Product Description
-------------------
Experience the spectacular world of James Cameron's Avatar as
never before with this all-new three-disc extended collector’s
edition. The journey begins with three movie versions: the
original theatrical release, the special edition re-release, and
the exclusive extended cut not shown in theaters. And that's just
what's on the first Blu-ray disc. The set's bonus feature run
more than eight hours and include over 45 minutes of deleted
scenes; actor's screen tests; on-location footage; feature-length
documentaries on the film's groundbreaking production; an
interactive scene-deconstruction feature that lets you explore
different levels of production for 17 scenes; a comprehensive
guide to the world of Pandora; and more. The greatest adventure
of all time just got bigger and better.
.com
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Here's what we had to say about the original theatrical edition
of Avatar after seeing it on the big screen:
After 12 years of thinking about it (and waiting for movie
technology to catch up with his visions), James Cameron followed
up his unsinkable Titanic with Avatar, a sci-fi epic meant to
trump all previous sci-fi epics. Set in the future on a distant
planet, Avatar spins a simple little parable about greedy
colonizers (that would be mankind) messing up the lush tribal
world of Pandora. A paregic Marine named Jake (Sam
Worthington) acts through a 9-foot-tall avatar that allows him to
roam the planet and pass as one of the Na'vi, the blue-skinned,
large-eyed native people who would very much like to live their
peaceful lives without the interference of the visitors. Although
he's supposed to be gathering intel for the badass general
(Stephen Lang) who'd like to lay waste to the planet and its
inhabitants, Jake naturally begins to take a liking to the Na'vi,
especially the feisty Neytiri (Zoë Saldana, whose entire
performance, recorded by Cameron's complicated motion-capture
system, exists as a digitally rendered Na'vi). The movie uses
state-of-the-art 3D technology to plunge the viewer deep into
Cameron's crazy toy box of planetary ecosystems and high-tech
machinery. Maybe it's the fact that Cameron seems torn between
his two loves--awesome destructive gizmos and flower-power
message mongering--that makes Avatar's pursuit of its point
ultimately uncertain. That, and the fact that Cameron's dialogue
continues to clunk badly. If you're won over by the movie's
trippy new world, the characters will be forgivable as broad,
useful archetypes rather than standard-issue stereotypes, and you
might be able to overlook the unsurprising central plot. (The
overextended "take that, Michael Bay" final battle sequences
could tax even Cameron enthusiasts, however.) It doesn't measure
up to the hype (what could?) yet Avatar frequently hits a giddy
delirium all its own. The film itself is our Pandora, a
sensation-saturated universe only the movies could create.
--Robert Horton
Versions of Avatar on Blu-ray and DVD
Edition Format Release Date Special Features Avatar (Extended
Collector's Edition) ( /dp/B0044XV3QY ) Three Blu-ray Discs Nov.
16, 2010 Three versions of the movie including the previously
unreleased extended cut, plus more than eight hours of bonus
features including over 45 minutes of deleted scenes, interactive
scene deconstruction, Pandorapedia, documentaries and
featurettes, and BD-LIVE content (requires compatible player and
Internet connection) Avatar (Extended Collector's Edition) (
/dp/B0044XV3R8 ) Three DVDs Nov. 16, 2010 Three versions of the
movie including the previously unreleased extended cut, plus more
than three hours of bonus features including documentaries and
over 45 minutes of deleted scenes Avatar (Original Theatrical
Edition) ( /dp/B003EVWDR0 ) Digital Purchase Apr. 22, 2010 None
Avatar (Original Theatrical Edition) ( /dp/B003LFLOOW ) Digital
Rental May 9, 2010 None --> Avatar (Original Theatrical Edition)
( /dp/B002VPE1B6 ) Two-disc Blu-ray/
DVD combo Apr. 22, 2010 None Avatar (Original Theatrical Edition)
( /dp/B002VPE1AW ) DVD Apr. 22, 2010 None
Contents of the Blu-ray Extended Collector's Edition
What follows is the back-of-the box summary of the Blu-ray set's
contents and then a complete listing of everything that's
included.
Disc 1: Three Movie Versions
* Original Theatrical Edition (includes family audio track with
objectionable language removed)
* Special Edition Re-Release (includes family audio track with
objectionable language removed)
* Collector’s Extended Cut with 16 additional minutes, including
alternate opening on earth
Disc 2: Filmmaker's Journey* Over 45 minutes of
never-before-seen deleted scenes
* Capturing Avatar: Feature-length documentary covering the
16-year filmmakers’ journey, including interviews with James
Cameron, Jon Landau, cast and crew
* A Message from Pandora: James Cameron’s visit to the rainforest
* The 2006 art reel: Original pitch of the Avatar vision
* Brother termite test: Original motion capture test
* The ILM prototype: Visual effects reel
* Screen tests: Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana
* Zoë’s life cast: Makeup session footage
* On-set footage as live-action filming begins
* VFX progressions
* Crew film: The Volume
Disc 3: Pandora's Box* Interactive scene deconstruction: Explore
the stages of production of 17 different scenes through three
viewing modes: capture level, template level, and final level
with picture-in-picture reference
* Production featurettes: Sculpting Avatar, Creating the Banshee,
Creating the Thanator, The AMP Suit, Flying Vehicles, Na’vi
Costumes, Speaking Na’vi, Pandora Flora, Stunts, Performance
Capture, Virtual Camera, The 3D Fusion Camera, The Simul-Cam,
Editing Avatar, Scoring Avatar, Sound Design, The Haka: The
Spirit of New Zealand
* Avatar original script
* Avatar screenplay by James Cameron
* Pandorapedia: Comprehensive guide to Pandora
* Lyrics from five songs by James Cameron
* The art of Avatar: Over 1,850 images in 16 themed galleries
(The World of Pandora, The Creatures, Pandora Flora, Pandora
Bioluminescence, The Na’vi, The Avatars, Maquettes, Na’vi
Weapons, Na’vi Props, Na’vi Musical Instruments, RDA Designs,
Flying Vehicles, AMP Suit, Human Weapons, Land Vehicles,
One-Sheet Concepts)
BD-Live Extras* BD-Live extras require a BD-Live-enabled player
and an Internet connection. The following extras may be available
a limited-time only and are subject to change over time: Crew
Short: The Night Before Avatar; additional screen tests,
including Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH
Pounder, and Laz Alonso; speaking Na’vi rehearsal footage; Weta
Workshop: walk-and-talk presentation