Avatar [Remastered] [4k UHD + Blu-ray]

The first thing I notice is the extreme packaging - a slip-off sleeve, then a box cover containing a book with three really fancy pages with a pull-out disc holder - all with very nice depiction of AVATAR scenes over every visible inch of the packaging. All this hints that something special lies inside. And you won't be disappointed - at least I wasn't - and it was well worth the price. DISC 1 - AVATAR Disc Menu: PLAY / SETUP / SOUND / SEARCH / EXTRAS This disc contains three versions of AVATER: 1) original movie release 2) Special Edition DVD Re-release (with 8 additional minutes), and 3) Collector's Extended Cut (with 16 additional minutes) If you saw the movie, then you've seen version 1. If you bought the DVD, then you've seen version 2. What you want to see now is version 3, the Collector's Extended Cut, with 16 additional minutes. If you just click on the PLAY menu choice, you'll get version 1. To play version 2 or 3, click first on SETUP - FILM SELECTION, then choose the Special Addition Re-release, or the Collector's Extended Cut. The Collector's Extended Cut contains all the scenes in versions 1 and 2, plus the additional scenes, so no need to view versions 1 or 2, even if you haven't seen the movie yet. Under the SOUND menu is an option to have all the swear words deleted from the sound track, but it doesn't work for version 3, Collector's Extended Cut, which is the version you want to watch, and the swearing is very light, no "f" words. Under EXTRAS menu are all the added scenes, which is handy of you fall asleep watching the Extended Cut movie (as I did) and want to see if you missed anything new. DISC 2 - FILMAKER'S JOURNEY Disc Menu: DELETED SCENES / CAPTURING AVATAR / A MESSAGE FROM PANDORA / PRODUCTION MATERIAL The best thing about Disc 2 are the more than 45 minutes of "Deleted Scenes." There are many of them, all in various stages of completion, and all but two add considerably to understanding the story line, especially "Dream Hunt" and "Challenge." The two deleted scenes that should stay deleted are : "Norm is a God," and "Norm's attitude Improves." The Deleted Scenes are the next place to go after viewing the "Extended Collector's Cut" on Disc 1. "Capturing Avatar" is about how the film married real human facial expression and human movement to the animated AVATAR scenes. It is very interesting to see. "A Message form Pandora" is about James Cameron going down to the Amazon Basin in Brazil and joining the jungle tribes fighting against the construction of a dam. If there was any doubt that Cameron was anything other than a dedicated tree-hugging environmentalist, this will dispel all doubts. DISC 3 - PANDORA'S BOX This disc primarily has items a filmmaker might be interested in, The BD-Live portal is also on disc 3, which allows you to download additional material. I tried this but found nothing new that wasn't already on one of the three discs, and also the download was very slow. MY TAKE ON THIS EDITION OF AVATAR I am a civil engineer who thinks bulldozers and mining equipment are righteous and good. I suppose in an environmentalist's eyes I have done my share of raping the environment, although the way I see it, natural resources are there to be utilized. I do believe, however, that the resources need to be used wisely and efficiently and that renewable resources should be harvested by sustainable methods, and the earth returned to a green state after opening it and harvesting whatever is there. I present the above, because it is very clear that AVATAR is permeated with tree-hugging, environmentalist propaganda. And Cameron so much as admits it in "A Message from Pandora" on Disc 2. Nevertheless, Cameron made a really terrific movie promoting environmentalist concerns, though probably his message is totally lost on sinners like myself. Still, I very much like this movie and especially the Collector's Cut, because 1) it is so realistically done, 2) because it is an exciting adventure story with lots of very dangerous creatures, 3)because it is also a love story, and 4) because it is a hero story - the little guy fighting the faceless bureaucracy of a large corporation or government. As someone who has thrice married into different cultures in different countries, and experienced the somewhat difficult task of adjusting to and accommodating a foreign culture, I think Cameron has done a good job presenting the difficulty and opposition that naturally occurs against inter-cultural romance, and much more so for inter-specie romance, even if it is through a remotely controlled avatar body. Much of this opposition was deleted in the original movie, but is evident in the added scenes, and especially the Deleted Scenes. SUMMARY The extra scenes in the Collector's Extended Cut (Disc 1), and the Deleted Scenes (Disc 2) by themselves make this set well worth the price, and a story worth watching over and over, all the while hoping for a sequel. If you are also into how movies are made, there are plenty of ground-breaking techniques presented on Disc's 2 and 3. THE SEQUEL My idea of what would be an interesting sequel - Jake and Neytiri have a baby or two. Jake leads the Navi to develop some technology to prepare for the return of the Earthers but find the Navi uninterested. Jake remembers how European settlers arrived in America in such overwhelming numbers that the natives were completed subjugated and near annihilated. He fears that unless the Navi modernize to some degree, at least the military, the same will happen to the Navi when the Earthers eventually return for revenge. Jake goes to the Tree of Souls and discovers Grace has merged with Eywa and can communicate with Jake. Jake and Grace discover they can reach each other telepathically. Grace-Eywa has some ability to sense events beyond the planet-moon's surface. Grace and Jake begin to develop their telepathic powers, and discover thay also have some telekinetic powers By the time the Earthers return, Jake and Grace can affect the control mechanisms on the Earthers ships. [Take it from there, Cameron ...]

Let me start off by saying that I am one of the people that saw Avatar multiple times in theaters and loved it. The CGI , as well as the 3D technology infused, were by far the best I have ever seen. James Cameron and all of the people who participated in the making of this movie did a tremendous job. Weta workshop is taking its place at the top of the mountain, as far as visual effects companies go. Watching this movie was like being transported to a different universe. I was completely immersed throughout the almost three hours I was in the theater. As for the story and acting for the film, I am probably in the minority on most of these reviews. The story for me, while predictable and reminiscent of other movies I'd seen previously (What movie isn't nowadays?), was extremely enjoyable. Watching this made me feel young again. It made me forget about all the worries that an adult life brings, and just enjoy myself in the moment. Many people argue that the acting in this movie was subpar. These people say that the portrayals of the characters were downright cartoonish. I would argue strongly against that. For the type of movie that this is, the good versus evil portrayals given by the actors works in the movie's favor. Sam Worthington especially does well. If you haven't seen him in Terminator: Salvation, do so. He made the movie worth watching. Now, to get to the actual product at hand. I ordered the Blu Ray / DVD combo pack from Amazon. From the moment the menu came onto my screen, I knew this was going to be something special. When I pressed play, there was no turning back. Over the next three hours, my senses were completely assaulted and my mind was dumbstruck. Simply put, James Cameron's Avatar on the Blu Ray format is the best picture and audio we have seen or heard to date. I have a feeling it will be years before anything better is brought to the table. Watching the visuals was more stimulating than looking at a real life forest. Every detail could be seen from far and away. The walls of my house shook, and I just hope the neighbors did hear. I would tell them to buy the movie themselves and experience it. With this release comes certain issues. While I don't have any of them myself, I will still talk about them as it would be uninformative of me to not. This release of Avatar is not in 3D. Many people complain about this, and a large percentage of those people do not even have the right equipment to properly experience 3D yet. The technology for home theater 3D is very new and very pricey. Next year, after all the quirks have been worked out, is when we will likely see Avatar in a home release 3D format. Another gripe is the complete lack of special features. This again has a good reason. In the Special Edition coming later this year, there will be scenes incorporated into the movie not even visually completed yet. Documentaries in high definition have to be put together. A commentary track needs to be recorded. No one is being forced to buy this "stripped" edition, however. I am one of the people who will knowingly double or triple dip on this. The reason for that is because I love it so much. Now to the biggest complaint. During the initial release, many people were complaining that Avatar would not play in their Blu Ray players. The reason for that seems to be some new copy protection put on the disc. While I was not one of the people with this problem, I can certainly sympathize with those who did. A new firmware update is all it will take to fix the issue. My PS3, which serves as my Blu Ray player, had a firmware update ready for me before I watched the movie. So if you are one of the millions who loved Avatar when you saw it in theaters, or one of the people who didn't get around to seeing it, now is your time. Pick this movie up right away without hesitation. Keep an open mind, and let yourself become immersed. You do not want to miss what many people believe is one of the top movies of all time.

WOW! I absolutely LOVED this movie. I wish that I had seen it in the theater on the big screen. This movie was very different and certainly right up my alley with the "energy" component. It has awesome scenery, gadgets, and creatures. It's about metaphysical energy, the spirits of animals, and our connectedness to nature and each other. It's also about the terrible things men do for greed. There are a group of approximately 12 foot blue people who live on planet Pandora. They live in peace with nature and the land, and live in appreciation and respect for all life forms (shamanistic principles). They are very much in sync with the energy vibrations of each other and spiritual beings. There is a mineral that the earth wants that Pandora has called unobtanium and this grey rock is worth $20 mil a kilo. Earth has brought a bunch of mercenary soldiers to Pandora determined to get unobtainium any way they can. The Avatar program is earth's attempt to bond with the blue people and learn as much about them as possible, to use the knowledge against them. An Avatar body is part human DNA and part blue people. Each program participant has their own avatar linked to their DNA, so they can interact together as one. To activate the Avatar body, you lock down into an electronic bed and meditate out. Then the Avatar body awakens, hence the name "Dreamwalker" by the locals. Jake Sully is a young wheel-chair bound marine who received spinal injuries while fighting for his country. His brother, Tom, was a scientist who signed up for the Avatar program. When Tom died, the contract was offered to Jake because Jake has the same DNA (that was already linked to the Avatar body). Grace is Sigourney Weaver, the scientist running the scientific part of the program. Colonel Miles Quaritch is running the military section and he is a tough dude. He asks Sully to get inside the blue people's heads and get him what info he needs to be able to control or conquer them and he will get Sully his legs back when Sully rotates home. (The operation is too expensive for Jake to handle alone.) The blue peopl's village is right on the richest deposit of unobtanium. Jake has 3 months before the bulldozers get there to befriend the blue people and convince them to move out of the way. So, like a good little soldier, Jake heads to the dangerous Pandora forest with Grace and others. Running from a wild beast and barely escaping, Jake is lost in the jungle overnight where he is helped by Neytiri (father is clan leader/chief; mother is a spiritual leader/shaman). Eywa is their name for God. After a spiritual sign, Neytiri introduces Jake to her parents and they assign Neytiri to teach Jake to be one of them. It's really cool to watch Jake learn the spiritual oneness that these people offer. As Jake learns from and appreciates the magnificent beauty in their culture, he begins to realize the "war" with the blue people is all about greed. There is so much in this movie to appreciate. The concepts of tying into the energy of all living things, living in peace and gratitude, sharing energy, that we are all connected and all energy beings, that there is a supreme spiritual being and spiritual helpers, the concept of taming your dragon--so much here that I already believe. My sincerest appreciation to the writer/director James Cameron for putting this movie out for the world to see. Even if it is all just sci-fi fantasy to you, the storyline is great! The colors are brilliant, the creativity is fantastic, the computer graphic imaging and animation is remarkable. I think this movie has something for everybody. I loved it. It's a movie that leaves you thinking about it. I know I will watch this movie many times. 2009/2010--162 minutes Note--My son said he saw a "making of" special on tv. They hired a professor to make up some words to use as the blue people's language. The professor developed a whole new language just for this movie! Is that cool or what! You will see the language woven into the movie with English subtitles. Note#2--I see where another reviewer said a lot of footage was cut out. Not having watched it in the theater, I was not aware anything was missing. Although I am anxious to see what was cut, I loved this movie as shown.

This is about the original movie and DVD only, not the 3-disc version being released tomorrow. I'm biased because I loved Avatar and saw it five times in the theaters. The 3D was excellent and enjoyable. By far the #1 complaint was that the special effects were incredible but the plot was boring and unoriginal. The FX are of course amazing but I liked the story as well - "Romeo and Juliet" set in outer space. Also, Mr. Cameron deserves a little more credit here than what he's been getting. This is an incomplete list and it'd take someone better informed than me to complete it, but here are some of the influences that I spotted: Sir James Frazier, Joseph Campbell, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Frank Frazetta, the Bible (love those Christ-figures), the aforementioned Shakespeare, Joseph Conrad, the Ramayana, Plains Indians, Amazon rain forest Indians, Gaia, T.H. Lawrence, the Masai, Vietnam, the Middle East and that's all I can think of right now. My point is that more thought went into the script than people seem to realize. It is of course very derivative, but there aren't too many totally unique plots out there (show me a few, please). At least Mr. Cameron used high-quality sources for his concept. Another complaint was Mr. Cameron's politics. I'm not a liberal or a leftist and I wasn't inconvenienced by any attempts to brainwash me into anti-American, anti-military, anti-consumerism, anti-business, anti-capitalism, anti-imperialism or anti-anything viewpoints. I just appreciated the movie and enjoyed the ride. I figured that Mr. Cameron needed despicable villains and henchmen as well as noble heroes and heroines, which is what any epic requires. Because the main evil-doer and his mercenaries and the corporate execs were American, some people got very offended. I just looked at them as handy, all-purpose scoundrels; not as representatives of something I was supposed to hate forevermore. Don't forget, the hero (and Christ-figure) was an ex-Marine. Didn't that balance things out for you? I don't know or care about James Cameron's personal philosophies, I just believe he intended to create an entertaining, enjoyable, enthralling movie and that he succeeded admirably. Anybody who only sees art produced by people who share the same outlook is missing out on a lot of what the world has to offer. You don't have to be converted in order to appreciate someone else's vision. There has to be a final note about the incredible FX. The visuals were undeniably spectacular and even people who hated the movie itself all agreed on that. A lot of diligence and work and thought and effort went into Avatar and it clearly shows. Mr. Cameron and his actors and crew and staff were obviously deeply committed to their vision and it showed in every scene. My only complaint was the soundtrack. A flick like this deserved a score on the same level as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" or "Once Upon a Time in the West" or "The Last of the Mohicans" or "The Magnificent Seven" (it was, after all, an exciting cowboy movie placed in outer space). It richly deserved a stirring and emotional soundtrack but instead there was mostly innocuous elevator music throughout. I love Leona Lewis but putting her song over the end credits wasted it, IMHO. It would've fit in better during the movie itself, also IMHO. Anyway, I highly recommend Avatar. Hard to imagine a more enjoyable film.

Nice to have picture fill the screen which is why we get the big tv's, 4k glitches at scene 26 to 31

First the problems: Stripped DVD - the movie that was ALL there was. Not one single extra. There was no reason for a menu. The movie and whether you wanted it subtitled or not. That was IT. I had pre-ordered this DVD and therefore had no idea it wasn't going to have anything on it at all other than the movie, and that is why I am displease extras was still pending - and for that reason, the fifth star is lacking. I will return this and re-purchase it when the release with the extra 40 minutes comes out; an entire sub-plot was cut to make the movie shorter and in my experience, anything cut from a James Cameron movie should not be cut - look at The Abyss; the part cut explained so much, without it, the alien's motivation didn't make sense, there was no reason without that missing few minutes. The fifth star will appear when I obtain the release with more than just the movie - and I had no advance warning that this was just the movie - the movie is 5+ stars, the packaging of it, without the omitted material, particularly the missing 20-40 minutes of the movie, will be 5 stars. And now the positives, which are self-evident, but I'll talk about them a bit: As far as content is concerned; It is a brilliant movie. James Cameron's gift is to take the important messages and put them in a package that the masses who don't CARE about issues will go and see - and nonetheless without being aware that it is happening, will they, nil they (i.e. "willynilly") pick up the message. Abyss has the same issues; Our inability to take care of the planet, our violence, how we are destroying the planet, our lack of evolution; how backward we are and insist on remaining, mired in violence, racism, ethnocentricity and stupidity - unable to value the important things, unable to value our planet. Hiyao Miyazaki does the same thing and his work is all wonderful as well, message movies - dressed in stunning anime, drawing in audiences who otherwise wouldn't watch a "message movie." The same gift, and many of the same issues. Unfortunately very few want to hear a genuine analysis. I've tried to talk about the real content of things; on Amazon? It's an invitation to get trolled. With respect to this movie, all anyone wants to talk about is tech and the special effects; and yes they were stunning and Cameron had to wait 11 years until the technology was sufficiently advanced such that he could make his vision possible. And so, yes - a lushly stunning visual experience. But... for me, the face that he melds the important issues with the admittedly stunning "eye candy" that everyone wants to see is his genius. Most go for the visual experience and the effects, but can't help absorbing at least some of the message; and in that he does a great service to and for all of us. Of course it was done this way in order to release a later edition with extras; but I find this practice reprehensible, as it's all about getting more money out of the consumer. I wanted those extras, and I am sending this copy back - and I'll wait until I can get one with the extras I wanted to see; with a movie as brilliant as this one (and yes, I do mean the plot also, Cameron's gift is in taking important messages and packaging them in effects such that the masses - everyone who wouldn't go to a "message" movie, do come to his movies. In that sense it was like Abyss, and many of the same (almost all of the same) messages. I love Avatar, but I truly wanted more, not just the movie, but with an event such as this one, there are so many "extras" - I wanted all of that, and got nothing.

Excellent movie.. worth renting or paying for..the whole series is great.

I liked the movie, so I'm giving it 5 stars. It has some of the best animation I've ever seen. It's even superior to FF7: Advent Children, which I own on BD. That movie is phenomenal, but seeing Avatar in 3d showed me that computer animation has vastly improved in the past few years. I think this is a movie worth owning if only for the technological aspect of it. Some people find the plot boring, a rip off, too predictable, etc. I agree. However, I don't watch movies for complicated plot devices and intricate character development. You cannot get that in 90 or even 120 minutes. (The only movies I've seen that even come close is the Sci-Fi channel's miniseries adaptation of Dune and Children of Dune. Both of which I own in the director's cut version; they're over 5 hours long each.) If you want detailed plots and characters, read 19th century novels. If you want some entertainment and decent plot and character development done in a limited amount of time, movies are much better for that. Avatar is entertaining, beautiful to look at, and has a positive message about not destroying the place where we live. Is it shallow? No more than anything else coming out of Hollywood. I'd say it's better than most of the movies I've seen in theaters lately. This version doesn't have special features. I don't like them because I never look at them anyway. I wish more BD were done without trailers, previews, forced ads and other junk. I hate having to watch ads on a product I buy. I can watch trailers on youtube. All of these things take up space on discs, often to the detriment of the AV quality of the movie. This version will make use of the large disc size to have the best picture and audio quality available. Is this a possible marketing ploy? Maybe. If they make use of the entire 50gb available on a BD-50 disc, then it will be literally the highest quality picture and sound ever offered on BD. I've never seen another BD devote the entire 50gb to just the movie. We will see in a few days whether or not it's a marketing ploy. If they make full use of the disc like they claim they're doing, I will be completely satisfied with my purchase. This movie comes bundled with a coupon to buy the Ultimate version coming out later, so I could sell this one in several months and buy that one at a discounted price. If you only want the BD and not the DVD, you can sell that too. You're getting a BD AND DVD copy for $20 along with a coupon to get the extended version. How this isn't a good deal is beyond me. I don't see why people are complaining about the lack of extras. Amazon should remove the one star reviews that only talk about how this is "fake" or inferior because it doesn't have special features. I don't want special features, and my 5 stars are for the movie itself. If you want special features, wait until they're done. They haven't finished making them yet, so they'll be out in November, a mere 7 months away. You can buy the movie now or the movie and special features later. This is not double or triple dipping. I'm glad the studios have announced their intentions. In my mind this makes them honest for telling the truth about what they're doing. We are all now informed consumers, so buy whatever version you want. For those that complain people won't know this doesn't have special features, I imagine people like to read the movie's info online or on the back cover at the store before they purchase it. If people don't read and, consequently, buy the wrong version, they are at fault for not taking the time to inspect a product before purchasing it. If you want only the movie, like me, then buy this version. Edit: After watching the movie numerous times on my HDTV, I'm still blown away by how good the picture looks. It really is stunning.

Lástima no haber leído las opiniones antes. El producto genial, la película se veía estupendamente, pero cuando la puse en Español, me di cuenta que era español latino y no trae más versiones. ¡Una pena! Lo que me da rabia es que me cuesta más hacer el envío para su devolución que quedármela.

AVATAR is what results when when cutting edge cinematographic science, unbounded and adventurous imagination and the enduring power and eternal relevance of myth intertwine. The synopsis above and the other posted reviews cover the storyline in detail, so I will not be touching on that so much. Instead, I want to focus on the underlying themes of what only appears to be a Saturday matinee fantasy and how AVATAR is a modern myth, a reflection of the zeitgeist ( spirit of the time ) ... Like everything that lives on Pandora, we too have a 'tuft of filaments', so to speak - the open and willing mind, aligned with the subconsious, through which we can access the deeper, vaster, supra-rational realm of knowledge that is the root of all storytelling. Beyond the barriers of language, age, geography, time and distance ... is the realm of Myth. And THIS is where AVATAR really earns its wings in the public mind, I think. Through populist entertainment AVATAR reaches a deeper common ground that is pan-cultural. Like Peter Jackson's cinema version of Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS, James Cameron has fashioned a world utterly complete and meticulously and cohesively realized. Pandora is so completely realized in every mintue detail that the wonder of it opens the mind up to a rarely seen receptivity. And it is also resonantly in tune with the deepest aspects of what is most important to us now as a species. With his committed vision he has given this modern myth a form and expression that is elegant, awe-inspiring, stirring and exciting. Nice combination. J.R.R. Tolkien created his masterpiece out of the ashes of a world war. His goal was to create a British myth, but one that addressed the very deep concerns of his day. It addressed honour between people and differing nations, looked into the very dark chasms of evil, obsession and power at all costs, condemned world domination and evoked the deep sadness at the loss of the natural world to the fires of industry and power. Now, nearly a century after the books were published, and a decade after the LOTRs as a film was first shown, we have a more modern myth. This one, never published as a book, is more planetary than national in scope and concern. It builds on what went before it, as all good stories do, but it also crystallizes and projects what is oceanically stirring, with increasing restlessness, in the world consciousness today. So to the endless chorus of criticism that cynically seeks to put AVATAR down for its supposedly unoriginal story line, I would answer with the suggestion that perhaps what Cameron intended was NOT to present a story line that was fashionably novel but preferred to transmit his vision in something grander and more universal than a glib, stylish screenplay. Go big or go home ... He went beyond mere filmic convention, as did Jackson, and into a realm that speaks of something deeper. AVATAR does that speaking with a less strident voice, one filled with the resonant verity of truth. For that kind of storytelling, we need to enter the realm of Myth and the Perennial Philosophy. It is important to remember here that Myth does not mean fantasy necessarily. Myth is a way of communicating ideas that go beyond everyday thinking, while using common and familiar conventions that move into a realm where much more fundamental pictures of life and reality are formed and accessed. And neither is it, as is understood in every day speech, a lie. SHANE, the 1952 classic western, was a modern retelling of the Messiah myth. O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, set in the Great Depression, was THE ODYSSEY. AVATAR gives us, like THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and other films like DISTRICT 9 and THE LAST SAMURAI a modern myth that expresses our deep need for the return to a paradigm that respects and works with all life, for a deeper awareness of nature, for integrity, for respect and cooperation among peoples, for honour, for compassion, for the end of exploitation as a way of life and the final capitulation of the corporate-military-political-industrial western mindset. In this, AVATAR has truly expressed, and mirrored brilliantlly, the modern zeitgeist. Visually, it is surely the most mind-blowing spectacle since THE LORD OF THE RINGS. For pure invention of an entirely different world, with every minutiae of detail meticulously crafted, it has gone beyond anything before it. Yet it is glaringly obvious that some of AVATAR's geography was quite clearly inspired by British artist Roger Dean, known world-wide for his work on the album covers for progressive rock band, YES. The Hallelujah Mountains on Pandora, gravity-less, cloud-wrapped and cascading with waterfalls are straight out of Deans work on FRAGILE, YESSHOWS and CLOSE TO THE EDGE. The gigantic, sweeping stone arches that surround the Tree of Souls, are right off the front covers of KEYS TO ASCENSION 1 & 2 and UNION. A footnote in the credits acknowledging Dean would have been a proper thing to do. While AVATAR could easily have done very well as awe-inspiring eye-candy, it DOES have a gripping and involving story line, characters you care about who are real and three-dimensional and it hits hard on issues that we DO need to face, that we do need to resolve, on the brink of peril. I think the fact that it lasted so long in theatres on first run is because it IS more than just eye candy, more than just grandiose cinematic fluff. Avatar is speaking to us VERY deeply. Giovanni Ribisi's smarmy, corporate worm is excellent, reminding me of Camerons early bad guy creation, Carter Burke, in ALIENS. Stephen Lang's uber-macho, testosterone-saturated Colonel embodies the technological and rigidly linear aggression of western power. Sigourney Weaver is her usual wonderful self, tough, committed and now a bit crusty ... with a big, warm heart. Zoe Saldana as Neytiri is the heart and strength of the film, the centre of gravity and prime mover. Sam Worthington as crippled marine grunt turned powerful mythical hero has done a beautiful job of taking a potential cardboard cutout and 'real-izing' him into something very satisfying. His transformation from military stooge, Jake Sully, into planet saving Omaticaya warrior is subtly and convincingly accomplished. There are NO weak spots in the cast and it is obvious that Cameron, for all the expected mud-slinging bad press, had the total committment of his cast and crew. That speaks volumes about him, as does his creation. Nothing breeds such vehement badmouthing in the arts like widespread and popular success, and even more so ... repeated success. Look how long it took Hollywood and the media to recognize Steven Spielberg. Like thousands, now millions, of people AVATAR redefined for me what it was to go see a movie. $15 CAD for me, is a lot to pay to see a film, but when I think of what this masterpiece did for me - the COMPLETE abandonment to the imagination, the totally willing surrender of disbelief, repeated wave after wave of childlike awe, my fingers gripped to my seat and my total emotional involvement ... hell, I would be willing to surrender that many times over to repeat it. BECAUSE this film works magnificently on all levels, not just visually and creatively, and because it was such an inspiring and gripping story, on the level of pan-global myth, I am MORE than happy to watch AVATAR on my TV screen. THE LORD OF THE RINGS still inspires on 21 inches of cathode, and now, so does AVATAR. While the 3D of the theatre version was something special to experience, the bottom line is this film still works its magic in my living room in 2D. I will say that the colour seems a little less saturated than the film and the picture quality is somewhat lacking - perhaps they rushed this edition out to meet demand. The later "Collectors' Edition is far superior in every way. In simple terms, AVATAR is a great film. It is a watershed in the history of cinema, all the 3D wow-factor aside, because it reaches down very deep into our psyches and gives voice to issues and priorities we as a species are now very, very much concerned with. It reaches into our hearts and expresses what our collective consciousness is calling out to see. Through the archetypal template of myth AVATAR retells to us, for today, a story as ancient as humanity itself. We are inextricably part of a world, a living organism itself. To ignore that or actively seek to dominate the forces and balances of this world, without responsibility, is to invite our own downfall. Hardly a 'novel' idea, but one that is as timeless as humanity. For for telling this story with such power, heart, imagination and virtuosic, artistic realization James Cameron has been a very profound success.

** DER FILM ** Wir schreiben das Jahr 2154: Ex-Marine Jake Sully ist gelähmt und weiß nichts mit seinem Leben anzufangen, als er eines Tages vom Tod seines Bruders erfährt. An dessen Stelle nimmt er am AVATAR-Experiment auf dem fernen Mond Pandora teil, bei dem sein Bewusstsein in das eines genetisch manipulierten Körpers übertragen wird, der aus der DNS der Ureinwohner Pandoras erschaffen wurde. Im Körper des 4 Meter großen Aliens kommt Jack bald in Kontakt zu den Ureinwohnern, den Na'vi, die er im Auftrag eines großen Konzerns ausspionieren soll. Denn die Na`vi leben über großen Vorkommen des wertvollen Minerals Unobtainium, weshalb sie umgesiedelt werden sollen. Doch die Ureinwohner fühlen sich mit ihrem Land verbunden und wehren sich gegen die Umsiedlung. In seinem Umgang mit den Na'vi begreift Jack bald, dass deren Leben eng mit der Vegetation auf Pandora verbunden ist. Eine Umsiedlung würde das Ende ihrer Kultur und ihres Volkes bedeuten. Der Rest der Handlung sollte allgemein bekannt sein. Camerons romantisch-verklärte Ethno-Fabel hat es schon in unzähligen anderen Varianten gegeben, angefangen bei POCAHONTAS über DER MIT DEM WOLF TANZT bis hin zu DER LETZTE SAMURAI. Und dabei weicht Cameron auch nicht vom Lehrpfad des Drehbuch-Schreibens ab. Die Charaktere sind flach, die Handlung hält keine Überraschungen bereit, die Botschaft wird den Zuschauern mit einem riesigen Zaunpfahl ins Gehirn gehämmert. Soweit so gut. Wodurch dieser Film wirklich besticht ist seine Optik!! AVATAR ist pure visuelle Magie, spätestens wenn Jack durch den nächtlichen Wald auf Pandora streift, der in das Licht der fluoreszierenden Pflanzen getaucht wird, bekommt man diesen angenehmen Zuckerschock. Kaum zu erfassen ist, wie viel Kreativität in die Designs von Pflanzen, Tieren, Maschinen, Na'Vi-Kultur und anderes gesteckt wurde. ** Versionen ** Auf der AVATAR EXTENDED COLLECTOR`S EDITION gibt es drei Fassungen des Films, die Kino-Fassung (162 Min.), die Extended-Kino-Fassung (171 Min.) und den Extended-Collectors-Cut (178 Min.), wobei letztere vermutlich von Fans bevorzugt wird. ** Specials ** Neben den Filmen und jede Menge Kleinkram (das Original-Drehbuch zum Nachlesen, Designs, Trailern, etc...) warten auf den Zuschauer über 8 Std Making-Ofs, mit beeindruckend tiefgehenden Einblicken hinter die Kulissen, in denen wirklich ernsthaft versucht wird, den Zuschauern die technischen und logistische Herausforderung bei diesem Projekt zu vermitteln. Und diese Specials sind für alle Film-Nerds fast so spannend wie der Film selbst. Erst nach dem Anschauen wird klar, warum die Filmemacher ihre Oscars wirklich verdient haben! So müssen Making-Ofs sei! Einziges Manko: Die Making-Ofs überschneiden sich inhaltlich manchmal, wodurch es zu doppelten Inhalten kommt. Dafür warten aber außerdem auch einige witzige Clips auf die Zuschauer, wie ein lustiger Film der MoCap-Crew und diverse Testaufnahmen. ** Bild-Qualität ** WOW! Mit AVATAR wurde ein neuer Standard für Blu-Ray-Bildqualität geschaffen. ENDLICH kann man das Wort Referenzqualität mal würdig gebrauchen. Und erstmals trifft der Slogan 'Schärfer als die Realität' wirklich zu! Die Kamerafahrten vor allem durch die Wälder Pandoras sind so atemberaubend klar, dass kein Blatt, keine Spinnwebe, kein Staubkorn übersehen wird. Und egal an welcher Stelle im Film man Standbild wählt, jeder Screenshot ist wie ein Gemälde! Die gesamte Speicherkapazität der Blu-Ray wurde voll ausgenutzt, ebenso der neuste Stand der Technik! Daher ist es wichtig bei allen Blu-Ray-Player die aktuellste Firmware Version runter zu laden, sonst könnte es Probleme bei der Darstellung geben. Zusammengefasst lässt sich sagen, dass es sich um eine grandiose Referenz-Qualität handelt, die höchstes High-def Feeling bietet! Kontrast und Schwarzwert sind perfekt. Und es gibt durchgehend gestochen scharfe Bilder mit hervorragender Detailwiedergabe. ** Soundqualität ** Auch wenn in der deutschen Ton-Spur keine DTS-HD Qualität geboten wird, auch der DTS 5.1 Sound ist herausragend! Egal ob bei den lebhaften, brachialen Sounds (Tier-Stampede, Turbinen), die dem Subwoofers einiges abverlangen oder den ruhigen Passagen (Waldstimmung), der Sound ist immer perfekt gemischt! Wer einmal die nächtliche Waldstimmung Pandoras mit all dem Zwitschern, Plätschern, Tropfen, Tiergeräuschen im DTS 5.1 gehört hat, will nie mehr etwas anderes! Der Surround-Effekt ist perfekt gelungen! Und für Soundfanatiker gibt's natürlich das englisch DTS HD Master. ** Fazit ** Eine Blu-Ray der Superlative, die selbst gestandene Film-Fans wie kleine Kinder staunen lässt. Eine perfektere Demo-Disc um die Qualität des eigenen Heimkinos zu demonstrieren gibt es nicht!!

Très bien conforme bonne qualité

Picture and sound really impressive enjoy the whole movie from start to end for collector must have it.