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Avatar is an extravagant and finely detailed movie that has been termed as director James Cameron’s best visual treat up-to-date. Rightly so, the movie won 3 out of the 9 Oscars it was nominated for.
This mind blowing 3D movie is highly powered on graphics, with a lot of attention to detail on the visual impact. The 300 million dollar sci-fi movie that took almost 10 years to make is the finest made CG movie made so far. Like all other Cameron movies, it outlives its expectations by keeping its audience glued to their seats in terms of visual treats. Moreover, Cameron ensures that the viewer experiences a myriad of emotions during the movie. So you’ll find yourself satisfied after watching Avatar, since you will be so awed with the visual treat that you probably could not ask for more.
The actors gave versatile performances. They did live up to playing their roles well, and did not stick out like a sore thumb during any point of the movie.
There are, however, a few downsides. The storyline is not new and a bit weak. Avatar is Cameron’s idea of the Indian based caste system, being the case of old wine in a new bottle. The run-of-the-mill story of a human hero falling in love with a Na’avi woman and then saving her tribe from the villain (humans, in this case) is dramatically clichéd. So the two hour and forty two minute long Avatar heavily relies upon its visual graphics, and this could possibly leave the audience a little fidgety. However, any undue importance upon the story line is negated by the roller coaster ride that the movie’s CGI takes you through.
A perspective on the DVD and Blu Ray versions:
The basic Blu Ray and DVD version of this movie was released on Earth Day, ie on 22nd April 2010, a while after it hit the big screens. It achieved record breaking sales, hitting 1.5 million copies on the day of its release.
However the Blu Ray version could be disappointing for those looking for extra features, since they are completely missing. There are apparently technical issues with accommodating the entire length of the 3D movie that there is not much memory space left for extras. However there is a unique code that is present, allowing you to join the Avatar Program via your computer. It promises “exclusive first looks & sneak peeks, content & updates, money-saving offers.” The value added DVD and Blu Ray DVD with added features is set to be released sometime in November of 2010. An even higher-end 3D version is set to release sometime in 2011. So it is a matter of personal choice as to whether you would want to wait for the high end version, or get, as Fox Pictures put it, the “bare bones version” right away.
The Blu Ray version is crisp in clarity as expected from the Blu Ray DVD. There is a natural difference in clarity in the DVD version.
Avatar is definitely worth the average amount of $25 that you pay for the basic DVD and Blu Ray versions, and you would probably be too awed by the imagery to notice any minor dismal difference.
Verdict:
Avatar begins well, drags a little in between and speeds up towards the end. However, having said this, it is definitely a must-watch for its Computer Generated Imagery – Cameron style and does not fail to provide you with a delightful visual treat. Here’s a thumbs up for the effort and to the fact that it keeps audience glued to their seats during this exciting roller coaster ride of a movie.