Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Blu-Ray Review - Avatar


Avatar is the blockbuster of director James Cameron following similar success with his previous, Titanic from 1997, I will leave out the plot synopsis and my thoughts on the film itself and refer you to my review of the film's theatrical release in December 2009.

Video:

Let me put it this way, PERFECT, yes this Blu-ray is one of the two or three best Blu-Ray transfers I have seen nudging up just behind the Hot Fuzz Blu-Ray and the Complete Blade Runner Collection, and that's because I enjoy those two films a lot more than this one, the outdoor scenes of Pandora are as good as you could hope, frequently making me curse as it looked so good, the interior scenes are slightly soft but that is mainly down to the cinematography style, not the fault of this wonderful transfer.

Audio:

Again, like the video transfer, the audio is pitch perfect, mixed at all the right levels, quiet when needed, loud when needed and plenty of ambiance to go with it, the final showdown between the natives and the marines should give the speakers a nice workout.

Extras:

Nothing to say here as Cameron designed this release as a movie-only release to get the film out in stores and satisfy audience demand while he takes his time with the supplements for a second Blu-Ray release in November, which is said to have three versions of the film, a special PiP track, a two hour documentary and more, die hard fans will most likely be advised to wait for that release to get the full experience of the movie.

Overall:

Avatar is a great film and one that's worth getting on Blu-Ray if have a player, even if you don't want the November release or want to get this one to tide you over then that is entirely your call to make, but I would say that whatever decision you make, do give this disc a spin as it's well done and shows off the format's real potential.

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