"A" stands for Avatar -- and for "anticipated." The new movie from director James Cameron (remember Titanic?) opens Friday (Dec. 18), and is one of the most anticipated movies of recent years because of its huge budget and the new technology used to create it. Craig Detweiler, YouthWorker Journal's movie guy (along with a few other things), recently saw a special advance screening. Here's what he had to say:

YouthWorker Journal: So, what did you think? What about the new technology Cameron uses -- is it gimmicky or cool?

Craig Detweiler: I was treated to a special 30-minute preview at Fox, with 3D glasses and all. I was blown away. This film will be a blockbuster. James Cameron waited a decade for the technology to catch up to his vision to make Avatar. It was worth the wait. Avatar delivers on the promises of a technological breakthrough. But it never calls attention to the trickery. It is rooted in a compelling story, sweeping us up in an epic journey. Thirty minutes inside Avatar prompted me to buy two tickets to the first available 3D IMAX midnight screening I could find.

YWJ: Lots of films have used computer graphics and animation. What's different about Avatar?

CD: One of the highlights of the film is the remarkably vivid jungle of Pandora. The attention to detail poured into each frame is thrilling. The insects, the leaves, and the creatures all shimmer and glow. Pandora feels deliriously alive, a throwback to the garden of Eden, or at least the rain forests as we'd like to re-imagine them -- unspoiled, untamed, limitless in their secrets and species.

YWJ: What was the coolest scene you saw?

CD: The most enchanting scene we previewed took place at night when the lead character, Jake creates trouble for himself by lighting a torch. It is an announcement to all the animals, "Come, eat me." Only the fierce intervention of Neytiri saves Jake's avatar. When Neytiri extinguishes Jack's flame, the forest begins to glow in the dark. What a gorgeous and magical scene for their first meeting. Translucent seeds of a sacred tree float down upon Jake like dancing dandelions. Pure digital delight! They scramble across tree branches in a world that seems upside down. I did not want their transfixing night to end. Cameron and company have packed so many details into each gorgeous frame.

YWJ: Some people have criticized Cameron for using ultra-high-tech in a film about saving native cultures and habitats. Is that valid?

CD: There is some irony in that, but Avatar employs technology to make us value God's glorious creation anew. Some critics may carp at James Horner's score that echoes world music we've heard before. Plenty will complain about Cameron's clunky dialogue that is easily translated for filmgoers around the world. Native peoples may not appreciate the comparisons that will be drawn between themselves and the alien Na'vi. But the wonders of the film win out.