Avatar Extended Collector's Edition DVD and Blu-ray

[sharkey360]

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Avatar Extended Collector's Edition DVD and Blu-ray are slowly arriving in video stores nationwide.

I have the DVD release and it comes in a steel case. The price? P999

Not only that, it has 3 discs inside and you can also watch the 3 different cuts of Avatar.

[Blackbeard]

does it make the film's plot more original?

[sharkey360]

does it make the film's plot more original?

Not really. There's an action scene that will surely remind you of the buffalo hunting scene in Dances with Wolves.

I do like the fact that the extra footage expand Avatar's concepts, as well adding some more character development.

[sharkey360]

A great gift to give this Xmas!

[sharkey360]

Avatar Extended Collector's Edition DVD Review

Story: A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Trivia: James Cameron was convinced that CGI effects had progressed enough to make this film when he saw Gollum in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers(2002).

Avatar. Just the name of this movie has already brought up an opinion from you. It's the highest-grossing movie of all time and won a lot of awards in it's original release last year, including a nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, before it was defeated by The Hurt Locker. If you were living under a rock or just don't follow the Internet much, the film was very divisive on the internet. I remember there being some who bought into the hype and proclaimed it one of the greatest movies ever. I also remember the other side, who had many complaints, felt it was too hyped and if you liked it you were a sheep. There wasn't any middle ground. So it's been a year later and now comes the extended version, with more Pandora and more Na'vi. How does the film hold up, and how does the extra footage enhance it?

Whatever your opinion may be, there's no argument that Avatar is a beautiful film. Of course, visuals don't make a movie, but it's not just your typical CGi special effects here. When I say James Cameron created an entire world, it's not just hype. He's done that here. He crafted an entire world from the plant life to the animals. When you see how much detail went into everything, the fact that this took years to finally make doesn't seem all that shocking. Like Jake Sully, I enjoyed my time on Pandora a lot more when I was with the Na'vi. It's not just scenery for the actors to play in front of, it's a living, breathing ecosystem. It's some of the best visual effects I've ever seen.

The most complaints this film received were because of the story. Admittedly, it's not the most original story. Some drew comparisons to children's films, others with Dances with Wolves. While the story isn't anything new, that doesn't matter. What matters is the ride getting there, and this one is exhilarating. The movie builds up both Jake Sully on the human side and Neytiri on the side of the Na'vi to allow you to connect to their relationship and watch it grow. These are fleshed-out characters through a tried-and-true story. You come for the visuals and stay for the emotional attachment to the characters.

Something that helps this is also the acting. Sam Worthington (Jake) plays the hero well. He's good in both the "real world" and his avatar counterpart. He's introduced to this world just as the audience is, so the more he learns, the more we learn. We grow as he grows. Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) obviously has no human counterpart, so she has to rely on her motion-capture and voice work, which still gives life to the character. The rest of the cast does well, with special mention going to Sigourney Weaver who plays Dr. Grace Augustine as a compassionate scientist.

The only two actors who don't work are Stephen Lang (Quaritch) and Giovanni Ribisi (Selfridge). Both chew the scenery a great deal and ham it up almost the entire time they are on screen. While I mentioned that Worthington, Saldana, Weaver, etc all play characters, these two play caricatures. It's almost detrimental to the story that they are present or that the script doesn't even attempt to flesh them out as anything more than stereotypical corporate scumbags. That is the biggest flaw in Avatar. The villains are just carbon copies of the same roles over and over, and they're not even that entertaining. But while this hurts Avatar a little, it doesn't take too much away. For one we don't spend a lot of time with them and so we don't have to tolerate them as long. By the time the finale arrives you're not going to care anyway. The battles are tense and action-packed and the film earns the emotional response it gets from it's audience.

There are actually three different versions of the film. I had already seen the theatrical version so obviously opted to watch the version with sixteen minutes added. But there is another version with eight extra minutes, called the "Special Edition Re-Release". But all the extra footage from the re-release version is on the extended collector's version, so it's addition seems to be a tad pointless. At any rate, how does the sixteen minutes of new footage stack up?

You notice right away that something is different, because there is a brand new opening showing Jake Sully on Earth before he ends up taking his brother's place on Pandora. Earth looks like something out of Blade Runner mixed with a little Tron. It's not as bright as Pandora, but it's not intended to be. There are other scenes thrown in. Some of these are small moments of further character development. Some of them are just an opportunity to show more of Pandora. But every once in a while there is a crucial scene, such as an explanation as to why Grace was shunned by the Na'vi. Nothing that was added feels forced, it all flows naturally and makes for a better view than the theatrical version.

I don't think Avatar was quite good enough to win Best Picture (which it didn't), but still a very worthwhile outing. Cameron, the cast and crew all put in way too much effort to simply discount it as nothing. The hard work shows, as Pandora looks beautiful and one finds themselves getting lost in the world. While it may have been a tad overhyped, it's still a very entertaining film and one that I can find myself watching again and again just to re-enter this meticulously crafted world. The Extended Versions (both of them) only enhance the experience and make it even better. If you're a fan of Avatar, you're in for a treat. If you didn't like it the first time around, try giving it another chance. It's worth it.

Film: 8.5

While everyone else will flock to the Blu-ray to get the most of this film, if you're still using DVD you won't be disappointed. It appears as though there wasn't any short-changing here. Avatar looks just as beautiful as it's theatrical run. It's presented in widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.

Video: 10.0

Like the video, every effort was made to get the most out of whatever home viewing media you're using. It shows in the audio as well. You get the option of Dolby Digital 5.1 English, as well as a standard Dolby Surround track and both Spanish and French audio tracks. There is also an optional family audio track, which removes all of the "objectionable language". It seems Cameron wants there to be no excuses for people not having seen this movie. It's all a part of his mind control scheme.

Audio: 10.0

Special Features:

This is a three disc set, but the first two discs are the film. I find that a little odd, because the movie runs at a little over three hours and I've seen movies that long fit on a single DVD. The third disc is all of the extra features that the original release didn't have.

A Message From Pandora: This is basically a twenty minute feature detailing how James Cameron cares about the environment. He explains how he's always done so and the themes of environmentalism from Avatar are nothing new. Then there's a trip to the Amazon to show the damage there. It's good for one watch, but probably not something you would revisit over and over.

Direct Access to New/Addition Scenes: If you didn't want to watch the extended version, all of the added footage is right here waiting for you.

Deleted Scenes: If the extra footage in the extended version wasn't enough for you, this DVD provides over an hour of additional deleted scenes. Some of them aren't finished yet, some are, but it's an opportunity to see even more of the world. Some of them are mostly just the actors in their motion capture gear acting out a scene. I liked a great deal of these, but some of them deserved to be on the cutting room floor. Still, an hour of bonus footage (in addition to the extended feature) is a welcome feature to the set.

Capturing Avatar: Finally, a feature-length documentary on the making of the film. And I do mean "feature-length", because this runs at 98 minutes. It covers every aspect you can imagine, as you get insight into every stage of production. Can't really add much more than that, but fans should be pleased with what they get here.

You may be thinking, "just four features"? But there is a lot within so it might as well be more. If you are a fan of Avatar, there is plenty here for you to further explore the world and see how much work went into making the film.

Special Features: 8.5


The 411: Avatar was the biggest hit of 2009 for a reason. James Cameron created a fully developed world that is inhabited by real characters and an entertaining story. The extended version only serves to add to the experience with even more shots of the world that fans will love as well as extra development of the characters. For those picking up the DVD instead of Blu-Ray, you'll still get great picture and sound as well as a lot of bonus material. For fans, this is about as good of an Avatar DVD as you could ask for.

Final Score: 9.5 [ Amazing ]

411mania.com: Movies - Avatar Extended Collector's Edition DVD Review

[phil8s]

nganu nman ni...kdghan ba..

[prettysexyitsybitsytiny]

i love this stuff, priceless item for avatar fans...

[sharkey360]

While Viva is ripping of consumers with its below-par quality, local-produced DVDs of foreign movies (note: VCD digital files copied into DVD disks, poor sound setups, lack of subtitles, etc.), they were smart enough not to do it with the two DVD releases of Avatar.

At P999, it is obvious that Viva is putting up a serious challenge to Magnavision and Warner Philippines when it comes to releasing steel case DVDs. Steel case DVDs often debut with prices of P1,500.

At P999, Avatar Extended Collector's Edition DVD is a must-buy and it comes with tremendous value through its in-depth features.

[BIGDANE]

you wont really regret on buying the blu ray cd of avatar...and if you watch on an hd, tsk. youll be amaze

[sharkey360]

Avatar Extended Collector's Edition Blu-ray is now available.