On the lush alien world of Pandora live the Na’vi, beings who appear primitive but are highly evolved. Because the planet’s environment is poisonous, human/Na’vi hybrids, called Avatars, must link to human minds to allow for free movement on Pandora. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paralyzed former Marine, becomes mobile again through one such Avatar and falls in love with a Na’vi woman (Zoe Saldana). As a bond with her grows, he is drawn into a battle for the survival of her world.
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Video Quality
The new Collector’s Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Avatar arrives almost exactly six months after the film first debuted on the format. You are undoubtedly wondering how this differs from that cheaper release and if there is enough difference to upgrade this one yet again. In addition to a new disc entirely dedicated to special features, this new release offers the film in Dolby Vision for the first time on physical media. The previous HDR10 release was gorgeous, but Dolby Vision has a way of finessing things to an even more impressive level. This may not be enough to convince casual home theater enthusiasts to upgrade, but this release also provides the Special Edition Re-Release Cut and Collector’s Extended Cut in 4K UHD for the first time on physical media. The previous release only included the Theatrical Cut, but this new version has the additional two versions that can be accessed through the Setup menu.
To start with the biggest technical difference from the previous release, we have the implementation of Dolby Vision to explore the full glory of Pandora. Every environment is filled with lush colors that are further enriched by the nuances of Dolby Vision/HDR. Whenever you witness the glowing lights in the water at night or the shades within the forest, you are in for a treat. The skin tones of the human characters are likewise natural and detailed. The deep black levels help out the scenes taking place at night or within shadows. The highlights in the film are more firmly defined with white levels pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found even in the brightest instances. The difference between Dolby Vision and HDR10 in this instance is incremental at best, but it does allow the film to reach its full potential for those who want every ounce of potential realized.
In terms of the two new cuts, the additional footage remains remarkably consistent with the primary footage from the Theatrical Cut. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray offers a pretty solid uptick in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray which has always been a visual treat. While not as refined as Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron knows how to deliver something magical, and this film holds up every inch visually as it did when it was first released. One of the biggest differences compared to its sequel is that Avatar spends a bit more time in the human world, and this is where you will find the biggest improvements. Fine detail within the labs is more apparent than ever with this increased resolution. This extends to the textures of the lab coats and the military uniforms. There are subtle increases within the digital environments, but the leaps are not as big due to the already great previous HD presentation. 20th Century Studios and Disney have really presented something dazzling with the Collector’s Edition 4K UHD release.
Audio Quality
While the visual upgrade might be the draw for most, the audio upgrade is arguably the more impressive aspect of this disc. This disc comes equipped with a Dolby Atmos presentation for the Theatrical Cut that opens up this world much more than the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track on the Blu-Ray. This is readily apparent in the overhead channels which carry a substantial amount of information that allows the soundscape to flourish in three dimensions. Environmental details are executed well in the rear and overhead channels to capture the complex world. That being said, the Special Edition Re-Release Cut and Collector’s Extended Cut are presented with the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, and it still packs a mighty punch.
Sounds are deftly rendered with precise directionality from the more action-packed scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Dialogue is presented clearly without ever being overshadowed by any of the competing sonic elements. The beautiful James Horner score adds so much pathos to this film, and it permeates the room with stunning fidelity. The only slight criticism of this track is that the low end could perhaps use a bit more power, but what we are given is still an unforgettable audio experience. There are optional English SDH, French, Spanish, and German subtitles provided.
Special Features
Disc One & Two (Feature Film)
- Theatrical Release (2:42:02), Special Edition Re-Release (2:50:53), and Collector’s Extended Cut (2:58:28)
- Direct Access To New/Additional Scenes
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- From Special Edition Re-Release (16:48)
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- From Collector’s Extended Cut (32:48)
Disc Three (Special Features)
- Behind-The-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau: An 18-minute presentation with producer Jon Landau along with archival footage and an interview with James Cameron that takes you through the initial development of the film, the casting, the training, the visual effects, and much more.
- Colonel Miles Quaritch RDA Promos: A seven-minute collection of unreleased promos with Stephen Lang.
- A Message From Pandora: A 20-minute featurette in which James Cameron talks about his lifelong interest in protecting the environment.
- Deleted Scenes – Never-Before-Seen: A 71-minute collection of unused material is provided here with various levels of unfinished special effects.
- Scene Deconstruction: An interactive piece that allows you to explore a scene by toggling through three different stages of completion. There are 17 scenes totaling 66 minutes provided.
- Archives – Script, Artwork, Marketing
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- Theatrical Trailer (3:32)
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- Teaser Trailer (2:05)
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- Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana Special Shoot
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- Avatar – The Original Scriptment
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- Avatar – Screenplay Written By James Cameron
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- The Art of Avatar
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- Avatar – The Songs
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- Pandorapedia
Disc Four (Special Features)
- Memories From Avatar: A nearly 22-minute new retrospective conversation with Jon Landau, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang in which they reflect on their audition process, skills they picked up working on the movie, the training that went into the experience, how the film changed their lives and more.
- Avatar: A Look Back: A new 10-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss their experiences with the film, the resonance it has had worldwide, and more.
- Capturing Avatar: A 99-minute documentary that takes you from the initial seeds of an idea and early test footage of the technology to the release of the film. You get so much great information about how the creative team had to evolve with technology, the creation of this world from the creatures and environments to the sounds and beyond, and more that gives you great insight into this undertaking.
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- Part One (27:08)
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- Part Two (27:17)
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- Part Three (24:08)
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- Part Four (19:51)
- Featurettes: An epic 1 hour and 32 minute collection of featurettes that explores how the creative team brought this world to life, the characters and performances, the visual effects, the score, and much more that is incredibly enlightening.
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- Sculpting Avatar (3:46)
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- Creating The Banshee (9:52)
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- Creating The Thanator (3:21)
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- The Amp Suit (4:31)
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- Flying Vehicles (5:14)
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- Na’vi Costumes (4:14)
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- Speaking Na’vi (6:37)
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- Pandora Flora (5:41)
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- Stunts (5:14)
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- Performance Capture (6:33)
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- Virtual Camera (3:21)
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- The 3D Fusion Camera (3:44)
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- The Simul-Cam (2:19)
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- Editing Avatar (7:00)
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- Scoring Avatar (6:07)
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- Sound Design (8:51)
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- The Haka – The Spirit of New Zealand (5:18)
- Production Materials
Final Thoughts
Avatar has been simmering in the cultural consciousness over the years while more flashy properties have come and gone, but it is an experience that cannot be completely forgotten. The story is directly parallel to many that have come before, but director James Cameron finds a way to make it his own and build out the culture he has created. The special effects are still incredible and top most movies that come out these days. Some of the human performances can be a bit wooden, but overall it offers a fun cinematic experience. Disney Home Entertainment has released a Collector’s Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a 5-star A/V presentation, multiple cuts of the films, and an unbelievable assortment of special features. Fans will have an absolute blast with this one. Recommended
Avatar: Collector’s Edition is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.