President Barack Obama's family is spending part of the last day of 2009 watching the futuristic adventure film "Avatar."

The Obamas visited a movie theater near their rented vacation home in Hawaii on Thursday morning for a screening of the 3-D hit. Officials say the first family and their friends had the theater to themselves to watch director James Cameron's tech-heavy film.

The Obamas, including first daughters Sasha and Malia, left their compound before noon on New Year's Eve. Before the screening, Obama, a self-described movie buff, worked out at the Marine Corps base nearby.

The Obamas are set to return to Washington in the new year.