After several glowing reports from friends, I reluctantly went to see Avatar and was BLOWN AWAY!!!! What a ride! The special effects are mind-blowing but can only take you so far. The real beauty in Avatar is the story line with characters you care about, action sequences, and a moving love story. If you're concerned how live action and animation will merge...you won't even notice it. I was swept away into the story and never looked back. There were young children in our audience but Avatar is not appropriate for children under 10 due to some language and violence.