Fan Fare

(Video and reporting by Marc Price)

“Avatar,” the new film from director James Cameron made $232 million worldwide in one weekend at box offices, (read about that here). But what is an avatar, anyway? And for those millions of people who went out to see it, did they even know? Click on the video below, where we talk to moviegoers on the streets of Santa Monica.

From the looks of the lines outside the theater, it appears not to have mattered whether people knew what an avatar was. Fans turned out in droves and critics even loved the movie, too.

For the record, Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines it as “the incarnation of a Hindu entity” and secondarily, “an incarnation in human form” or “an embodiment.” So, if you saw the movie, those blue folks with the tails are avatars. If you didn’t see it, but want to, watch the video for a few “reviews.”

Correction note: Based on one reader’s comments, we fixed a typo in the final paragraph — tales to tails. Our thanks to the comment poster and apologies to Fan Fare readers.