Reviewing the Blu-ray Disc version of James Cameron’s Avatar is akin to informing a calculus professor that four is divisible by two. Those of you who did not see it once or more theatrically are the exception rather than the rule. While those who did already understand its abundance of computer generated imagery combined with the maximization of disc space for the film should – and does – result in the holy grail of Blu-ray high definition presentations usually reserved for Pixar films: perfection. So what’s the point?
Regardless of endless technical accolades, there is an unmistakable void while watching Avatar at home for the first time that have nothing to do with the three additional discs of content or new footage coming later this year. I never thought these words would come from me but now they must. The 3D in Avatar’s theatrical presentation is sorely missed on Blu-ray.
In my theatrical review of Avatar I boasted, “…not only do all the brilliant colors of Pandora look spot on in 3D, the depth of the image is far beyond any previously released 3D film. Jake’s awakening from hyper-sleep aboard a giant spaceship stretches the image into a black hole that you could reach out and never touch the end. The effect is amazing; a tease if you will, of what the rest of the film holds.” This technology, combined with the amazing motion capture work and CGI, helped salvage a retreaded story crafted for mass appeal at the expense of taking narrative chances. You become so immersed in Cameron’s faux three-dimensional world that the story becomes secondary.
Avatar’s impact is diminished slightly and its predictability harder to mask without the benefit of arguably the best 3D utilized in film to date. For the majority of Avatar Blu-ray buyers, the first viewing at home will be the first in 2D after having seen it theatrical one or more times. Opinions will be forged and lines will be drawn between the 2D and 3D versions. It’s a shame a Blu-ray 3D version cannot be simultaneously to please everyone.
High-Def Presentation
James Cameron, producer Jon Landau and Fox Home Entertainment took a lot of flack for shunning bonus features in favor of creating the first unofficial “Super Bit” Blu-ray release. Per Landau, the Avatar Blu-ray’s available space is fully utilized to maximize the film’s audio and video bitrate. Any argument to the contrary is moot after the first 30 seconds are played.
Combining beautifully rendered CGI and the colorful flora and fauna of Pandora with 1080p video is like a picturesque wedding for the perfect bride and groom that were meant to be together. Everywhere there are new details missed the first time around, even if seeing it theatrically 10 times or more. Consequently the amazing picture quality reveals some instances where the CGI could use some polishing. Like any picturesque wedding, a few small missteps are forgotten by the time the bride and groom drive off into the starry night.
Cameron is not a filmmaker who takes audio lightly and Avatar is no exception coming off of impressively loud Titanic, True Lies Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Everything you could want from a lossless audio track, from thunderous bass to consistently active surrounds whether guns are firing or not, rifles from the speakers throughout the film. The only way this audio track could be improved upon would be to offer 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio instead of 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Even then any improvement in additional directionality would be negligible.
D-BOX Motion Code
Reference quality audio and video in Avatar are supported by an equally impressive use of D-BOX Motion Code that ranks up there with the best. All the ingredients are there for a strong D-BOX experience: explosions, really big guns, lots of flying and close quarters combat. These moments, of which there are many, are as jarring and immersive as you’d expect.
There are D-BOX surprises in Avatar as well from the Thanator chase sequence and AMP Suits. I was prepared for flying to be my favorite but the AMP Suit jerky movements, thuds when walking, thunderous gun bursts and their final confrontation with the wildlife of Pandora are the most memorable. Jake jumping off a cliff to cap the violent Thanator chase and waking up in weightlessness after hypersleep are also extremely well executed. The only noticeable absense of D-BOX is during the first portion of credits that feature similar flying footage from the film’s beginning. A small gripe in otherwise exemplary use of motion with film.
Beyond the Feature
While there are no supplemental materials on the physical Avatar Blu-ray Disc, there is a unique code packaged with every Avatar Blu-ray that allows you to join the Avatar Program via your computer. The program promises “exclusive first looks & sneak peeks, content & updates, money-saving offers.” Other than that there is only a reflective outer sleeve and second disc which includes the standard definition DVD version of the film. After watching the high-def Blu-ray presentation, the DVD is about as enticing to remove from the packaging as a wart.
Buyers expected a perfect quality presentation from Avatar on Blu-ray and they got what can be considered one of, if not the ultimate reference quality disc to show off high definition gear. For the handful of Blu-ray adopters not part of the record 1.5 million people who purchased Avatar on its first day of availability, the question of whether to buy this set now or wait for the upcoming four-disc set in November is a matter of personal preference and gauging one’s budget. By the time November rolls around, the same question will be raised again in reference to waiting for the 2011 Blu-ray 3D version. I already have my sights set on that one.
The only advice I can offer those on the fence is you know what you’re getting with this first edition of Avatar on Blu-ray and it’s all good, even if technically incomplete.
– Dan Bradley
Shop for Avatar on Blu-ray at a discounted price from Amazon.com.
