The advance reviews are in for James’ Cameron’s much-anticipated massive budget film Avatar and it’s said to be amazing. The film cost a whopping $400 million to make, and there were worries that it could be a big turkey this Christmas season. Instead it’s poised to dominate the box office and to be a critic as well as a crowd pleaser. I’m really excited for this film after seeing the breathtaking trailer and hearing how good it is:

The 3D epic adventure by the director of 1997 blockbuster “Titanic” is one of the most expensive films ever at a cost of about $400 million to make and market. It begins its worldwide launch next week, hitting U.S. theaters on December 18.

If initial reviews and Twitter buzz are any indication, it may be money well spent for film studio 20th Century Fox.

“James Cameron has proven his point: He is king of the world,” raved showbiz newspaper The Hollywood Reporter.

“As commander-in-chief of an army of visual-effects technicians, creature designers, motion-capture mavens, stunt performers, dancers, actors and music and sound magicians, he brings science-fiction movies into the 21st century with the jaw-dropping wonder that is ‘Avatar,'” it said.

Britain’s biggest-selling tabloid, The Sun, called it “the most dazzling film of the decade. … The final battle scene is 20 minutes long and absolutely mind-blowing.”

“Avatar” shows the forest-dwelling Na’vi fighting for survival against a colonial mining operation bent on stripping their planet. A crippled ex-Marine is chosen to make contact with the mysterious people as a remotely controlled avatar.

Empire magazine gave the movie five stars out of five, calling it a “hugely rewarding experience” whose new technology “will give directors … one heck of a sandbox to play in.”

Twitter lit up with comments from journalists leaving the tightly guarded premiere. “James Cameron is a freakin’ genius! I can’t say much but wow, I loved it,” wrote Alex Billington of the movie website FirstShowing.net.

The London Guardian’s Mark Brown wrote on Thursday that “Avatar” was “really much, much better than expected, (it) looked amazing and the story was gripping — if cheesy in many places.”

“The terrible film that some had been anticipating had not materialized. It was good,” Brown wrote.

[From Reuters via Fark]

Avatar also has a very high aggregate critics rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes meaning it’s not just getting mixed reviews and that most critics love it. The “cheesy” sentiment runs through some of the criticism, but it seems to be minor. Some are saying it’s too long, and at two and a half hours that seems inevitable. Overall people are saying it’s just beautiful and unlike any other computer-generated imagery we’ve ever seen before. I’ll definitely be seeing this next week. Avatar is out around the world next Thursday.

Pictures via AllMoviePhoto