As it has been predicted and speculated upon for months, even years now, it looks as though James Cameron’s upcoming Sci-Fi epic Avatar, will indeed revolutionize movies. One of the first articles that I wrote for The Movie Mash, discussed Avatar‘s game-changing potential as it is using revolutionary cinema technology, cost nearly $300 million and has taken almost a decade to make. But after a recent screening in Europe, potential is now fact. Cameron revealed 24 minutes of footage at Cinema Expo International on Tuesday for over 1,000 European industry attendees and the consensus is…”Mind-blowing.”

The Hollywood Reporter reported Cameron opened the crowd with, “The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades!” In introducing the 24-minute assemblage, Cameron said much of it came from the first third of the film but that there were also glimpses from unfinished portions of later battle scenes involving warring sides clashing over control of the fantasy world Pandora.

Avatar is the story of a band of humans are pitted in a battle against a distant planet’s indigenous population. The film stars Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek), Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi. Cameron also said the action gets nonstop in the latter portions of the film, which throughout is populated by strange life-forms in a world of unprecedentedly rich fantasy elements. Worthington plays an avatar — a remote-controlled character created by melding his crippled human form into a super-human being — whose fate lies ultimately in doing battle with his own former race.

Accompanying the photo above, is the photo below, also released at CinemaExpo, which is presumably concept of the planet Pandora. Check it out.

So what did the people think of the footage? SlashFilm reported on what some the attendee’s reactions were, via blogs and Twitter and they are ridiculous.  Here’s just a few:

● ComingSoon: “jaw-dropping experience.” … “3-D until now has been used as a gimmick.” On the human characters inhabiting their Avatars: “It took my breath away. I thought–just like you guys–that I’ve seen it all with Gollum, or The Hulk, but Cameron has done it again. These creatures seem so real, that within minutes you forget you’re watching an enormous and very blue CGI character. Even the eyes are totally convincing. The characters have real personalities and a soul.” … “How the hell is it possible that I never once felt like I’ve been watching a movie where almost everything comes out of a computer?” … “The effects are in a league of their own. After some disappointing or even pointless 3-D movies, Avatar maybe the first movie where 3-D is properly utilized.”

● Unique Cinema Systems Nord on Twitter: “stunning, literally jawdropping. Amazing visuals unlike any before seen, with incredible detail.” … “CGI was photorealistic, characters look really real. Believe the hype, this movie will be massive!” … “Cameron told audience each frame of finished film takes 30-50 hrs to render, then double that up for 3D.”

● GJKooijman on Twitter: “is mindblown” … “Still in awe of meeting James Cameron… Avatar will change movie industry forever.. thank you Jim” … “It’s nothing you can imagine, it’s real. Cameron made a new planet and took a cam there.” … “THIS WILL CHANGE MOVIES FOREVER. Trust me, it will.”

Wow! That’s some pretty good first reactions. I literally CANNOT WAIT!

What Do you Think? Discuss.