I first saw Avatar in theaters a few weeks after its release. I thought I avoided the crowds seeing it six weeks past its release date, but to my surprise I was in a packed out theater late at night with a bunch of people who probably were thinking the same thing I was. It’s no wonder this film has gone on to be the highest grossing film of all time, and rightfully so. Never in my life would I have expected to have the experience in a movie theater with a film, than I did watching Avatar in 3D. it was one hell of an experience and now that the Extended Blu-ray Collector’s Edition is available; the experience might not be the same as watching the film on the big screen in 3-D, but its comes in a close second.
I’ve heard people who don’t care for the film call it a rip off of Ferngully: The Last Rainforest and Pocahontas. In a sense they re right as Avatar does have the same plotline that those films do. Yet so do dozens of other films I can think of. The majority of critics fail to recognize that there are thirty six basic plots that screenwriters follow. Basically, every story we read, see or hear bases themselves off of one of these thirty six basic plots. Avatar uses them, and so do the majority of all the other films out there. With that said, Avatar is very similar in its basic plot to that of the above mentioned.
The film is about an army of human in the far off future that invade the planet of Pandora inhabited by the Na’vi, a race of spiritual driven aliens that are one with the planet. They are peaceful beings who want nothing more but to be left alone. The reason why humans have invaded the planet is simple; Money! A rare valuable mineral called unobtanium is found in abundance on the planet and it just so happens to right under the home tree of the Na’vi. Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic former Marine, replaces his twin brother, a scientist trained as an avatar operator but murdered in a robbery. Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), head of the Avatar Program, considers Sully an inadequate replacement for his brother and assigns him as a bodyguard. Though a transformation, scientists grow Na’vi-human hybrid bodies called avatars that are operated via mental link by genetically matching humans. Sully and Grace enter their avatars and are able to join up with the native Na’vi and try to convince them to help out the human invaders. However, as they begin to see what the Na’vi are like and the way they respect and treat all things around them. Sully begins to spend more time in his avatar and less in his human form. Deciding to do what is right, Sully and a small group of other humans join up with the Na’vi to fight off the greedy Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) and the war mongering Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and defend the planets life forms and do what is right.
Avatar is a film that runs over three hours. At times the film can drag a bit, but one can’t help but be dragged in by its great complex story and stunning visual effects. With a budget well over two hundred and thirty seven millions dollars, and not to mention the money used to create the technology to create the film, it’s no wonder that it’s one of the most appealing eye pleasers in cinema history.
James Cameron is an exceptional filmmaker. With the exception of maybe Piranha Part Two, I cannot think of one film of his that I disliked. Titanic, no matter what anyone’s personal preference and maybe dislike of some of the actors in the film is nothing more than a masterpiece and with films like The first two Terminator films, Aliens and The Abyss the man has become more of a legend in the world of Science Fiction. Avatar is film that solidifies him as the most successful director in box office history and a great Master of Science fiction story telling.
The Avatar Blu-ray disc and DVD did not include any kind of bonus or special features when they were released earlier this year. I know this kind of ticked off a lot of people who bought the disc, and I’ve seen all the complaints on almost every message board on every single popular movie website on the web. The thing is Avatar is such a big film that putting out a bare bones Blu-ray and DVD combo pack was done to get it out to the people who don’t go out to theaters so they can enjoy it at home. Fox and Cameron have been open about this, and now that the Extended Blu-ray Collector’s Edition is here; fans of the film can rejoice in all that it has to offer.
First off; I would like to go on record as saying this is now officially the best Blu-ray disc I own. I thought FOX could not be outdone this year with the release of the Alien Anthology, However the Avatar Blu-ray, with it’s packaging and all the glorious artwork, and features, its a nice looking disc to have sitting on your movie shelf. The fiest disc in the collection includes the films Original Theatrical Release, the Collectors Extended Cut with sixteen additional minutes added to the film. The Special Edition re-release with eight extra minutes added to the film, and the optional Family Audio Track, where all bad language has been replaced with other, more friendly dialogue. Disc 2, Filmmakers Journey includes never before seen deleted scenes, Exclusive Documentary: Capturing Avatar, A Message from Pandora and more production materials. Disc 3: Pandora’s Box includes features such as Scene Deconstruction, Production Featurettes, Avatar Archives and the BD-LIVE Portal.
Avatar is to this generation of movie goers as Star Wars was to me when I was a child. With a sequel recently being announced and the films success, I see Avatar as being the next great science fiction franchise. Other than the fact that the film is long I have no complaints whatsoever about the film. Its visuals are the best I have ever seen in any film that has involved any kind of effects to enhance the movie going experience. Whether or not you got to experience the film in 3D or not, it is one of the best movie going experience that you’ll ever have. This Extended Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is the next best thing you will get to that theater going experience.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
