James Cameron doesn't make bad movies, but rather makes entertaining movies, producing some of the most entertaining movies ever made. Beneath all the action and the special effects that have dominated his films, from The Terminator to Titanic, lie relatively simple stories filled with just enough relatable characters to suck the audience in. The perfect example of Cameron's talent is the worldwide sensation known as Avatar, a film that's technologically impressive and visually captivating, with just enough story and relatable characters to keep the film moving along at a rapid pace. But does it carry over well from the big (3-D) screen to the small (2-D) screen? The short answer: yes.
A wheelchair-bound ex-Marine, Jake (Sam Worthington), is hired by a mining corporation to replace his recently deceased twin brother on a mission to use his genetically unique avatar to explore the distant planet of Pandora. Jake's avatar is a walking, talking, breathing (and blue) 7-foot-tall member of the Na'vi, the native race of beings that inhabit Pandora, and who share a deep connection with nature and the environment. Once Jake's avatar is accepted into the Na'vi clan as one of their own, he strikes up a relationship with Neytiri (Zoë Saldana), the warrior princess who teachers Jake the Na'vi way. When the mining company's hired gun (Stephen Lang) leads a military strike against the Na'vi in order to destroy their land and mine for a valuable mineral, all hell breaks loose in the ultimate battle of epic proportions between man and the Na'vi.
What more can be said about Avatar at this point that hasn't been said already? Everyone under the sun has seen the film at least once, and it continues to hold its spot as the world's highest-grossing film of all time. We've seen its formulaic storyline a few times before, most profoundly (for me, at least) in 1990's Dances With Wolves, but as I stated earlier, Cameron is known for giving us an entertaining ride from beginning to end, so regardless of how played out the basic storyline in Avatar is, it still works.
Now that Avatar is hitting Blu-ray (and DVD), the big question is whether it holds up on the small screen without the glory of 3-D. And I'm happy to report that yes, Avatar is still an incredibly amazing-looking film filled with dazzling special effects, a rich and vibrant color palette, and images that are so crystal clear it's as if the world of Pandora exists on the other side of your TV. Anything less than Blu-ray will probably do the film an injustice; its transfer is so flawless and awe-inspiring that even though the film is presented in 2-D, it feels as if much of the film is still in 3-D, as its high-definition images literally appear to pop off the screen. For a film to give the appearance of being 3-D is quite impressive, contributing to Avatar earning its weight in gold in terms of its Blu-ray feature quality.
However, all is not perfect with this release. Where the Avatar Blu-ray fails is in its lack of special features. And when I say lack of special features, I mean there isn't a single special feature on the entire disc. Yes, the Blu-ray comes with a separate DVD, but the DVD is just as bare-bones. There's not a single making-of documentary, there's no commentary by Cameron or any of the cast and crew, there's not even a trailer. There's absolutely nothing in terms of extra content. What makes this such a jab at the consumer and all of the Avatar fans out there, is that this film screams for special features and actually merits a second disc of content detailing the making of Pandora and all of the innovative CGI work that went with it. Instead they've released just the movie, giving you a small taste and leaving you hungry for more.
The bottom line is this: Avatar looks and sounds amazing on Blu-ray, with images so crisp, clear, and vibrant that it literally appears as if the action jumps off the screen and into your lap. However, the actual disc itself is one of the weakest Blu-ray releases to date, providing only the movie and nothing else in terms of extras, as if it were designed for the rental market and no one else. This won't be a big deal for those just looking to watch the movie; for others, it will be a huge disappointment. My advice would be to hold off until the end of the year and pick up the ultimate special edition of Avatar, which will no doubt feature all the extra content you could ever hope for.
Experience the biggest movie ever made with Avatar on Blu-ray, now available from 20th Century Fox.
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