock sells for $20 million a kilo..."

The marines are on Pandora to harvest un-special-looking minerals that cost a fortune back on earth - maybe they create nuclear energy, or are endorsed by 50 Cent, or something.

Marines

0.45 "Their village happens to be resting on the richest deposit and they need to relocate. Those savages are threatening our whole operation..."

Whose village? The Na'vi's village of course.

The marines need to get rid of the pesky Na'vi in order to harvest their loot, so we get some shots of their impressive looking war machines rumbling through the forest, and the Na'vi waving their spears in the air and rolling in a move that's basically film shorthand for Noble Savages Who Will Not Be Oppressed. Ewoks did it. So did the Scots in Braveheart.

But it looks like before declaring all-out war on the Na'vi, the marines are mounting a last-ditch attempt to find a "diplomatic solution". (NB - judging by the end of the trailer, this is not very successful.)

Wait a minute, was that Sigourney Weaver, playing some kind of doctor who probably has a crisis of conscience about the whole operation? It WAS? Excellent.

0.59 "The concept is to drive these remotely-controlled bodies called Avatars..."

And the film's key plot device gets explained in layman's terms. Jake Sully is one of a number of soldiers whose mind will be transplanted into a Na'vi body, so he can infiltrate their ranks. Sneaky.

1.13 "You get me what I need, I'll see to it that you get your legs back. Your real legs."

Colonel Quaritch gives Jake his reason to fight. This guy is going to relish the ability to walk unaided as an Avatar, but to be free of the wheelchair for good? That's his dream.

1.19 "Looks like you...this is your Avatar."

This shot of Sam Worthington's half-smile when he realises he's about to walk again was one of my favourite things about the entire teaser trailer. And it's back here. Because it's great.

1.30 Apparently when your mind goes into the body of an Avatar you get a brief glimpse of an early 90s rave video.

1.34 The first of many new special effects money shots to be previewed, we see Sully's Avatar cross a lake in a helicopter. I have no idea what a ten-foot-tall blue cat person would look like under the rotor blades of an army chopper, but this probably isn't far off.

1.51 "You should not be here..."

Introducing Zoe Saldana's character, Neytiri - a Na'vi who befriends Sully on his infiltration mission. Do you think they'll have some kind of forbidden romance? Probably not, eh.

2.07 "Outstanding..."

Lots of special effects shots that should look fantastic in 3D, most involving people jumping off high things. 3D films normally either go down the thrill-ride path (eg A Christmas Carol) OR the subtler, give-the-shot depth route (eg Up) but it looks as if Cameron's trying to have his cake and eat it.

Dramatic

2.15 "Did you forget what team you're playing for?"

And here's the dramatic bit! Once he's in his Na'vi body, Sully's torn between fulfilling his mission - and his ambitions as a marine - and defending the interests of the mysterious and weirdly sexy natives he's grown to love. It's a bit like Pocahontas! But in space!

2.19 "The strong pray on the weak..."

A lot of very impressive war scenes, as the Na'vi square up against the marines for the Final Showdown.

Clearly Quaritch just wants to wade in and knock the nine lives out of these dumb blue hippies, and it appears he gets his wish. But a small band of marines including Sully, and it looks like Michelle Rodriguez, are going up against him.

2.32 "We're going up against gunships with bows and arrows..."

But which is better? Gunships, or bows and arrows? There's only one way to find out...

2.40 FIIIIGGGHHTT!!!

Interestingly, the trailer namechecks ALL of James Cameron's biggest hits - Terminator, Aliens, T2, True Lies AND Titanic. The implication being, this is a film that will appeal to fans of all the above. So expect bad-ass robots, brilliantly-designed ET beasties, big action and a tender, candlelit scene where Sully draws Neytiri with her boobies out. Possibly.

2.50 The cup of coffee shot.

This is the single best shot in the entire trailer - it tells you everything about Colonel Quaritch that you need to know. Here is a man who will launch a missile strike designed to cause cultural genocide, and then take a delicious sip of piping hot java from the comfort of his deathbot's cockpit. James Cameron gold.

2.55 "We will send them a message...that this...is our land!"

FREEEEEDOMMMM!

3.07 AVATAR.

BICKETY-BAM! Sorry, but this is going to be freaking excellent.

• £460m, oh Tar!
• Free Avatar collector's pack for every reader
• Director James Cameron on the highs and blows behind his 3D epic
• Watch Avatar trailer
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