This sort of backlash is fairly common among pretty much any film that grosses over $400 million at the box office. People are bound to hate it, and some are bound to be very vocal about it. Even The Dark Knight got its fair share of hate when it arrived on video. And, to be honest, not liking Avatar is fine. I can see, and respect, how some could have a distaste for the film. Many of the argued points are certainly valid. But this review isn't for those people. In fact, neither is this box set. So if you don't like the film, read no further.
The Avatar (Extended Collector's Edition) box set is for hardcore fans. It's a love letter to those who helped make the film one of the biggest box office smashes of all time. I'm sure some fans will be disappointed to see a double-dip so quickly, but James Cameron warned (or promised) us months ago that we'd see a big, luxurious extended edition in November, and here it is. And boy is it one delightful three-disc set.
For starters, the box itself is just beautiful. An elegant, metallic cardboard slipcover protects the real case – a glossy, thick cardboard box that's equally as elegant and understated. Inside this case is a digibook of sorts that's not unlike the Alien Anthology book. There are three pages to the digibook, each with lush, full page color photos and quotes from the film. Each of the three discs is housed in a slip hidden on the side of each page. Not only is this set classy, but functional and easy to access as well.
For starters, the box itself is just beautiful. An elegant, metallic cardboard slipcover protects the real case – a glossy, thick cardboard box that's equally as elegant and understated. Inside this case is a digibook of sorts that's not unlike the Alien Anthology book. There are three pages to the digibook, each with lush, full page color photos and quotes from the film. Each of the three discs is housed in a slip hidden on the side of each page. Not only is this set classy, but functional and easy to access as well.
On disc one, fans are treated to not one, but two extended cuts of the film (as well as the original theatrical version). The first cut is the 8-minute longer special edition re-release, which hit theaters back in August. But the real treat is the 16-minute extended cut, which features several new deleted scenes, including the extended opening, which brings Earth's tattered and torn canvas to life, and better introduces our rugged hero, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). Also on disc one, there's a "Family Audio Track" which removes objectionable language from the film for the kiddies. Oddly, it's only available on the theatrical cut and the special edition – not the extended cut.
Like the last release, the film receives a wonderful THX-certified DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix. Front and rear surrounds are engaged throughout, but never overly aggressive or overbearing. Dialogue is flawlessly mixed – the voice-over work is naturalistic, not hollow like many "animated" movies. Bass is active, delivering room-shaking beats during the film's exciting action cues. Effects, score, ambient elements and dialogue are perfectly blended to create an environment that feels both organic and alive.
Like the last release, the film receives a wonderful THX-certified DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix. Front and rear surrounds are engaged throughout, but never overly aggressive or overbearing. Dialogue is flawlessly mixed – the voice-over work is naturalistic, not hollow like many "animated" movies. Bass is active, delivering room-shaking beats during the film's exciting action cues. Effects, score, ambient elements and dialogue are perfectly blended to create an environment that feels both organic and alive.
Sadly, the transfer for the film is slightly more compressed thanks to a much longer cut, and thus is not quite as pristine and impressive as the previous Blu-ray release. Make no mistake, the film looks stunningly gorgeous – there's just a hint of noise on the print (mostly the deleted scenes) that didn't appear on the last release. Also, many of the extended scenes suffer from uneven black levels, which do force some bleed on occasion, particularly in the opening Earth sequences. Again, compared to most Blu-ray's out there, this disc is top notch, near reference even. But perhaps placing this film on two discs would have allowed for an even stronger presentation.
If nothing else, spreading the film across two discs would have also allowed for more innovative BD features, like picture-in-picture tracks, pop-up trivia tracks or interactive commentaries. Unfortunately, none of those features are here, which will inevitably disappoint some fans. Oddly, there's no BD-Live portal on disc one, either. So don't expect a BD-Live Q&A commentary or anything like that. There is, at least, one neat innovation – a direct access port that allows fans to view the extended edition deleted scenes separately, or (naturally) as part of the film.
Thankfully, discs two and three more than make up for the lack of BD innovation. Disc two features a whopping 67 minutes of mostly unfinished deleted scenes. This provides a fascinating peek into the editing process, and the post-production visual effects process, all while giving fans a little more of the story that didn't make any of the three cuts.
Also on disc two, we've got an impressive feature-length documentary titled "Capturing Avatar," told in four parts, that explores the exhaustive motion capture process. If you're remotely interested in how the film was put together, this feature should more than answer your questions. There's also a 20-minute featurette titled "Message from Pandora," which serves as an environmental piece. Finally, there's an 84-minute "Production Materials" section, which features various progression reels, artwork, tests and more. All four features on this disc are presented in HD.
Disc three acts as a sort of catch-all for the film. Fans are treated to 91 minutes of featurettes, 17 total. And this isn't the usual EPK fluff, but making-of materials that didn't seem to fit anywhere else. "Scene Deconstruction" basically acts as the film's PiP track, offering 17 scenes from the film (84 minutes total) allowing you to toggle through the various stages of production using the color-coded buttons on your remote. Finally, there's an immensely explorative archive section featuring trailers, a vast collection of artwork for the film, the original story treatment, Cameron's screenplay, song lyrics and an encyclopedia of Pandora – amusingly titled Pandorpedia. Disc materials are again presented in HD.
Disc three is also BD-Live enabled, which gives you access to even more features, including screen tests and additional featurettes. Oddly, Fox leaves out a Digital Copy of the film. Also, folks looking for a 3D version of the film are left out in the cold. In order to get that version (at least for the time being) you'll need to buy a Panasonic 3DTV. But don't fret, I expect we'll see a standalone Blu-ray 3D release in the near future.
Avatar is an emotionally stirring, hypnotic adventure layered with complexity and staggering visual design, and this disc continues to bring the world of Pandora to life. Sure, the story isn't always as original as it could be, but Avatar retells a classic story to perfection. And the film's deeply spiritual metaphors are both poignant and powerful. If you love Avatar, buy this set – you won't be disappointed.
If nothing else, spreading the film across two discs would have also allowed for more innovative BD features, like picture-in-picture tracks, pop-up trivia tracks or interactive commentaries. Unfortunately, none of those features are here, which will inevitably disappoint some fans. Oddly, there's no BD-Live portal on disc one, either. So don't expect a BD-Live Q&A commentary or anything like that. There is, at least, one neat innovation – a direct access port that allows fans to view the extended edition deleted scenes separately, or (naturally) as part of the film.
Thankfully, discs two and three more than make up for the lack of BD innovation. Disc two features a whopping 67 minutes of mostly unfinished deleted scenes. This provides a fascinating peek into the editing process, and the post-production visual effects process, all while giving fans a little more of the story that didn't make any of the three cuts.
Also on disc two, we've got an impressive feature-length documentary titled "Capturing Avatar," told in four parts, that explores the exhaustive motion capture process. If you're remotely interested in how the film was put together, this feature should more than answer your questions. There's also a 20-minute featurette titled "Message from Pandora," which serves as an environmental piece. Finally, there's an 84-minute "Production Materials" section, which features various progression reels, artwork, tests and more. All four features on this disc are presented in HD.
Disc three acts as a sort of catch-all for the film. Fans are treated to 91 minutes of featurettes, 17 total. And this isn't the usual EPK fluff, but making-of materials that didn't seem to fit anywhere else. "Scene Deconstruction" basically acts as the film's PiP track, offering 17 scenes from the film (84 minutes total) allowing you to toggle through the various stages of production using the color-coded buttons on your remote. Finally, there's an immensely explorative archive section featuring trailers, a vast collection of artwork for the film, the original story treatment, Cameron's screenplay, song lyrics and an encyclopedia of Pandora – amusingly titled Pandorpedia. Disc materials are again presented in HD.
Disc three is also BD-Live enabled, which gives you access to even more features, including screen tests and additional featurettes. Oddly, Fox leaves out a Digital Copy of the film. Also, folks looking for a 3D version of the film are left out in the cold. In order to get that version (at least for the time being) you'll need to buy a Panasonic 3DTV. But don't fret, I expect we'll see a standalone Blu-ray 3D release in the near future.
Avatar is an emotionally stirring, hypnotic adventure layered with complexity and staggering visual design, and this disc continues to bring the world of Pandora to life. Sure, the story isn't always as original as it could be, but Avatar retells a classic story to perfection. And the film's deeply spiritual metaphors are both poignant and powerful. If you love Avatar, buy this set – you won't be disappointed.
1-10
9 The Movie
Spiritually moving, visually daring and emotionally stirring, Avatar is classic storytelling at its very best.
Spiritually moving, visually daring and emotionally stirring, Avatar is classic storytelling at its very best.
9 The Video
Blacks seem a bit off at times during the extended scenes. This presentation is not quite as pristine as the single-disc release.
Blacks seem a bit off at times during the extended scenes. This presentation is not quite as pristine as the single-disc release.
10 The Audio
A potent mixture of rousing action and intrigue, this DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix packs a serious punch.
A potent mixture of rousing action and intrigue, this DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix packs a serious punch.
9 The Extras
Three cuts of the film, deleted scenes, a feature-length documentary, dozens of featurettes and more. There are a few missing pieces, but this set is near perfection.
Three cuts of the film, deleted scenes, a feature-length documentary, dozens of featurettes and more. There are a few missing pieces, but this set is near perfection.
Overall 9
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