'Avatar' Worthy Successor to' Titanic'

Critics heaped praise on Friday on "Avatar", the new epic film by Oscar-winning director James Cameron, calling it a worthy successor to his landmark 1997 blockbuster "Titanic".
While official reviews are not supposed to be out until next week, the film's world premiere on Thursday night prompted one reviewer to declare Cameron "king of the world," while another said it marks the dawn of a new film era."Avatar is an overwhelming, immersive spectacle," wrote The Times newspaper's reviewer, giving it four out of five stars.
"The state-of-the-art 3D technology draws us in, but it is the vivid weirdness of Cameron's luridly imagined tropical otherworld that keeps us fascinated," he added.

In theory journalists who saw the movie are barred from publishing official reviews until Monday, but that didn't stop assessments appearing within hours of Thursday's world premiere in London's Leicester Square. The Guardian newspaper called the technology "formidable," and the effects "remarkable," adding that reporters at a preview screening "were left in no doubt that James Cameron's sci-fi blockbuster was a step beyond anything they had seen before."
The Hollywood Reporter called the film "A titanic entertainment," saying "movie magic is back!... A dozen years (after 'Titanic') James Cameron has proven his point: He is king of the world." "The only question is: How will Cameron ever top this?" it added in an online review.
British tabloid The Sun commented: "It's a 3D movie people will look back on in years to come to comment on how it transformed cinema.

"The only reason that 'Avatar' won't top 'Titanic' at the box office is that there are not enough digital screens around the world to show it in all its 3D wonder," it added. Cameron joined the film's stars Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Stephen Lang on the red carpet Thursday night for the science fiction fantasy, which took 15 years to complete and is reportedly the most expensive ever made. Packed with computer-generated imagery and 3D effects, the film is the first feature for Cameron since "Titanic", which scooped 11 Oscars.

The film is set in the 22nd century on a distant planet called Pandora. In the heart of an immense tropical forest, strife erupts between an indigenous tribe and an Earth-based consortium pillaging for a precious mineral. Cameron said the film was a warning to humans about damaging the environment.
"There's a sense of entitlement -- 'We're here, we're big, we've got the guns, we've got the technology, we've got the brains, we therefore are entitled to every damn thing on this planet'," he said.
"Avatar" opens around the world next week.