"[235] Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review. [20][21][22] The film made extensive use of new motion capture filming techniques, and was released for traditional viewing, 3D viewing (using the RealD 3D, Dolby 3D, XpanD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats), and for "4D" experiences in select South Korean theaters. "[219] The "cautionary estimate" was that Avatar would bring in around $60 million in its opening weekend. I think it's very patriotic to question a system that needs to be corralled ..."[87] and, "The film is definitely not anti-American. It was the fastest film to gross $600 million domestically, on its 47th day in theaters. 86 wins & 130 nominations. [276] The film also won the Critics' Choice Awards of the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Action Film and several technical categories, out of nine nominations. "[177] Brandon Gray, president of Box Office Mojo, believed in the film's chances of becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, though he also believed it was too early to surmise because it had only played during the holidays. [327], In 2011, Cameron, Lightstorm, and Fox entered an exclusive licensing agreement with the Walt Disney Company to feature Avatar-themed attractions at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide, including a themed land for Disney's Animal Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. "Ideally at the end of the day the audience has no idea which they're looking at," Cameron said. Avatar: The Last Airbender is heading to the big-screen, and thankfully, it won't be in the form of a live-action M. Night Shyamalan movie … "[13] Cameron also cited the Japanese cyberpunk manga and anime Ghost in the Shell, in terms of how humans can remotely control, and transfer their personalities into, alien bodies. [309][310][311][312], Filming for the first two sequels began in September 2017. PG-13 | 2h 42min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy | 18 December 2009 (USA) 3:36 | Trailer. 952 of 1,687 people found this review helpful. He said, "While Avatar may beat Titanic's record, it will be tough, and the film is unlikely to surpass Titanic in attendance. The release also preserves the film's native 1.78:1 (16:9) format as Cameron felt that was the best format to watch the film. ", "Movie News: Avatar to Follow a Pocahontas Narrative", "Avatar: James Cameron deserves the Worst Lefty Award 2009", "Did Prog Rock's Greatest Artist Inspire Avatar? Avatar premiered in London on December 10, 2009, and was released in the United States on December 18 to positive reviews, with critics highly praising its ground-breaking visual effects. Dean sought damages of $50m. Sam Worthington also plays Jake's deceased twin brother, Tommy. [144], Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, a 224-page book in the form of a field guide to the film's fictional setting of the planet of Pandora, was released by Harper Entertainment on November 24, 2009. ", "James Cameron's Avatar: Combi Pack (Blu-ray & DVD) (2009) (Blu-ray)", "Avatar Earth Day RELEASE: James Cameron Film Comes Out On DVD, Inspires 'Home Tree' Earth Day 2010", "Some 'Avatar' Fans Struggle With Blu-Ray", "This is why early adopting sucks: 'Avatar' doesn't play on some Samsung BR players", "Movie Talk:James Cameron, King of DVD sales", "All-Time Best-Selling Blu-ray Titles in the United States", "Avatar three-disc extended collectors set due in November", "Interview with James Cameron on 'Avatar' re-release, BP oil spill – and much more", "Update: Cameron Talks Avatar Blu-ray/DVD Releases and Sequel", "Avatar gets 3D Blu-ray release, comes with free Panasonic 3DTV", "Cameron: Avatar CE Blu-ray Is Last Version – Save for 3D", "Digital TV  – Sky to give 'Avatar' 3D world premiere", "Avatar 3DTV world premiere on Sky 3D – Pocket-lint", "20th Century Fox CinemaCon: 'Avatar' Sequels, 'Deadpool 2', 'Greatest Showman On Earth' Updates, Vanilla Ice Raps, 'Assassin's Creed', 'Birth Of A Nation' & More", "James Cameron Expands 'Avatar' Sequels To Four, Slams Screening Room & Gets Cheers From Exhibs- CinemaCon", "Avatar Sequels Delayed Yet Again, Avatar 2 Won't Arrive Until 2022 (Disney has significantly delayed James Cameron's long-awaited Avatar sequels, which will now debut in 2022. "[88] He first created a score that reflected the Na'vi way of sound and then combined it with a separate "traditional" score to drive the film. "[98] Spielberg and George Lucas were also able to visit the set to watch Cameron direct with the equipment. "[177] Cameron said he did not think it was realistic to "try to topple Titanic off its perch" because it "just struck some kind of chord" and there had been other good films in recent years. British singer Leona Lewis was chosen to sing the theme song for the film, called "I See You". Experts Weigh In. If I want to fly through space, or change my perspective, I can. Twenty-five minutes of footage was screened[129] in Dolby 3D. [217] The New York Times noted that 20th Century Fox executives had decided to release Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel alongside Avatar, calling it a "secret weapon" to cover any unforeseeable losses at the box office. [306][307] Their respective release dates were previously December 17, 2021, December 22, 2023, December 19, 2025, and December 17, 2027[34] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the four Avatar sequels releases have been delayed; their respective release dates are currently December 16, 2022, December 20, 2024, December 18, 2026, and December 22, 2028. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe called it "the same movie" as Dances with Wolves. [59], From January to April 2006, Cameron worked on the script and developed a culture for the film's aliens, the Na'vi. [12] The expansion of the mining colony threatens the continued existence of a local tribe of Na'vi – a humanoid species indigenous to Pandora. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” ran for three seasons on Nick from 2005 to 2008, and is one of the network’s most lauded series among both kids and adult audiences. On January 18, 2016, it was announced via the Toruk Facebook page that filming for a DVD release had been completed and was undergoing editing. [133], The 129-second trailer was released online on August 20, 2009. Every demographic surveyed was reported to give this rating. [326], Toruk – The First Flight is an original stage production by the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil which ran between December 2015 and June 2019. ", "Crafting an Alien Language, Hollywood-Style: Professor's Work to Hit the Big Screen in Upcoming Blockbuster Avatar", "James Cameron's 'Avatar' Film to Feature Vocals From Singer Lisbeth Scott", List of highest-grossing films in Canada and the United States#Adjusted for ticket-price inflation, "Three New 'Star Wars' Films Get Release Dates in Disney Schedule Reset", "Matt Gerald Returning To James Cameron's 'Avatar' World; Boards Crackle's 'The Oath, "Paraplegic role helps Worthington find his feet", "This week's cover: James Cameron reveals plans for an 'Avatar' sequel", "Faces to watch 2009: film, TV, music and Web", "Michael Biehn Talks 'Avatar' – Cameron Not Using Cameras? He stated the "Earth opening" is an additional 4​1⁄2 minutes of scenes that were in the film for much of its production but were ultimately cut before the film's theatrical release. [175] Avatar's worldwide gross was US$241.6 million after five days, the ninth largest opening-weekend gross of all time, and the largest for a non-franchise, non-sequel and original film. To regain the Na'vi's trust, Jake connects his mind to that of Toruk, a dragon-like predator feared and honored by the Na'vi. [323][324] Although the last two sequels have been greenlit, Cameron stated in an interview on November 26, 2017, "Let's face it, if Avatar 2 and 3 don't make enough money, there's not going to be a 4 and 5". Each action figure will be made with a 3-D web tag, called an i-TAG, that consumers can scan using a web cam, revealing unique on-screen content that is exclusive to each specific action figure. [304] The Blu-ray 3D version was finally released on October 16, 2012. Jake finds the refugees at the sacred Tree of Souls and pleads with Mo'at to heal Grace. Why was the rock the humans were after so valuable? “Avatar: The Last Airbender and Korra have grown at least ten-fold in popularity since their original hit runs on Nickelodeon, and Ramsey Naito and I … [25][26][27] During its theatrical run, the film broke several box office records and became the highest-grossing film at the time, as well as in the United States and Canada,[28] surpassing Cameron's Titanic, which had held those records for twelve years. [14][15] Filming was supposed to take place after the completion of Cameron's 1997 film Titanic, for a planned release in 1999;[16] however, according to Cameron, the necessary technology was not yet available to achieve his vision of the film. The Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise launched on Nickelodeon in 2005. Avatar (marketed as James Cameron's Avatar) is a 2009 American epic science fiction film directed, written, produced, and co-edited by James Cameron and starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver. [95], Due to Cameron's personal convictions about climate change, he allowed only plant-based (vegan) food to be served on set. [95] [150] In August 2013 it was announced that Cameron hired Steven Gould to pen four standalone novels to expand the Avatar universe.[151]. [6] Reuters even placed it ahead of Titanic after adjusting the global total for inflation. Filming for the upcoming... - TORUK – The First Flight – Facebook", "Disney to build Avatar attractions at its theme parks", "Disney's 'Avatar'-Themed Land Opening Date Revealed, Star Wars Land Coming in 2019", Golden Eagle Award for Best Foreign Language Film, National Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences of Russia, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Action Movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Saturn Award for Best DVD or Blu-ray Special Edition Release, X-Men: Days of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avatar_(2009_film)&oldid=1008790212, Films that won the Best Visual Effects Academy Award, Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award, Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award, Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Globe, Golden Eagle Award (Russia) for Best Foreign Language Film winners, Articles with dead external links from December 2010, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with dead external links from April 2019, Articles with dead external links from October 2011, Articles with dead external links from May 2020, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [57] However, when Disney attempted to take over, Fox exercised its right of first refusal. During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians. One box-office analyst says James Cameron's 3-D epic has a shot to break $100 million this weekend", "Avatar's Cameron shrugs off buzz – and promises a sequel", "Will 'Avatar' Top James Cameron's 'Titanic' Box-Office Record? 1 weekends since Titanic spent 15 weekends at No.1 in 1997 and 1998[193] – and also spent 11 consecutive weekends at the top of the box office outside the United States and Canada, breaking the record of nine consecutive weekends set by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. [208] Box Office Mojo also observes that the higher ticket prices for 3D and IMAX screenings have had a significant impact on Avatar's gross; it estimated, on April 21, 2010, that Avatar had sold approximately 75 million tickets in North American theaters, more than any other film since 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. [62] In July 2006, Cameron announced that he would film Avatar for a mid-2008 release and planned to begin principal photography with an established cast by February 2007. [138] An astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. [16][17] The director planned to make use of photorealistic computer-generated characters, created using new motion capture animation technologies he had been developing in the 14 months leading up to December 2006. A hybrid human-alien called an Avatar is created to facilitate communication with the indigenous Na'vis from the planet Pandora and pave the way for large-scale mining of the planet. 24 VIDEOS | 360 IMAGES. I can turn the whole scene into a living miniature and go through it on a 50 to 1 scale. [57] In mid-2006, Fox told Cameron "in no uncertain terms that they were passing on this film," so he began shopping it around to other studios and approached Walt Disney Studios, showing his proof of concept to then chairman Dick Cook. A writer and wall street trader, Nick, finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby. In July 2010, Cameron confirmed that there would be an extended theatrical re-release of the film on August 27, 2010, exclusively in 3D theaters and IMAX 3D. [212][213]', Before its release, various film critics and fan communities predicted the film would be a significant disappointment at the box office, in line with predictions made for Cameron's previous blockbuster Titanic. They received language and dialect training in the Na'vi language created for the film. In 2154, humans have depleted Earth's natural resources, leading to a severe energy crisis. ", "Avatar: Director James Cameron's crowning glory", "Reading Between the Lines: First Image of James Cameron's Avatar", "Animal agriculture is choking the Earth and making us sick. [182] It became the fifth film grossing more than $1 billion worldwide, and the only film of 2009 to do so. [23] The stereoscopic filmmaking was touted as a breakthrough in cinematic technology.[24]. The clan attempts to transfer Grace from her human body into her avatar with the aid of the Tree of Souls, but she dies before the process can be completed. Movie Info On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na'vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. The first scoring sessions were planned to take place in early 2009. [287][288], Avatar set a first-day launch record in the U.S. for Blu-ray sales at 1.5 million units sold, breaking the record previously held by The Dark Knight (600,000 units sold). [313][314] Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, Dileep Rao, and CCH Pounder are all reprising their roles, as are Stephen Lang and Matt Gerald, despite the deaths of their characters in the first film. [6], 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment released the film on DVD and Blu-ray in the US on April 22, 2010,[283] and in the UK on April 26. [214], Cameron said he felt the pressure of the predictions, but that pressure is good for film-makers. [56] Visual effects house Digital Domain, with whom Cameron has a partnership, joined the project, which was supposed to begin production in mid-1997 for a 1999 release. [198] On February 2, 47 days after its domestic release, Avatar surpassed Titanic to become the highest-grossing film of all time in Canada and the United States. ... [A]t what point in the film did you have any doubt what was going to happen next?". [299] On October 2010, Cameron stated that the standalone 3D Blu-ray would be the final version of the film's home release and that it was, "maybe one, two years out". Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Supported by the new chief Tsu'tey, Jake unites the clan and tells them to gather all of the clans to battle the RDA. Paramount+ and Nickelodeon have created a whole studio to make movies, shows, and more set in the Avatar: The Last Airbender world. [29] It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message". Now, the franchise is getting its own division of the studio to accommodate more original animated content, beginning with a movie for theatrical release. Nickelodeon Launches Avatar Studios to Expand ‘Last Airbender’ Universe, Starting with New Movie. ", "You've got to compete head on with these other epic works of fantasy and fiction, the. [241][242] Russell D. Moore of The Christian Post concluded that "propaganda exists in the film" and stated "If you can get a theater full of people in Kentucky to stand and applaud the defeat of their country in war, then you've got some amazing special effects. Jake confesses to the Na'vi that he was a spy, and they take him and Grace captive. [95] Before shooting the film, Cameron also sent the cast to the Hawaiian tropical rainforests[96] to get a feel for a rainforest setting before shooting on the soundstage. Avatar: The Last Airbender Animated Movie Is Coming from Original Series Creators. ", "Luc Besson Lays It On The Line For Passion Pic 'Valerian' — Deadline Disruptors", "The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)", "Rethinking the Movie Masterpieces: Richard Corliss Expands TIME's List of Cinematic Greats", "Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds dominates Critics' Choice awards", "EXCLUSIVE: James Cameron Interview! Dipping just 11% from the first to the third is unheard of," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office analysis for Hollywood.com. The duo will also serve as co … ", "Avatar (2009) – Technical specifications", "DRM-Chaos verhindert 3D-Vorpremieren von Avatar", "Cinema Blend: Over 350 Avatar Screenings Already Sold Out", "Avatar is king of the world with $165.2m overseas launch", "James Cameron's Avatar Posts Record Opening Weekend Box Office Results in IMAX(R) Theatres", "ScreenCrave: Avatar Breaks IMAX's Wide Release Record", "Bollywood film-makers vie for larger screen pie", "The Numbers News—Avatar Scores $3.5 Million at Midnight Screenings, Big Opening Day in Australia", "All Time Environmentalist Opening Weekends", "AVATAR (2009) International Box Office Results", "Can Cameron break his own box-office record? [54], Estimates put the cost of the film at about $280–310 million to produce and an estimated $150 million for marketing, noting that about $30 million in tax credits will lessen the financial impact on the studio and its financiers. [134] The Hollywood Reporter said that audience expectations were colored by "the [same] establishment skepticism that preceded Titanic" and suggested the showing reflected the desire for original storytelling. [181], Avatar crossed the $1 billion mark on the 19th day of its international release, making it the first film to reach this mark in only 19 days. [277] It won two of the St. Louis Film Critics awards: Best Visual Effects and Most Original, Innovative or Creative Film. [168], Revenues in the film's second weekend decreased by only 1.8% in domestic markets, marking a rare occurrence,[177] earning $75,617,183, to remain in first place at the box office[178] and recording what was then the biggest second weekend of all time. Pilot Trudy Chacón, disgusted by Quaritch's brutality, frees Jake, Grace, and Norm, and airlifts them to Grace's outpost, but Grace is shot by Quaritch during the escape. [218], James Cameron on criticism of Avatar before its release. We must act now | James Cameron and Suzy Amis Cameron", "Jackson, Cameron Saddened by State of Film Industry (Video)", "Cameron Says Microsoft's Role in 'Avatar' Was Key", "Cloudy with a chance of Linux: Canonical aims to cash in", "Jack Greasley, developer and Product Manager at The Foundry, takes CGSociety for a look around Mari, the new texture application", "Will Avatar crown James Cameron 'King of the Universe'? [90] In January 2007, Fox had announced that 3-D filming for Avatar would be done at 24 frames per second despite Cameron's strong opinion that a 3-D film requires higher frame rate to make strobing less noticeable. The film's title refers to a genetically engineered Na'vi body operated from the brain of a remotely located human that is used to interact with the natives of Pandora. [211] The 2015 edition of Guinness World Records lists Avatar only behind Gone with the Wind in terms of adjusted grosses worldwide. [222] Other films in recent years had been cited as contenders for surpassing Titanic, such as 2008's The Dark Knight,[223] but Avatar was considered the first film with a genuine chance to do so, and its numbers being aided by higher ticket prices for 3D screenings[222] did not fully explain its success to box office analysts. The animated show takes place in a world where humans have power to control the elements (air, fire, earth and water), and its story centers around a young hero named Aang who, with help from a few friends, is tasked with saving the planet from certain … Celebrate Black History Month with IMDb's exclusive galleries, recommendations, videos, and more. An accompanying music video, directed by Jake Nava, premiered December 15, 2009, on MySpace. Neytiri's mother Mo'at, the clan's spiritual leader, orders her daughter to initiate Jake into their society. This pattern is reflected everywhere, including books … [14] In August 1996, Cameron announced that after completing Titanic, he would film Avatar, which would make use of synthetic, or computer-generated, actors. [70] Spielberg said, "I like to think of it as digital makeup, not augmented animation ... Motion capture brings the director back to a kind of intimacy that actors and directors only know when they're working in live theater. Their language was created by Dr. Paul Frommer, a linguist at USC. The director notes the similarities between Sully and Neytiri, and Jack and Rose", "James Cameron Fought the Studio to Keep His Aliens Weird in "Avatar, James Cameron en Chine pour faire la publicité de son film « Avatar », "Avatar's Designers Speak: Floating Mountains, AMP Suits And The Dragon", "Zhangjiajie, China: Get hyped for 'Avatar 2' by visiting the place that inspired the film", "War on Terror backdrop to James Cameron's Avatar", "How James Cameron's Innovative New 3D Tech Created, "Cameron sets live-action, CG epic for 2009", "$200m Avatar starts filming in Wellington", "James Cameron's Jungle Expedition For 'Avatar' Stars", "Computers Join Actors in Hybrids On Screen", "Do the 'Avatar' actors deserve recognition? [23], Avatar was released internationally on more than 14,000 screens. Despite Grace's argument that destroying Hometree could damage the biological neural network native to Pandora, Selfridge gives Jake and Grace one hour to convince the Na'vi to evacuate before commencing the attack. Mattel Toys announced in December 2009 that it would be introducing a line of Avatar action figures. [215] Titanic capitalized on the same January predictability, and earned most of its gross in 1998. The filmmakers and game developers collaborated heavily, and Cameron decided to include some of Ubisoft's vehicle and creature designs in the film. "[238] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times thought the film has "powerful" visual accomplishments but "flat dialogue" and "obvious characterization". The success of the film also led to electronics manufacturers releasing 3D Televisions[32] and caused 3D films[33] to increase in popularity. The film is set in the mid-22nd century when humans are colonizing Pandora, a lush habitable moon of a gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system, in order to mine the mineral unobtanium,[10][11] a room-temperature superconductor. [315][316][317][318] Sigourney Weaver is also returning, although she stated that she would play a different character. ", "Avatar Concept Designer Reveals the Secrets of the Na'vi", "Cameron, the Science Geek Who Became a Movie Titan for the Ages", "Cameron comes back with CG extravaganza", "Avatar Started As A Four-Month, Late-Night Jam Session At James Cameron's House", "Technology adds more in-depth feeling to the movie experience", "Eye-popping 'Avatar' pioneers new technology", "James Cameron: Yes, 'Avatar' is 'Dances with Wolves' in space ... sorta", "How the original 'Ghost in the Shell' changed sci-fi and the way we think about the future", "The religious backdrop to James Cameron's 'Avatar, "James Cameron Compares His 'Avatar' And 'Titanic' Couples. Two astronauts work together to survive after an accident leaves them stranded in space. [305], Two sequels to Avatar were initially confirmed after the success of the first film; this number was subsequently expanded to four. The Resources Development Administration (RDA) mines a valuable mineral unobtanium on Pandora, a densely forested habitable moon orbiting Polyphemus, a fictional gas giant in the Alpha Centauri star system. Cameron himself said he decided to open the film in December so that it would have less competition from then to January. [71] Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director,[31] and won three, for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects. [63] The following August, the visual effects studio Weta Digital signed on to help Cameron produce Avatar. Weaver and Cameron appeared at additional panels to promote the film, speaking on the 23rd[131] and 24th[132] respectively. While Jake begins to bond with the native tribe and quickly falls in love with the beautiful alien Neytiri, the restless Colonel moves forward with his ruthless extermination tactics, forcing the soldier to take a stand - and fight back in an epic battle for the fate of Pandora. [146] The Art of Avatar was released on November 30, 2009, by Abrams Books. [164] Avatar was released in a total of 3,457 theaters in the US, of which 2,032 theaters ran it in 3D. [18][19] Avatar was officially budgeted at $237 million. [251], Critics and audiences have cited similarities with other films, literature or media, describing the perceived connections in ways ranging from simple "borrowing" to outright plagiarism. [105] on October 29, 2009, to positive reviews. screens which increase in width to display 2.39:1 films). "[77] He included similar creatures in his first screenplay (written in 1976 or 1977), which featured a planet with a native population of "gorgeous" tall blue aliens. Jake is permanently transferred into his avatar with the aid of the Tree of Souls. HarperFestival also released Wilhelm's 48-page James Cameron's Avatar: The Reusable Scrapbook for children. )", "Why Avatar's Headed For Blockbuster Mediocrity", "How Will 'Avatar' Fare At The Box Office? Original Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, having stepped away from Netflix’s live-action remake, are reuniting under Nickelodeon Animation to … Fox positioned the film as a cinematic event that should be seen in the theaters. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Avatar the movie by James Cameron Throughout one’s life, one continuously enters and completes the Hero’s Journey, a universal pattern of experience, by facing and conquering numerous challenges in one’s lives. [71], For the love story between characters Jake and Neytiri, Cameron applied a star-crossed love theme, and acknowledged its similarity to the pairing of Jack and Rose from his film Titanic. [227] Additionally, Avatar established itself as a "must-see" event. First-day DVD and Blu-ray sales combined were over four million units sold. [214][215] Slate magazine's Daniel Engber complimented the 3D effects, but criticized them for reminding him of certain CGI characters from the Star Wars prequel films and for having the "uncanny valley" effect. [248] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune called Avatar "the season's ideological Rorschach blot",[249] while Miranda Devine of The Sydney Morning Herald thought that "It [was] impossible to watch Avatar without being banged over the head with the director's ideological hammer.