A reluctant hero. An epic journey. A choice between the life he left behind and the incredible new world he?s learned to call home. Return to James Cameron?s Avatar ? the greatest adventure of all time. — Please note: This ... more »edition of the film is not in 3D« less
Director James Cameron once again at his best. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and others hit the high notes in this! A must watch!
Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL Reviewed on 1/10/2023...
Am I the only one that didn't care for this movie???
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Robert S. from ROCK SPRINGS, WY Reviewed on 5/21/2020...
I always enjoy examples of the great dream, that something will save us from ourselves. dream on, sweet child.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Callie K. (ballofglitter) from GRAND ISLAND, NE Reviewed on 8/18/2014...
I've always thought this movie was done so perfect and beautifully and it's just got the most unique love story as well. :) Great movie all the way around.
2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Robin A. from COLUMBIA FLS, MT Reviewed on 10/7/2011...
Even if you dont love science fiction you can't help but love this movie. the graphics are amazing, you watch it and just wish you lived in a world that looked like that. The story is well written and lovable. I haven't met a single person who can tell me they didn't like "Avatar".
2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Kenny H. (tneagle) Reviewed on 3/14/2011...
A fantasy sci-fi film with A+ visual effects and sound.
A marine has to decide to fight for aliens he has befriended or promote his planet's desires. The action is crisp, but I didn't like the goddess (Not talking about the Charile Sheen goddess variety either) concept protrayed in the movie. There is only one God: Jesus Christ.
5 of 11 member(s) found this review helpful.
Belinda S. (niara) from NEW YORK, NY Reviewed on 2/26/2011...
I watched this movie -- shot entirely in 3D -- and had an epiphany: I cannot watch a film in which 80% of the characters are CGI. I need human beings, real people, with real stories. So I am grateful to James Cameron for bringing this overblown, overhyped film to the local theatre because I learned something about myself in the process.
Guilty of one of the biggest problems since technology catapulted film-making into a quasi-art (think Star Wars, think Forest Gump), it is clear that the $300 or so million dollars it cost to make this monstrosity was all spent on visual effects. It sure was a pretty movie to look at it, and for the trillions who saw it and loved it, I guess they were so mesmerized by the blue people that they did not have the attention spans to realize that, erm, there was no story. Or at least a story that was stolen from countless films, (Ferngully, Dances with Wolves, Pocahontas) that it was the least original in that regard.
I sat in the cold theatre watching Avatar a few weeks after the earthquake in Haiti and thought of the thousands of people, dead or near dead, and then watched the actors on the screen -- dead or near dead -- and could not help but wonder where and how that $300 million dollars could have been put to so much better use. As I pondered getting up and leaving the theatre -- as did my 14-year old son, who hated it nearly as much as I -- I realized a year later that vindication was right around the corner as I watched James "hubris run amuck" Cameron's ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow, win not only Best Director but Best Picture with The Hurt Locker. ~Happy Sigh.~ There is a God, after all.
5 of 14 member(s) found this review helpful.
Janice B. from MEMPHIS, TN Reviewed on 1/17/2011...
The movie is very good. I can't wait for a sequel.
4 of 6 member(s) found this review helpful.
Julie D. (ecomama) Reviewed on 6/19/2010...
I just received my copy through the WISHLIST here...
What an amazing and wonderful movie! For those who don't know, Cameron worked and waited years to make this movie after his previous successes...and this is his best! He had a message to share and I can only hope you were listening!
This is not a typical war movie, as another reviewer stated. This isn't about war. This is about respecting indiginous cultures that are in tune with life around them. This is a comment about our disposable and destructive culture. The Euros spread out colonizing the world and treating natives like "monkeys" (I'm 3/4 Euro, so I can say what I want and that was a reference to the "blue monkey" comment in the movie), treating them like they knew nothing because they valued nature instead of velvet underpants! And as Jake put it "there is no green left," in other words, the Eurocentric vision destroyed the Earth. No I'm not targeting one group or over-simplifying...we are all in this together. Heck, the Euros are way ahead of us in trying to solve the problem now. The point of this movie is pay attention, hello! We can either be part of this planet or destroy it. But don't think we can just go and take someone else's planet afterward!
So if you are looking for a war movie, move on. If you are interested in some awesome character development, scenery and a wonderful story - this is the movie to see!
There wasn't any part of this movie that I didn't think was excellent. I watched it with a 10 yo and enjoyed his comments. Exploring a new world, the glow-in-the-dark steps, the dragonrides, and the jackasses he loved seeing get theirs! (Hard to tell him not to call people names when they act like that, sorry) One thing that bothered him was when Col. Miles incited the base to declare war and the soldiers all cheered the idea; he wondered why they would be so happy about it. I thought that was a really great teachable moment...that all military/governments/corporations/religious orgs act the same...and pointed out that the Col. only told them they had something to fear and an enemy, he didn't give them all the info to make their own decisions and that it takes a huge amount of courage and insight to think for yourself. I also pointed out the point of no return, when people where dying and there was no way to stop it...at that point it was all about trying to live through the day; that's one of the worst things about war and a darn good reason to avoid it. A lot of good people died on both sides of that battle, most of them thinking they were doing the right thing. There's never a right thing in war except bringing it to an end. And I absolutely loved the planet taking a stand and defending itself!!!!
If you haven't noticed, ours is doing the same thing.
Thank you Cameron, for holding to what you believe in and finding a way to get the message out, for what it's worth. And thanks for making it a great ride!
4 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.
Andrea S. (asilvey) from ORLANDO, FL Reviewed on 6/7/2010...
I was very hessitant to watch it since it was about blue people. I just knew it was going to be cheesy and too childish! I am so glad that I gave it a chance! Very interesting and like no movie I had ever seen before! Very positive and uplifting! It was quite entertaining as well! James Cameron has a great imagination! Loved it!
5 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
AVOID THIS EDITION - 20-40 minutes of new missing storyline
M. Western | 03/18/2010
(1 out of 5 stars)
"***THINGS YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY***
1. A special edition likely including 20-40 minutes of additional footage is already being leaked to media for release later THIS YEAR!
2. No special features. If you are a fan, of all the discs in your collection this is the one you really want the extra stuff. It really should be amazing!
3. No 3D presentation. New technology in TVs is out this year and should enhance the home 3D experience. I don't usually care about 3D at home but things are changing. Be ready!
4. There is also news that the movie itself will be re-released shortly with the 20-40 minutes of additional content I mentioned above. Why buy the Blu if you can see it with additional content and in the best possible 3D at theaters--- then buy the special edition just a few months later?
I have to echo the comments of a previous reviewer. The studios are becoming so brazen. They released this edition and tried to explain the poor accoutrements by saying "they wanted to save all the space on the disc for the best possible presentation". Are you kidding me? Bust out the extra discs already! Offering this bare bones BR right before re-releasing the movie with additional footage was also a classless act that spits in consumer's faces. Just rent the movie or see the enhanced version in theaters. It will tide you over until the Special Edition comes out.
Lastly, there are plenty of people adding comments that you shouldn't wait for 3D because the home experience with 3D is lack luster or most people don't have the new 3D TVs. That's partly true, however...
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT 3D! The lack of additional storyline, missing special features and blatent disregard for consumers (in an economic downturn) are what make this a bad deal. There is new home theater technology out this year that should enhance the home 3D experience. Your home theater will catch up. People who are excited about this movie should be standing together against a poor release offering, especially when there are terrific alternatives to hold us over.
Wait a few months and get a much superior release for similar money."
BE CAREFUL!!!!!
M. Stephenson | 03/17/2010
(2 out of 5 stars)
"As it turns out, Fox has craftily decided to milk "Avatar" for every possibly penny, since the debut DVD/blu-ray will be a bare-bones release -- and it will be one of the first major films to appear in home video without any of the regular special features, such as theatrical trailers, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage.
If you want all the extra features, you'll have to wait until November, when you can buy a second "Avatar" DVD, currently titled the "Ultimate Edition," which will include all of the fancy stuff. And then, if you have really deep pockets, you can come back to the video store next year and buy a third, 3-D, version of the DVD.
So in a nut shell... This Blu-ray/DVD release JUST has the movie on it! NOTHING ELSE. NO EXTRAS, NO TRAILERS, NO SPECIAL FEATURES."
Blu-Ray Review (not a review of the movie!)
the-movie-guy | Lawrence, KS | 04/22/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Five months after "Avatar" received its initial big-screen release, we are presented with its first release to the home-video market. Much has been written about the double and triple-dipping. We know this is a bare-bones release, devoid of ANY extras, special features, deleted scenes, commentary, etc. We know the studio is releasing a more complete edition of the film on Blu-ray in November 2010, and a 3D version at some point in the future. We've all heard the complaints from those who think this stripped-down version is merely a cash grab. So now Earth Day has arrived, and "Avatar" has been released in this bare-bones edition. For those who, like me, love the movie, and want to have something on-hand to enjoy until the more thorough release arrives in the months to come, is this worth it?
In a word, yes.
This Blu-ray is the movie only, with some basic search/bookmarking features and subtitles. There is no commentary, no trailers, no previews, no annoying advertisements that play before the movie starts. It's the movie only, much like the way DVDs presented films back in the early days of that format. You insert the disc (the disc loads and starts playing automatically in my Sony BDP-S570). There will be a moment or two of a blank screen as the disc loads. You'll see a brief message informing you to update your player's firmware if you experience any problems playing the disc. Then you'll see a piracy warning (thankfully it's brief), and then a basic Fox Home Video title screen. Now you come to a nicely animated menu screen, which gives you options to play the film, set up your options or search for a scene or bookmark.
The disc has an advanced feature which allows you to resume playback if you power your player off during the film playback. This option comes on automatically when you turn on the player again, even if you've removed the disc and reinserted it.
The video quality is astonishing, easily besting last month's Toy Story and Toy Story 2 releases from Disney. You have a full 16x9 (1.78:1) picture, which is how I remember the film being presented in RealD and Dolby 3D Digital in theatres. Colors are crisp and bright. No visible artifacts.
Audio is superb, a quite robust mix that will engage fully your 7.1 system.
This is the finest-looking Blu-ray of the year, thus far, and the best way to enjoy the film until the next more complete edition is released in November. Is this stripped-down edition a cash grab? I don't think so. I appreciate having a bare-bones release. It's refreshing to have a disc that is the movie only. Who needs all the junk that we get on most Blu-ray discs? Yes a making-of documentary would be fun, but is there anyone who loves the movie who doesn't already have some idea of the craft that went into making it?
This release is for people who love the movie, end of story. If you love the movie, you'll appreciate having such a wonderful, flawless transfer to enjoy in high definition at home. If you don't love the movie, you will find things to quibble about such as the lack of extras. I, for one, am happy with what we've got now."
Biggest bargain in years
Rob | NY USA | 05/05/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Avatar is a watershed moment in cinematographic history. It is a step forward as important as the first Star Wars movie was. Avatar is an experience not to be missed by any fan of movies, it is a truly impressive achievement. I've been a movie fan since the late 1940's, in all that time I had never gone to any movie more than once while it was in it's first run... until Avatar. My wife and I have been to see Avatar three times in theaters (once in each of the three formats: Big screen 3D; IMAX 3D, and big screen 2D. We were favorably impressed by the movie, and the technology, in all three formats. We both felt that Avatar will be remembered as a powerful, ground breaking film, and that it will become a major classic.
We recently bought the DVD and Blu-Ray two disc combination package (from Amazon.com) and consider the package to be one of the best bargains in entertainment. Getting two and a half hours of entertainment, in two high quality formats, each for the average price of one movie theater ticket is extraordinary... especially when the film is just concluding it's first run in theaters.
If you can see Avatar on a big screen (in 3D or 2D) by all means do so. I also recommend buying a copy to view at home... the quality and the experience on a good digital TV screen are extraordinary. This film is one that will influence the making of, and course of, film entertainment for a long time to come."