Of the three premieres to take place in London this week, only one really mattered - and it wasn't St Trinian's 2. James Cameron's Avatar was finally seen by mortal man, and the reactions may well have been more positive than we all expected...
"Just left the party. The movie is a game changer. Still buzzing. Tweet over.", exclaimed Simon Pegg on Twitter. And he wasn't alone. Twitter was short on Avatar nay-sayers after the World Premiere in the Odeon, Leicester Square.
Avatar Official 12The audience, who gave the film quite an ovation during the end credits, were buzzing after, although those of a quieter disposition may have left with mild headaches - Avatar is an attack on the senses.
The visuals, regardless of the 3D, are truly stunning, and oh so immersive once the specs are on. The soundtrack compliments the visuals perfectly, be it the array of noises, clicks and tweets, or the rousing James Horner score.
There were pop stars, boxers, television and movie stars in attendance, but they paled in significance once the cast showed up - all of the key players were there, seeing this thing for the first time since it's completion.
Before the film commenced, Sky Movies' Alex Zane welcomed the cast to the stage, one by one. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana (who nearly fell over as she walked up the stage steps, but thankfully found her footing), Stephen Lang - and then Sigourney Weaver, who received the biggest cheer of the night.
And then Cameron arrived - giving the audience a heartfelt summary of what it was like to be presenting his movie after fourteen years of hard work. Avatar Official 05
Three hours later, (it felt like one) and the verdicts were coming together. It might not quite have the relevance of cinematic innovations of years gone by, but there was a feeling in the audience that Cameron, for all his bleating about changing cinema and holding training courses for directors, has come up with something truly special.
Before seeing Avatar, many of us were wondering, was there anything left to see? Fourteen years after Titanic and 3D movies are a dime a dozen. The story appeared to be Dances With Wolves meets Toy Story. South Park have already parodied it, calling it Dances With Smurfs. Could there possibly be any surprises in store?
The answer is in the affirmative. While the plot might not contain too many shocks the real surprise is in the experience. For once, Trey Parker and Matt Stone jumped the gun. Dances With Smurfs misses the point entirely.
