DVD Reviews

Avatar (Three-Disc Extended Collector's Edition) – DVD Review

By June L. Nov 29, 2010, 14:26 GMT

$Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron\'s return to feature directing since helming 1997\'s$

Avatar is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron\'s return to feature directing since helming 1997\'s ...more

Travel again to the world of Pandora, experience the beauty and the wonders, the heartbreaks and the triumphs in this story. Fall in love with the Na’vi people, their way of life, and the physical, mental and spiritual connection they have with their world.

If you are an Avatar fan or know a fan, there is no better Holiday gift than the Extended Collector’s Edition.

Unlike the resident scientist who has clocked at least eight viewings of Avatar, in 3-D and on television, I had only seen the film once. With work schedules, and not being able to travel with the scientist on his business jaunts, I missed multiple opportunities for repeat viewings. I have remedied that situation and have watched all three discs, and I am equally as enthralled as I was in the theater with 3D.

Nothing can duplicate a theater and a 3D screen, but in viewing the film on your own television, it allows you to notice small elements in the production that help make it so good, things that might have blown past in the wonderment of 3D but on home sets are noticeable and clever. Both of us are thrilled with this Extended Collector’s Edition DVD.

There is a great amount of information on the filming, both live action, and the complicated processes involved in creating action on Pandora and the Na’vi people.

If viewers didn’t already appreciate what a ground breaking achievement Avatar represents, watching the feature on Capturing Avatar, and all the special bits will certainly up their respect for James Cameron and his team.

Actors, designers, production crew, musicians, artisans and crafts persons all worked on creating the world of Pandora, and the technology of the avatar program.

The technology of the big business mining corporation is a formidable opponent, with giant heavy duty killing machines that they use to try and coerce the Na’vi into surrendering their land.

The story is simple, greed versus spirit, and familiar, as the strongest try to take from those less armed for battle. The spirit and convictions of the Na’vi are noble, protecting their connection to the land and what belongs to them has nothing to do with financial gain, but will they be able to succeed against machines.

The packaging for the set is beautiful, a slip cased mini-book illustrated with stills from the film and housed within the pages are three discs containing three different versions of the film.

The viewer can choose the original theatrical release, the Special Edition Re-Release, and a new 3 hour Collector’s Extended Cut that features sixteen minutes of additional footage.

There is a selection whereby the viewer may watch all the additional footage first, so that you are not “guessing” what you have and haven’t seen while watching the extended version of the film.

The alternate beginning that takes place on Earth has interesting points of back story for Jake, allowing the viewer to know him better before he takes the mission to Pandora. There are 45 minutes of deleted scenes, and those along with the unfinished scenes give viewers an even better portrait of the Na’vi.

There are many who would like to see these scenes finished, and more of life on Pandora. There is also a family friendly audio in which the feature film is played without objectionable language in spite of which parents might want to be careful with extremely young or sensitive children due to the amount of violence in the battle scenes.