Avatar Aims to Be Bigger Than Star Wars

Reviewers can't weigh in just yet on Cameron's 3-D epic

(NEWSER) - James Cameron's Avatar had its world premiere in London last night, and audience members and critics are sworn to secrecy for now. Based on the inevitable leaks and pseudo-reviews, the 3-D epic is pretty good:

• Anna Keir, the Independent : It's "rather good. Surprisingly, for a film this rich in action and this beautiful to watch, Cameron doesn't overegg the 3D-ness of it all, which makes those moments, when they come, even more of a joy to watch."
• Sam Rubin, KTLA-TV : "This is another rare example where the quality of the movie does indeed exceed the hype." He predicts Oscar nominations for best picture and best director.

Studio—and Cameron—hedged bets on $500M megapicture

(NEWSER) - James Cameron’s 3D game-changer Avatar may end up costing upwards of $500 million to produce and market, but, strangely, no one at the studio is losing sleep over the possibility of a flop. The business just isn’t the same as it used to be, when the collapse of a blockbuster could in turn bring down a studio. Multiple financial partners, in-house advertising opportunities, and a new approach to the business of filmmaking spread the risk—and the potential wealth. More»

Director accused of perpetuating colonial stereotypes

(NEWSER) - Avatar employs cutting-edge technology but its storyline is outdated and racist, say critics outraged on behalf of the movie's fictional race of blue-skinned aliens. By having a white American rescue the race, it perpetrates the "white Messiah" myth and suggests non-whites can't help themselves, say critics, including David Brooks at the New York Times who calls it "a racial fantasy par excellence." More»

Numbers are strong, but not record-setting

(NEWSER) - James Cameron's Avatar grossed $27 million in its opening day yesterday. The numbers for the 3-D epic are strong but unspectacular and may have been dinged by the East Coast blizzard. The storm will likely eat into overall weekend figures as well, but Cameron should take solace in the news that exit reviews are "truly fantastic," reports Variety . For the record, Cameron's Titanic came out almost exactly 12 years ago and grossed $8.7 million on its first day. More»

Cameron's comeback 'the most vivid fantasy world seen on screen'

(NEWSER) - James Cameron's sci-fi epic Avatar has been hailed as the future of filmmaking and the stunning fantasy world he has created more than lives up to the hype, say impressed critics.

• "Avatar delivers," writes Steven Rea at the Philadelphia Inquirer . "Combining beyond-state-of-the-art moviemaking with a tried-and-true storyline and a gamer-geek sensibility—not to mention a love angle, an otherworldly bestiary, and an arsenal of 22nd-century weaponry—the movie quite simply rocks."