Avatar - Departure to Pandora - 3 Disc Extended Blu-Ray Collector`s Edition

Film: After a worldwide box office of nearly $3 billion and millions of DVDs and Blu-Rays sold, the cash cow "Avatar" is far from milked dry. After the film was brought in a version about 8 minutes longer again in theaters, now comes a Collector`s Edition with three different versions of the film and several hours of bonus material in the stores.

"Avatar - departure to Pandora" is set in the year 2154. The former Marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), since a failed mission confined to a wheelchair, sees little meaning in his life. When his brother, a renowned scientist, dies, Sully gets the chance for a very special mission that could give him back both his ability to walk and the meaning in his existence. Since his DNA is compatible with his twin brother's, Sully is asked to participate in Dr. Grace Augustine's (Sigourney Weaver) Avatar project on the planet Pandora in his brother's place. Using genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA and that of Pandora's indigenous people, the Na`vi, the human "steersmen"are able to move freely on the planet, whose atmosphere is toxic to humans. Their mission: to find a diplomatic way to allow humans to mine Unobtainium, a valuable mineral found on Pandora, without the Na`vi always getting in their way.

Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), however, has little faith in the scientists' diplomatic skills. He gives Sully a secret mission to infiltrate the Na`vi, study their habits, and figure out the easiest way to defeat them. Sure enough, with the help of Na`vi woman Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), Sully manages to be accepted into their tribe. For three months, through many trials and dangerous tasks, he learns to appreciate the Na`vi way of life and their close ties to Pandora's nature. And when the day comes that Colonel Quaritch, with the help of Sully's information, blows the whistle on the battle against Pandora's indigenous people, the former Marine makes a decision that could decide the fate of the entire planet...

There's no question about it - what the effects specialists have created here is simply magnificent. Cameron and his team have created a whole new world, where it seems that every little detail of flora and fauna has been created with care and thought. The close relationship between the plant life and the living creatures creates a fascinating dynamic that we can only dream of on our planet. Floating mountains, glowing plants, dangerous predators, flying dragons, fascinatingly beautiful insects, the world of the planet native to the Alpha Centauri-A solar system is full of countless details that it is an almost dreamlike experience to discover. Okay, if you're being completely honest and hypercritical, the whole thing - and especially the creatures, still seems kind of animated despite the superb detail. But no other director has come as close as this film to computer-generated photorealism. Moreover, Cameron succeeds perfectly in drawing the audience into the story and the world of Pandora in such a way that you simply forget (and don't even care) that this world doesn't really exist and was created almost entirely on the computer. And that's a testament to some pretty great filmmaking! Visually, then, "Avatar - Setting Out for Pandora" is a masterpiece, no matter what else you might think of the film.

Now there are two ways to look at this film critically. The first would be in direct response to the somewhat grandiose promises that "Avatar - Departure to Pandora" would show us things we'd never seen before in our lives, that this film would be the ultimate event in every way, changing the cinematic landscape forever. Here, for all the enthusiasm, it would have to be said quite clearly that this is not the case. Granted, visually, the film is in a league of its own that similar works in the future will have to measure up to (until Cameron revolutionizes the entire industry once again with his next film!). But that alone is not enough to make the perfect film. There are many other aspects to it, and most of them can't really be called new or revolutionary. For example, there is the story, which has already been told several times in a similar form and therefore offers only few surprises. James Horner's music sometimes borrows quite brazenly from the composer's repertoire, without ever reaching the class of his older works. And if everything is so new and unprecedented, why are the Na`vi nothing but a conglomerate of different primitive peoples and their culture? Indian or African influences are more than evident here. And the not-so-subtle eco-message comes across so obviously that it would be little surprise if a "Sponsored by Greenpeace, WWF and 'The Little Cat Friend'" were constantly flashing up in the lower portion of the picture.

This kind of criticism is what the film would have to put up with as a direct reaction to the completely overblown promises. But the bottom line is that this is just nitpicking. Because really, Cameron's film should be judged more in a different, a personal, less cynical way that does better justice to the magic emanating from the film's images. Because aside from my still personal disapproval of the Na`vi's appearance, nothing really bad can then be said about "Avatar - Departure to Pandora". The story, while not new, is told in an engaging and very suspenseful manner, making the nearly 3 hours fly by. The fascination that comes from the images that James Cameron has conjured up on the screen is great enough to console over any possible weakness of the film. The way the Na`vi's bond with the nature of their planet is portrayed alone is so imaginative and beautiful that it's hard to be bothered by minor flaws in the dialogue.

The action is perfectly staged and not too cluttered. And through it all, Cameron has again, as he has in the past, done a first-rate job of also creating interesting characters who, blue or not, computer-generated or flesh-and-blood, are not crushed by the effects orgy. The actors are often enough given the opportunity to show their skills, which is unfortunately not a matter of course in a work like this. Here it becomes especially clear what a good filmmaker James Cameron is. He's one of the few who can make entertainment films with a certain level of ambition, staging action just as well as quieter character moments and not thinking their audience is completely dumbed down in the process. Cameron delivers more than the quick satisfaction for the short movie hunger in between. Rather, he creates timeless films that truly enrich their respective genres and, as a result, actually have a lasting impact on the cinematic landscape.

If the Extended Version shown in theaters is already superior to the 2009 theatrical version, the Extendet Collector`s Cut, which is 16 minutes longer overall, is undoubtedly the version that is definitely worth watching. The most positive aspect of both extended versions is that the new scenes are really worth watching - although most of the rather short moments will probably only be noticed by very loyal fans. But there are also a few longer sequences, like a visit to the now run-down school where the Na`vi have been taught the human language. Or a sort of Pandora-esque buffalo hunt. And finally, there's a very emotional new scene at the end of the film, which does drag out the conclusion a bit, stalling what is in itself a good narrative. But it's very nice that Cameron still decided to include this scene back in the film.

What makes the 16 minute longer cut the best version is the new opening sequence showing Jake Sully on Earth. The comparison between this bleak life in a seemingly overpopulated, pollution-ridden world, to the fabulous nature of Pandora and the interconnectedness of all living things with it, makes Jake's almost childlike excitement as he explores the planet and the lives of the Na`vi even more relatable and intense in every way. There are also some interesting background details revealed in the new scenes, such as that Neytiri had a sister who fell victim to the warring conflicts with Colonel Quaritch's men. It`s little moments and additional background information that make this cut a better, and also more exciting, moviegoing experience.

So if you loved the film in its previous version, you`ll thoroughly enjoy the two longer versions, but especially the Extendet Collector`s Cut. Because even if the obvious weak points of the film do not completely disappear with more material, a pleasure for the eye is the fabulous world of Pandora again and again. Therefore, even if the film does not change fundamentally, "Avatar: Departure to Pandora" is indeed: more is better! Absolutely recommendable!

Picture + Sound: At the technical implementation there is purely nothing to complain about. The picture is clean and has a very high, almost brilliant detail sharpness. The coloration is perfect, the black levels well matched and also in terms of compression, the image can inspire with minimal compromises. The sound, especially in the English 5.1 HD Master Audio, is just great. Because the viewer really gets the feeling of being in the middle of the action. For example, when the Na`vi lead Jake up the flying mountains for the first time and it also goes through a small cave. The sound mix shows its great strength in such moments. Instead of technical gimmicks, the sound relies much more on a realistic sound world in which one is only too happy to get lost. The world of Pandora is literally brought to life here. Audiovisually, this disc is therefore a real treat.

Extras: If the various film versions are still not enough reason to buy, the latest in terms of bonus material will convince you that this 3 Disc Edition is a worthwhile purchase. On the first disc, the viewer not only has the option to choose between the three different film versions, but also to watch the new material optionally directly.

Continue on the second disc. Here are just under 45 minutes of cut and extended scenes, presented in such a way that the viewer knows exactly where in the film they would have been found. This extends the material shown here to just under 67 minutes. The scenes shown here are in various stages of production, some are in almost finished form, in early animation stages, without specific effects or with temporary music, or even in such early form that you can see the actors acting in their motion capture suits. There's no groundbreaking material to be found here, but there are some very nice character moments that give some strong moments to the film's "villains" in particular, Colonel Miles Quaritch and Parker Selfridge. Commendable: a brief introduction explains to viewers exactly how to view which form of the cut footage, so they can easily follow the action even in the completely unfinished scenes.

Continue with a four-part, nearly 98-minute making of that goes into great detail about the nearly 12-year-long making of the film. From the first drafts, motion capture tests, the development of the camera systems, the casting to the shooting, the creation of the Na`vi language and the post-production under extreme time pressure, all aspects of the creation are covered here.

"Message from Pandora" then accompanies James Cameron in just under twenty minutes on a trip to the Amazon, where he recognizes many parallels to his film and the struggle between humans and Na`vi again. As if that weren't enough, this disc has over 90 minutes of other production footage to offer, including the test footage for Cameron's planned film "Brother Termite", which showed the director that the time was right for "Avatar", as well as casting footage, effects tests, and an amusing crew film that focuses on the work of the motion capture actors in the form of a reality soap.

If that's still not enough information, you should pop in Disc 3. Here, you first get the chance to watch 17 scenes from the film in various stages of production. The viewer can choose between three different options and switch between them again and again with the help of the Multi Angle button on the remote control.

Continues with 17 Making of clips, which offers more than 90 minutes of interesting facts about the music of James Horner, the Na`vi language, the stunts, the flying machines, the costumes of the Na`vi or even a special thanks of the New Zealand stunt team to James Cameron.

The Avatar archive then offers, in addition to various trailers, masses of image and text material, such as the complete script, the contents of the Pandorapedia page, the lyrics to all Na`vi songs, image galleries with various artwork, backgrounds, set photos and and and...

Finally, there is also the possibility to access special BD-Live extras, which will be put online soon. More goes at bonus material now (almost) really not.

Conclusion: Three versions of the film, several hours of great extras - this edition of "Avatar: departure to Pandora" offers fans of the film really almost everything there is to see and read about the most successful film of all time. A great edition that truly belongs in any good collection. Definitely recommended!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp