So far, James Cameron’s “Avatar” has met up to its hype with strong reviews from critics and movie-goers alike as the film premieres all over the world.

Fox Studios claims that “Avatar” is the most expensive film its ever produced though it would not give an exact figure.  Speculation is that the amount of moolah spent on this film is around $300 million with a considerable chunk of it going towards the advent of new technology in filmmaking.

Here are some crowd reactions to “Avatar” screenings in London:

Regarding the rendered environment, audience member James Howard, 23, says:

“It was an absolute marvel and I am left in awe after seeing it.”

On the Na’vi, the ten foot tall natives of the planet, Kent Renwick, 39, said:

“The [Na’vi] female character had a really expressive face. She was really beautiful and that’s why I think it worked.”

Are you worried about becoming motion sick during the 3-D screening? Lucy Biswicke, 34, did not have any problems:

“It’s all about the quality of the 3D for me. I’d never seen a 3D film before and this is amazing.”

So… did London movie-goers think “Avatar” was “Dances with Smurfs”?  Andrew James, 27, said:

“The plot is by the numbers, very much what I expected. You know, you’ve got the courageous army guy, you’ve got the native women, they’re all very much caricatures. But, I couldn’t help buying into it.”

James Howard, 23, added that he found some of the dialogue cheesy:

“There were parts that you couldn’t help but chuckle at.  I know I’m going to talk about it and think I don’t like it as much later on, but right now I thought it was absolutely amazing.”

Lisa Armstrong, 35, from Nottingham concluded:

“The thing is, he’s trying to cram a really complicated storyline into a blockbuster format so he has to rely on some clichés.”

A rather curious comment relating “Avatar” to Cameron’s past work comes from makeup artist Bill Corso, 42, where he jokes:

“It’s like ‘Titanic’ meets ‘Terminator’ or ‘Aliens’.”

Do these people’s comments make you feel like you want to see “Avatar” in its glorious 3D?  Or is it an over-hyped and expensive gimmick to draw audiences back into the theaters?  The New York Film Critics Online has just declared “Avatar” the Best Picture this year.  Will you go see it?
[Source] CNN, THR