'Ava'-tardies at office, school on Friday?

A Na'vi warrior races into battle on a panther-like creature in "Avatar."  (20th Century Fox)

Yes parents, it's that time again.

Your movie-fan teens are pressing hard for permission to spend tomorrow's wee morning hours at the local movie house watching James Cameron's other-world space fantasy "Avatar."

I'm not about to tell you whether or not to say "yes."  That's your department.  All I'm saying is that if you OK the kids for a wildly inventive, technically spectacular epic movie thrill ride, just know that "Avatar" rolls through the projector for just over two hours and a half.

Let's do the math here, Mom or Dad.  Let's say that "Avatar" begins just after midnight at precisely 12:01 or 12:05, which it probably won't.  That means you'll be picking up the non-drivers a little before 3 a.m. Friday.

That's the downside, of course.  Now for the upside.  If you're going to be up anyway, you might as well tag along.

Although my review won't hit this Web site until a couple of minutes past midnight tonight (I won't be up.  Thank God for automation!), I can say this.   You'll be skipping sleep for one of the Top 3 movies of 2009.

And, of course, there's the usual over-hype and hoopla factor for a movie event like this.  Carl DiOrio, writing on The Hollywood Reporter Web site, reports that "Avatar" may have cost as much as $300 million to produce. And that's without all the marketing costs.

What does Oscar-winning filmmaker Cameron ("Titanic") think about all the focus on the film's cost?

"I don't think that means jack *#@&," he told the Hollywood Reporter.

Click here to read the complete report.