Check It. Avatar.

James Cameron's (Aliens, The Terminator, Titanic) new epic film Avatar is out today. I saw it last night/early this morning in 3D (with awesome heavy-duty glasses, not those cheap ones that are smudged and pinch your temples) at the ArcLight's Cinerama Dome theater, and it was pretty incredible (which I did hope it would be for $18.50!). Not being a sci-fi type person in the least, I didn't have much initial interest in the film--unlike the revved-up mostly male, mostly nerdy crowd that had gathered in the theater's lobby by 11:30 p.m. It was a case of don't judge a movie by the "look" of it here--because I ended up emotionally attached to these alien-like blue creatures.

Visually, it was thrilling. I highly recommend it in 3D. It had tastes of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and some Disneyland ride magic in there too. It's impossible to imagine how they made it all come together. Aside from a drawn-out fight sequence toward the end that could have wrapped up a bit faster, I enjoyed every minute.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: USA Today