Blu-ray Review HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition (1 Viewer)

[Inspector Hammer!]

I'm a firm believer that there are certain themes and stories that can be told, retold and told some more and will always be engaging when told well and those explored in Avatar, one of the greatest and most striking stories of hope, love and triumph over adversity ever put to film certainly falls into that category.


I'm extremely excited about this release and am going to to Walmart today to pick it up, hell that will occupy my entire weekend lol.

 

[theonemacduff]

If it was a 300PP script, generally you can calculate at one minute per page; thus, the original script calls for a 5 hour movie. My guess is that a lot of those pages were probably "world building," which he always knew wouldn't be filmed, so (again, I'm guessing) the three-hour cut is probably close to his original intentions.

 

[Mark_TB]

According to the book The Making of AVATAR by Jody Duncan and Lisa Fitzpatrick, Cameron's first draft script came in at over 200 pages. He then whittled that down to 148 pages, the same length as his script for TITANIC. I have no problem with him using such an archetypal story, but I think he hurt the film when he edited out details that differentiated it from other similar stories. I'm hoping the longer cut rectifies some of my complaints, but I won't know for another week or so, thanks to Amazon and their Super Saver shipping.


- Mark

 

[AlexS2]

Id say the best cut content from the film unfortunately didn't make the Extended Edition.


The 10 minute long dreamhunt should have been in the Extended no doubt about it. Disappointed it wasn't. Sure it would have cost another 5+ Million to finish it, or more, but its not only a great character scene, but also features riveting visuals unlike anything in the final movie.

 

[Johnny Angell]

How many of the deleted scenes that didn't make it into any cut of the movie are finished? I.E. all cgi and post-production work done.

 

[TonyD]

Originally Posted by heavyearly

How many of the deleted scenes that didn't make it into any cut of the movie are finished? I.E. all cgi and post-production work done.

good question Johnny.

 

[heavyearly]

Originally Posted by TonyD

My Disc 2 played fine but the actual movie wouldn't load.

I know my firmware is up to date and the player is only one year old.

So, I'm not sure whether I'll be happier if someone else says they had the same problem (meaning it's a software issue) or if everyone else seems to be just fine (in which case I should be fine after exchanging the disc)....


Anyone else having issues?

welcome to HTF, what player do you have?




[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the greeting


It's a Sony BPD-s560. I 'm digging through forums to try to find anything.

I called Fox and they basically said to check the firmware is updated (it is) and then suggested checking tech forums because I might have to reset the player and then do the firmware update or something.
I did go and exchange the disc and am having the same problem so it must be something along the lines of the firmware but I can't figure it out and it's the first time I've had this kind of issue...

 

[AlexS2]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angell

How many of the deleted scenes that didn't make it into any cut of the movie are finished? I.E. all cgi and post-production work done.

None


Actually, there is one scene that is 100% finished but its just an extended scene with Jake and Grace having breakfast with the scientists in the mess hall.

 

[heavyearly]

Much to my amazement, hours of scouring the web yielded a solution (in a thread about a different Blu-Ray and a different Sony model).


For some reason I had to clear the data cache and disable BD Live. Now it works.
Phew.

 

[Malcolm R]

Yeah, there's no need to pay anywhere near the list price. Target and Amazon are both advertised at $24.99 this week (I picked up mine at Target). I'd imagine anyone living in a retail competitive area will find it for that price at almost every major chain. Best Buy advertised at $29.99 in this area, but I can't imagine they aren't lower in other areas where they have to compete with Target and Walmart.

 

[Brisby]

I'll probably get this on Friday because I have a $5 Best Buy coupon burning a hole in my pocket.

 

[AnthonyL]

http://www.thehdroom.com/news/3D-Easter-Egg-Surprise-on-Avatar-Extended-Collectors-Edition-Blu-ray/7887

3D Easter Egg Surprise on Avatar: Extended Collector's Edition Blu-ray


...3D options came up for the Avatar Trailer and Pandora Discovered featurette.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

Any word on a 3D Extended release?

 

[jayleaf]

I saw the special edition in theaters and preferred it to the original cut. Its the same movie, but most of the new scenes simpy added more context to the film, most of which helped to flesh it out. There was one scene in particular that should haver never ever been cut in the first place as it kind of fundamentally changes one of the story beats...
The additional scene where we see the Na'vi killing humans in retaliation for their sacred grounds being bulldozed. Not only does it help to show the Na'vi as more active and independent, but its also the scene that provides the Justification for the Colonel to launch the attack on the Home Tree. Unlike in the theatrical cut where they simply go ahead and attack just because.
Not even a very long scene, but a significant improvement/change imo.

I think Cameron knew just what he was doing in removing that scene. His story line is really quite straightforward as previously noted. Corporate humans bad, Na'vi good. Including that scene in the original release would have complicated the message he wanted to convey. Many people would not be as sympathetic towards the Na'vi and would actually support the humans attack on the tree as completely justified. Clearly Cameron didn't want any doubt about who the bad guys were.

 

[benbess]

Assembled from the deleted scenes found on this set.