Avatar [Blu-ray]

Let me start off by saying that I am one of the people that saw Avatar multiple times in theaters and loved it. The CGI , as well as the 3D technology infused, were by far the best I have ever seen. James Cameron and all of the people who participated in the making of this movie did a tremendous job. Weta workshop is taking its place at the top of the mountain, as far as visual effects companies go. Watching this movie was like being transported to a different universe. I was completely immersed throughout the almost three hours I was in the theater.As for the story and acting for the film, I am probably in the minority on most of these reviews. The story for me, while predictable and reminiscent of other movies I'd seen previously (What movie isn't nowadays?), was extremely enjoyable. Watching this made me feel young again. It made me forget about all the worries that an adult life brings, and just enjoy myself in the moment. Many people argue that the acting in this movie was subpar. These people say that the portrayals of the characters were downright cartoonish. I would argue strongly against that. For the type of movie that this is, the good versus evil portrayals given by the actors works in the movie's favor. Sam Worthington especially does well. If you haven't seen him in Terminator: Salvation, do so. He made the movie worth watching.Now, to get to the actual product at hand. I ordered the Blu Ray / DVD combo pack from Amazon. From the moment the menu came onto my screen, I knew this was going to be something special. When I pressed play, there was no turning back. Over the next three hours, my senses were completely assaulted and my mind was dumbstruck. Simply put, James Cameron's Avatar on the Blu Ray format is the best picture and audio we have seen or heard to date. I have a feeling it will be years before anything better is brought to the table. Watching the visuals was more stimulating than looking at a real life forest. Every detail could be seen from far and away. The walls of my house shook, and I just hope the neighbors did hear. I would tell them to buy the movie themselves and experience it.With this release comes certain issues. While I don't have any of them myself, I will still talk about them as it would be uninformative of me to not. This release of Avatar is not in 3D. Many people complain about this, and a large percentage of those people do not even have the right equipment to properly experience 3D yet. The technology for home theater 3D is very new and very pricey. Next year, after all the quirks have been worked out, is when we will likely see Avatar in a home release 3D format. Another gripe is the complete lack of special features. This again has a good reason. In the Special Edition coming later this year, there will be scenes incorporated into the movie not even visually completed yet. Documentaries in high definition have to be put together. A commentary track needs to be recorded. No one is being forced to buy this "stripped" edition, however. I am one of the people who will knowingly double or triple dip on this. The reason for that is because I love it so much.Now to the biggest complaint. During the initial release, many people were complaining that Avatar would not play in their Blu Ray players. The reason for that seems to be some new copy protection put on the disc. While I was not one of the people with this problem, I can certainly sympathize with those who did. A new firmware update is all it will take to fix the issue. My PS3, which serves as my Blu Ray player, had a firmware update ready for me before I watched the movie.So if you are one of the millions who loved Avatar when you saw it in theaters, or one of the people who didn't get around to seeing it, now is your time. Pick this movie up right away without hesitation. Keep an open mind, and let yourself become immersed. You do not want to miss what many people believe is one of the top movies of all time.

David Cameron's penultimate creation is a must-see flick for the excitement-loving sci-fi addict who enjoys detailed and wonderful fascination of another planet presented with the highest level of compelling realism. The unique life forms and the planet Pandora is the setting for a classic theme of imperialism by greedy outsiders with no consideration or respect for anything but their targeted acquisition of a high-valued commodity. The presentation, in 3-D, is a perfect example of just why the 3-D format is so compelling, so stimulating, so exciting and wonderfully beautiful in presentation. The implementation of the 3-D features is stimulating is hyper-realistic, making for a higher level of entertainment than a normal non 3-D movie can possibly muster. It is chuck full of amazing visual feasts that entice our imaginations to become enmeshed in the world of another population of life forms who follow their own "religious" value system, much like the indigenous indian populations around the globe of our own earth, valuing the natural world above all else in their existence, and dedicated to protecting and preserving their way of life as they have evolved it over great expanses of time. What makes this film so good is the sheer credibility of the story, a story that has been relived time and time again in our own histories on our own world. It symbolizes a universal value among indigenous members of tribes that arise from a natural environment without the artifacts of technological advancements. On Pandora the tribal values are not belief from faith, but from a real connectedness to the very substance of life in and on the planet itself. With a name eerily similar to "Yahweh" of Earthly nomenclature, the spiritual essence of all life is represented in a unique biological mechanism that permeates the very real life energy of all life forms that thrive on the planet. Special "miracles" are even presented as rare possibilities when their spiritual energies are harnessed in ceremonial ritual activity engaged in by a large number of the higher life forms presented as the uppermost strata of intelligent life on Pandora. The entire storyline is quite classical in its design, and the inescapable hero rises to the occasion to lead the people in a rebellion against the destructive interlopers who are threatening the very existence of the indigenous people and their many varied creatures who also inhabit the planet. The production is super-detailed, the environment recreated in amazing detail, all of it presented in astonishing realism as a 3-D experience incorporating flying, soaring, swimming, and leaping acts of daring in the unique environs of the planet. A gustatory delight in many ways and in many levels of meaning make this entertaining film very special in the canon of great film creations.