Avatar

In James Cameron's Oscar-winning sci-fi blockbuster Avatar, Earth circa 2154 has become dependent on a rare mineral mined by the Resources Development Administration (RDA) on the alien planet of Pandora. To show a profit for shareholders, chief administrator Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) relies on Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and his security force to maintain the safety—and therefore productivity—of the human mining colony in a hostile setting, while scientists under the leadership of botanist Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) combine half-human, half-alien DNA in genetically engineered avatars to try to develop a peaceful bridge of trust with the indigenous Na'vi, a deeply spiritual people. Towards that end, a paraplegic former Marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), is recruited to remotely control an avatar that matches his late twin brother's genome. When Jake's avatar becomes lost in the forest and is saved by the Na'vi princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), a unique friendship is forged with her clan. At the same time, Jake discovers that RDA is determined to strip-mine the Na'vi's revered ancestral home and tribal habitat, after which a titanic battle ensues. What's extraordinary here is that Cameron and New Zealand's Weta Digital manage to create an exotic, ecologically balanced, paradisiacal, phosphorescent world so dazzling that one can forgive the simplistic storytelling, stereotypical characters, and clunky dialogue. Bowing in a 2-D edition, with the 3-D version arriving later, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (S. Granger)[Blu-ray Review—Nov. 23, 2010—Fox, 3 discs, 162 min., PG-13, $54.99—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 2009's Avatar (Extended Blu-ray Collector's Edition) sports an excellent transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Compiling the theatrical edition of the film, the extended cut (including an alternate opening), and the “special edition” re-release, Blu-ray extras include an optional family audio track (removing all profanity), direct access to the additional scenes, the “making-of” documentary “Capturing Avatar” (99 min.), 17 behind-the-scenes featurettes on performance capture, scoring, the 3D fusion camera, stunts, and editing (95 min. total), “Production Materials” featuring an art reel, screen tests, and visual effects progressions (85 min.), deleted scenes (71 min.), 17 scene deconstructions (66 min.), “A Message from Pandora” by filmmaker James Cameron (21 min.), the original text script treatment and screenplay, the on-disc 450-page “Pandorapedia,” song lyrics, an “Art of Avatar” gallery, the BD-Live function, and trailers. Bottom line: a showcase Blu-ray release for one of 2009's best films.]