Available on June 16, James Cameron’s Avatar: Movie Collection that includes all three films (9 discs) in Digital and Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD. Probably the most amazing undertaking in film, Cameron’s original 2009 edition of Avatar, The Way of Water, plus his newest sequel Fire and Ash is action, cinematography, story and excitement. Filled with hours of special features and bonus videos, it’s an adventure Sci-fi epic for fan libraries.
The basic storyline begins on the galactic moon of Pandora that is rich in a mineral called unobtanium. The mineral is highly desired by the planet Earth and will go to length to mine it in outer space. However in order to mine the ore, the humans have regenerate themselves in the form of an Avatar due to an atmosphere that’s poisonous to human bodies. Not welcomed by the tribes including the Na’vi, the humans fight for control of the planet. As the fighting progressives the Na’vi retreat to other locations on Pandora. Each chapter finds the action more thrilling, compelling, unpredictable and dazzling than the first.
Probably Director James Cameron’s best cinematic and script efforts since The Titanic and he spares no expense bringing a combined budget into the billions of dollars. And it shows with the amazing CGI, cinematography and massive cast and crew. I for one was blown away by the continuous surprises involving the adventures of the Na’vi and the Metkayina (a new tribe of oceanic people) and found myself rooting against the humans.
Absolutely clear and seamless each movie has the power to bring the experience into the home setting. And if you are using 4K sound systems, the chills, spills and high energy are extremely good. That said, even the most reasonable projection systems deliver all the adventure from each episode.
Bonus Features Include:
”Memories from Avatar” – Producer Jon Landau leads a spirited conversation with cast members, Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang, recalling warm memories from production and reflecting on the extraordinary success of Avatar.
“Avatar: A Look Back” – In this retrospective, cast and filmmakers reflect on their extraordinary journey making Avatar, the groundbreaking technologies they used to create an unparalleled cinematic experience, and the profound effect the film had on audiences worldwide.
“Capturing Avatar” – Journey with James Cameron and crew in this feature-length documentary, as they embark on a film the likes of which the world had never seen.
“Part One “– After years of testing, research and design, James Cameron’s tackled Avatar, “the most complex film” in his storied career.
“Part Two” – Actors and technology are pushed to the limit as James Cameron pushes the boundaries of a groundbreaking, new filmmaking paradigm.
“Part Three” – James Cameron used ground-breaking technology to merge the virtual and live-action elements of his film
“Part Four” – The edit room became ground zero as music, sound and visual effects were finalized in order to make the film’s release date.
Featurettes
“Sculpting Avatar” – Explore how clay maquettes were sculpted to help bring Avatar’s characters and creatures to life
“Creating the Banshee” – Discover all that went into designing the Banshees, high-flying predators of the Pandoran sky
“Creating the Thanator”– James Cameron and team reveal how the most terrifying beast in the Pandoran rain forest was brought to the screen
“The AMP Suit” – Explore the design of the AMP (Amplified Mobility Platform) and discover why it was the perfect weapon for Colonel Quaritch
“Flying Vehicles” – Explore the design of the RDA’s gunships and how they helped ground the story in a realistic world audiences could connect to
“Na’vi Costumes” – Discover the costumes of Avatar and why it was essential to create real-world costumes for characters that were seen only in a virtual world
“Speaking Na’vi” – Delve into the complex Na’vi language created for Avatar, and the challenging task for the cast who had to speak it
“Pandora Flora” – Explore the science behind the Pandoran rainforest, including the exotic plants and bioluminescence
“Stunts” – James Cameron and Avatar’s stunt coordinators discuss how they learned to move like a Na’vi, ride a Leonopteryx, and more
“Performance Capture” – Discover how the actors’ actions, emotions and spirit were captured in performance and transferred to a virtual character
“Virtual Camera” – Discover the virtual camera system that allowed James Cameron to apply camera angles, lighting and movement to his scenes long after the performance capture phase was completed
“The 3D Fusion Camera” – Explore the newly designed 3D Fusion camera system which enabled the filmmakers to create an immersive stereographic experience
“The Simul-Cam” – See how the newly created Simul-Cam seamlessly integrated the virtual world with the live action camera, allowing Jake’s avatar to appear in a scene with real-world actors
“Editing Avatar” – James Cameron and the film’s editors reveal the unique challenges they faced editing Avatar, and the benefits of “learning as you go
“Scoring Avatar” – Composer James Horner and James Cameron discuss how Avatar’s score was grounded in the familiar while evoking a breathtaking new world
“Sound Design” – Explore the sounds of Pandora, including the Banshee, Direhorse and Thanator, as well as the near-future engineering sounds of the Dragon, Scorpion and more
“The Haka: The Spirit of New Zealand” – On the final day of production, the New Zealand stuntmen honored James Cameron with a traditional Haka dance.
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet
Directed and co-written by: James Cameron
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language
Running Time: 3 hrs. 12 min.
Video Release Date: June 20, 2023
Language: English
Reviewed Format: 4K Digital UHD
Audio: Dolby Atmos
Subtitles: English SDH, and many more
Distributed by: 20th Century Home
