Audience Response

Facebook

• 570581 fans (03/01/10)
• Response from the official Avatar comments exceeds 7000 comments, raising huge viral hype before, during and after release

Rotten Tomatoes

London Premiere Audience

"First audiences rave about Cameron's 3D epic Avatar - By Mairi Mackay CNN

London, England

As the credits rolled following the 3D epic's world premiere in London on Thursday, it looked like the "Titanic" director's decade long gamble had paid off.

There were whoops and cheers as portions of the audience gave Cameron and cast members a standing ovation."

• "It was an absolute marvel and I am left in awe after seeing it," audience member James Howard, 23, said of the magical jungle that lights up with phosphorescence at night.
• "The Na'vi female character had a really expressive face. She was really beautiful and that's why I think it worked." Kent Renwick, 39
• Others commended the advanced 3D: Lucy Biswicke. 34. said she had no feelings of motion sickness from wearing the specs. "It's all about the quality of the 3D for me. I'd never seen a 3D film before and this is amazing."

Film Critics' Reviews

Chris Hewitt (Empire)


"It’s been twelve years since Titanic, but the King of the World has returned with a flawed but fantastic tour de force that, taken on its merits as a film, especially in two dimensions, warrants four stars. However, if you can wrap a pair of 3D glasses round your peepers, this becomes a transcendent, full-on five-star experience that's the closest we'll ever come to setting foot on a strange new world. Just don’t leave it so long next time, eh, Jim?"

Jonathan Romney (The Independent)


"His long-awaited Avatar is digital epic as attrition – you can't escape being overwhelmed by it, but it doesn't leave you much thinking space. I saw the film in 3D on a relatively small screen rather than in the colossal Imax format in which it's also being released. See it on that scale, and no doubt you'll feel totally engulfed by the experience, but even in a Soho Square basement, Avatar was immersive enough for me."

Mark Kermode (5Live)


Andrew Pulver (The Guardian)


"James Cameron just got slack. The Titanic director's monstrously-hyped creation does look fantastic but, in trying to cover all the bases with militarist sci-fi, vacuous eco-waffle and an intra-species love story, it's too baggy"

Avatar Facts and Stats

About the Film:

• Genre - Epic fantasy/action adventure/sci-fi
• Plot - A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
• Characters - Jake Sully (human, disabled, ex-marine) and Neytiri (Na'vi, daughter of tribe leaders)
• Cast - Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldana (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Dr Grace Augustine), Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch)
• Running Time - 162 mins
• Certificate - 12A
• Style - 3D, CGI, Hollywood

About the Institutions:

• Production - 20th Century Fox
• Distribution - 20th Century Fox
• Director - James Cameron
• Producer - Jon Landau
• Budget - $230M (estimated)
• Marketing Budget - $150M (estimated)
• Marketing Techniques - Above the line, mainstream
• Release Dates - London Premiere 10/12/09, U.K. release 17/12/09

About the Audience:

• Core - Masculine, technology conscious, families
• Secondary - Film fans, 3D appeal

About the Response:

• Ratings - Empire 5 stars, The Independant 4 stars, Youtube response 4.5 stars
• U.K Opening Weekend - £8.5M
• U.K Latest Gross - (25/12/09) £18.4M
• Worldwide Latest Gross - $405M
• U.K. Ranks - 1st weekend 1st (503 sites), 2nd weekend 2nd (485 sites)

• Audience Response - In Empire pre-release poll huge support from marketing is revealed