Year: 2009
Running Time: 162 Minutes
Rated: PG-13
SRP: $39.99
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 23, 2010

Film/Feature: C+
In case you haven’t heard, there’s this film called Avatar, and it’s kind of a big deal because it made more money than Hollywood could ever imagine and now we have 100 3-D films in the pipeline as a result. I’m kidding of course, sort of, and in the same way the Matrix sold DVD players, Avatar will do the same for blu-ray. Both successful and controversial, Avatar quickly comes to consumers in this stripped down movie-only release and is sure add to director James Cameron’s legacy of money-making blockbusters.

Avatar is about a paraplegic Marine veteran named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) who enlists in the Avatar Program and infiltrates the Na’vi a sentient race of giant blue-skinned warriors who are connected with everything that lives on the moon Pandora in the Alpha Centauri star system. Pandora is full of hostile creatures but also beautiful things humans can only dream of. It is also full of rich resources like unobtanium that can be mined out and be worth millions back on Earth. Jake is serving two purposes, one for the science exploration and understanding of the Na’vi and the military strategic angle because underneath their home base, Hometree, is the largest known mineral deposit of unobtanium.

Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) leads the Avatar Program and has been trying to bridge a peaceful truce with the Na’vi to learn of their culture and Pandora’s ecosystem. It is under her command that Jake is taken in by the Na’vi, and is the first human to truly be accepted into the Omaticaya clan of the Na’vi. What she doesn’t know is that Jake is gathering information for Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and Administrator Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) in exchange for treatment that will restore mobility in his legs. Selfridge is leading the mining expedition, is unsympathetic to the lives they’re trampling on with their mining machines. Jake gets in with the Na’vi under the tutelage of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and is of course suspected by others in the tribe to be trouble as all outsiders are and Jake must prove to them that he is indeed true of his word. Once it is discovered that there is no way the Omaticaya clan will work with the humans or desire anything they can offer, Quaritch and Selfridge decide to take the area by force.

To get it out of the way, let me just say that Avatar is not an original story. I’ve heard all the comparisons to Dances with Wolves. Personally, it reminds me of the wonderful but sad 1986 Rolad Joffé film, The Mission starring Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons, about peaceful Jesuit missionaries trying to save South American tribes from being enslaved and forced out of their lands by of Portuguese and Spanish plantation owners. That film was based on the events revolving around the Treaty of Madrid in 1750, Avatar is undeniably influenced by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney’s invasion of Iraq as well as humans’ assault on mother Earth with industrialization and pollution.

Avatar’s pop culture significance stems from our current environmentally consciousness (hence its release on Earth Day), paying respect to few remaining indigenous tribes still left on this planet (and those that have been wiped out completely), and showing the crime of razing native civilizations from their land for the extraction of natural resources for capital gain. The fact that this story remains relevant, shows that no one has learned the lessons of it being told before, again and again. We have gotten to a point where we have forgotten the past sins. It’s no more “white guilt” as some have called it, than it is human history. One group of people trying to impose their will on the other for no other reason than personal gain and to exercise power.

Does that make it a good film, or more importantly an enjoyable film? That’s debatable and left to be discussed by film buffs, James Cameron-ites, and those who come out to see a film three times a year. I’d have loved to have seen Cameron not rest so much Avatar on what he’s done in the past; echoes of Aliens ring throughout from Sigourney Weaver’s Dr. Augustine character resembling Ripley, Michelle Rodgriguez’s Trudy Chácon to Jeanette Goldstein’s Vasquez, and Ribisi’s slimy Selfridge to Paul Reiser’s equally despicable Burke. If not for the awesome and creative world that was put before us by the countless animators and artists, the story of Avatar would leave you wanting much more. A special nod goes to Zoe Saldana for giving one of the most convincing and emotional performances as an animated character in recent years. By the end of the film, I cared about what was happening to these overgrown smurfs.

It’s not what you tell, but how you tell it, as they say, and Cameron keeps finding new ways to get us into theaters. Based on the box offices, and the recent numbers on Blu-Ray and DVD sales, Avatar appeals to the masses and I’m not here to convert anyone into liking the film; you either do or you don’t. (I did, but recognize it’s trite shortcomings.) I am here to tell you that it looks fantastic on blu-ray, which brings me to the analysis of the disc.

Video: A+
This will be the most high scrutinized part of the blu-ray because everyone who saw this in the theater will attach their 3-D experience to the film. There’s no possible way this looks good on 2-D, right? Wrong. The 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.78:1 aspect ratio looks damn impressive with brilliant colors and loads of high-detailed depth. That high definition in conjunction with the depth in many scenes makes it appear almost three dimensional. There’s not that polarized or stereoscopic three-dimensional feel, but all I can say is that it is a completely different experience and I mean that in a good way. Look, I enjoyed the 3-D moments as much as the next person and when this gets its eventual 3-D release I will understand the need to recreate that original experience but this blu-ray release shows how magnificent a high definition 2-D image can benefit a film that was intended to be seen in 3-D. I could truly ramble on about this at great lengths, but just know that the depth on this film is as good as I’ve seen on any film and is in now way a lesser experience. The size and quality of your television, however, may lessen the visual impact, but everything else is golden. Blacks are immensely deep, primary and neon colors explode on the screen. There are no moments of digital artifacts, halos, or moments when the picture breaks down despite the high speed action. Textures remain true and stable and the gradual swirl of colors in the skin of the Na’vi are reproduced wonderfully. The detail in reflections, strands of hair, the vines of the Tree of Souls, and any scenes where the living plants show their neon colors/energy make for dazzling light show that will light a fire in your senses. I had a feeling it would look good, but not this good.

Audio: A
I can see Avatar being many folks’ first experience into blu-ray. Who knows, maybe it will inspire people to step up to a surround sound set up and for the first time in their lives, experience high definition audio as well. If so, they’ll be greeted to a 5.1 English DTS-HD master audio track. This soundtrack is aggressive and full of home theater audio moments where front-to-rear and side-to-side sound effects will turn heads all around. It has a punchy bass but I’ve heard films that go to the extremely far end of trying to blast your family room apart. Avatar won’t do that. In some instances I think it holds back. I was expecting a resounding thud when Hometree topples to the ground. There was another scene early when machine guns are spraying bullets and instead of being a directional sound moment, it got pushed to the center channel. Dialogue is distinctive, clear, and easy to understand. It sounds good where it needs to sound good, but I’d be lying if I said it was perfect. Other audio selections include: 5.1 English Dolby Digital, 2.0 English Descriptive Audio, and French, Spanish, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks; subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras: D

Avatar DVD Avatar in standard definition. Yeah that about sums up the extras. But this does allow you to easily take Avatar on the go, in your van, and on your portable DVD player. I must point out the differences in the two formats because it’s hard to explain unless people have both formats available to compare with.

So here’s a quick run down of the DVD experience. It’s like night and day. With the added clarity of the blu-ray there’s not much that separates the foreground and the background. That’s why even on a 2D level, the blu-ray at times gives the perception that a 3D image is still there.

All of that is absent in the DVD. You still get the story, and some of the technical wonder, but it’s a noticeable step down. And you can live with that with a movie shot on traditional film stock and then transferred, where there’s that acceptable level of grain we’ve all come to love. Avatar though, is rich with technical and visual wonder, extreme color and levels of detail that you want as clean an image as you can get. Should you bring this home, you’ll be able to see the difference.

Now, this is not a shot at DVD, because that technology is great. For this instance though, the experience between DVD and blu-ray is incredible. This disparity is magnified by the type of film visually, that Avatar sets out to be. That gap may be much closer with a film that’s not designed to be as clean, and as detailed, one with much more intended grain. That variance in film to film, transfer to transfer is why I tell people that blu-ray maintains the intended look of the film, preserving how the film was meant to be seen.

There’s also a $25 coupon for Panasonic Blu-Ray disc players or entertainment systems to be used in conjunction with the purchase of the Avatar Blu-Ray or DVD.

Overall Shock Value: B
Avatar is one of those films that achieves such delight on a technical level that it overcomes the been-there-done-that story. There’s going to be a lot of speculation at how the Avatar experience is going to translate at home. I’m here to say that it translates beautifully. I can’t endorse how the film looks on DVD, because this is one of those films where the high definition experience needs to be preserved as close to the original as possible. If it the capacity of one entire blu-ray was needed for the film alone, then that effort was not wasted.

With only the movie and no extras, I’d say it’s hard to be completely immersed into Pandora outside of the nearly two and half hour running time. If you want to wait for extras, then you’ll have to wait this November. They are pricing this release as an affordable purchase for those who want to take the Avatar experience home ASAP, and for those who have been missing out, with a new blu-ray player and see what all the buzz is about.

So whether it’s an impulse buy or just to hold you over until the fall, Avatar on blu-ray is worth a Buy It recommendation if you can score a great sale, or if all you want is the film. Otherwise, plan for the collector’s release this Thanksgiving.

Don’t let Ben Stiller have all the humiliation. Start painting yourself blue for the anticipation and arrival of the Avatar Blu-Ray and DVD in the US and Canada, which will coincide with Earth Day on April 22, 2010. I’m eager to see how Cameron’s latest epic film looks and sounds in the home theater. Na’vi willing, PCS will get the blu-ray to tell you what that ideal high definition experience will be before it comes out.

Around the rest of the world, the release dates will vary. Sorry, Italy.

FRANCE – April 21
BELGIUM – April 21
NETHERLANDS – April 21
SPAIN – April 21
CHINA – April 22
BRAZIL – April 22
RUSSIA – April 22
NORTH AMERICA – April 22
GERMANY – April 23
JAPAN – April 23
SWITZERLAND – April 23
MEXICO – April 23
UK – April 26
DENMARK – April 27
NORWAY – April 28
SWEDEN – April 28
NEW ZEALAND – April 28
AUSTRALIA – April 29
FINLAND – April 30
ITALY – May 6

He’s been the King of the World, collaborated with the Governor of California multiple times, and after a twelve-year hiatus from fictional filmmaking, is about to break his own box office records with the international mega-smash Avatar. But how much do you really know about James Cameron’s filmography? Well, honestly, if his box office receipts are anything to go by: Quite a lot. But we’re guessing there are a few corners of his library you’re not familiar with; and even his well known movies are worth a second glance. Let’s take a look back at the films of James Cameron:

Continue reading “Flashback Five – The Movies of James Cameron” »

It was a spirited discussion as the PopCultureShock Crew goes in on James Cameron’s most ambitious project to date. Is AVATAR a cinematic achievement, or is this 12 year, 237 million dollar effort, the death of 3D film making before it ever truly begins?

Threading issues of race, ecology, and spiritualism with good old fashioned sci-fi fun, James Cameron has created, if nothing else, the most TALKED about movie of the yuletide. Have YOU seen AVATAR yet?

Click any title to jump into our full debate on that topic!

Ernie: “I’m not even going to get into the debate about race, because to me the issues at hand aren’t about race at all, they’re much bigger than that, and if you’re trying to focus on one specific group rather than what everyone has done as a whole, then you miss the point of the film.”
read more

Quick Links:

1. Was the movie worth the 12 year wait? How does this rank on the Cameron scale?
2. Was the movie was an unqualified success?
3. Did the movie really usher in the start of the 3D era?
4. The movie’s nothing if not controversial. Half of the people complain about James Cameron’s ‘tree-hugging’ liberal slant while the other half of movie goers are sick of the ‘white guy saves the natives’ tone. Do you guys feel that it’s all overblown?
5. Haven’t we seen this movie already this year? Wasn’t it called District 9?
6. There’s Oscar buzz, but is the oscar talk from the performances, the CG, or an acknowledgment of the astronomical 237 million dollar budget?

As always, welcome your feedback — post your thoughts on the ongoing debate by leaving a comment below!

Common plays Barnes a resistance soldier and John’s right-hand man. He’s a spiritual man who sees Judgement Day as outlined in the Bible, John is a messiah and Skynet is the anti-christ. Moon Bloodgood plays Blair Williams, Connor’s pilot and is the rough and tough female character so prevalent in the Terminator films.

Working with director, McG

Bloodgood: I’m a type A personality so I love his energy, he’s really bright. He’s a hard-working, passionate and he challenges me.

Common: I see how directors treat their crew to see whether he’s a good leader. Like Moon said, “You respect and love passion,” and that man has passion. McG is a good leader and a great communicator.

The pacing of Salvation as a war film instead of the prior installments being science fiction films

Bloodgood: I feel like they cut the fat. I’m a big fan of European movies and what they do, and you’re right, if it’s a war movie you have to be careful that you don’t do that too much.

Common: They cut a scene of mine that was too fat [Laughs] But that’s good. I was just going on and on. In this film you feel an urgency even when the characters are stopping and talking, like “We’ve got to get this shit done.” When the machines are coming to attack people, there’s that urgency and I think that’s the rhythm that’s there. You still feel a certain humanity in the layers. You don’t just see action, you get a gist of the human struggle.

On the Resistance and The Military of the Future

Bloodgood: There is a command structure and there’s different points to the resistance. For instance when I came in they told me there was a radio that helps us all communicate with each other because we don’t want Skynet to know what we’re doing but we need to know what they’re up to. Their technology is obviously more advanced than ours so there are different points where communication is cut.

And we had a military advisor on-set but it’s a different time so you don’t adhere to the same codes. I had to have this whole post-apocalyptic look, we’re all expressing ourselves the way we’re dressing, but not in a superficial or corny way but as a way to prepare for war.

On her Moon’s nude scene

Bloodgood: I am a woman, I have boobs, it’s a beautiful shot, it wasn’t at all gratuitous, I’m not afraid to say no if I didn’t feel it was right and I’ve done that. But this was beautiful and about the world ending and getting naked and wanting to connect with someone.

Bryce Howard plays Kate Connor, John’s wife and is carrying their child. Her role is vital in that John’s wall of trust is nearly impossible to pass. She is the one he trusts and depends on the most and is sure to be of great importance to the resistance. Fresh off of Star Trek’s set is Anton Yelchin, who plays the resistance soldier, Kyle Reese. Yelchin looked to Michael Biehn’s character in The Terminator despite his portrayal of the younger John Connor admirer.

Bryce Howard on playing a general’s daughter

Howard: I spoke with a lot of family members who are in the military so they’re familiar with fear, and the possibility of losing everything they know at any moment. So I feel that those individuals have a very strong constitution that I wanted to bring to the character.

On the empowered women in the Terminator franchise

Howard: I feel Moon carries the torch for Linda Hamilton even though my character is strong in her own respect, she’s also seven months pregnant and it would have been irresponsible to have her *makes shotgun sound effect* [Laughing]. Know what I mean? There’s a little bit of that, but nothing too memorable. That’s Moon’s main element that she was this passionate, strong, intelligent woman leading. It identifies the franchise.

Yelchin: I also think we have a very young empowered woman, Jadagrace.

Howard: Oh my god, yes.

Yelchin: She’s plays Kyle Reese’s paternal character. The first time you meet her character she’s holding a shotgun and she’s seven years old. It carries that tradition on.

Howard: I also feel this film in particular is about how John Connor become the man and myth we had heard about. Although I think McG was mindful of the expectations were in terms of empowered femininity it was imperative to see Christian’s portrayal come to the forefront.

The mystery of Marcus Wright and his relationship with Kyle Reese

Yelchin: There’s no scene between Marcus and Kyle where he talks about what he is. But we felt there had to be a moment where they acknowledge that and it was Kyle Reese’s duty as a human being to either understand it or maybe misunderstand it. But the complexity to that emotion is huge. They’re friends but Marcus is Kyle’s own paternal figure. it’s an interesting dynamic to play.

This is McG‘s most ambitious project. The young director’s filmography highlights include the recent Charlie’s Angels and We Are Marshall but if he’s successful this weekend and the following weeks, Terminator could see another trilogy. Resurrecting a popular science fiction franchise without its biggest star presents a challenge but what Terminator: Salvation has is the future, the dark aftermath of Judgement Day and a full blown-out war of survival between humans and machines. McG also has Christian Bale.

What with the recent controversy with X-Men Origins: Wolverine leaking out to the internet unfinished, here’s what McG thinks about sharing footage with press and fans at conventions while in the middle of post-production.

McG: I love this movie, and I take it seriously that the world is waiting to see it done properly. It’s a big responsibility. There is some trepidation there but I’m taking a leap of faith that you (the fans) are the passionate ones. You are the ones that care, lets all share in the filmmaking process. I think the audience is vary savvy and understands where the CG pencil kicked in and what was done practically in a tactile capacity that I feel very confident in sharing works-in-progress. Every time I’ve been transparent and honest about what this film is, people go from, “Fuck, McG!” to a place of, “Hey, this guy is taking it very seriously. He’s out to deliver what we want him to deliver.” I’m not saying I’m making the right choice or not, but being transparent and honest seems to be the right course of action thus far.

The first Terminator having a rating below R

McG: We never once gave a thought to rating while making this film. You think Christian (Bale) would say, “I need to taylor my performance to a rating.” He doesn’t know how to do that. I don’t want to do that. Having said that, if the film is PG-13, the Dark Knight was PG-13 which I would regard it as without compromise.

What is Skynet’s role in Salvation?

McG: Skynet is indeed very tricky. They tried to kill Sarah Connor with their biggest gun, the T-800, they tried to kill John with their biggest gun T-1000. Now they’re trying to kill Kyle and lure all of them together in Skynet in the spirit of getting it done not by thinking bigger-bigger gun, but by thinking radically, differently approaching a new way to achieve the objective of Skynet which is to kill John Connor.

Inspiration for War

McG: The number one inspiration was Kubrick’s Paths of Glory which was shown with great regularity back at base camp. But of course Apocalypse Now, Platoon had a tremendous effect on me because I saw it right when I was 15 or 16 thinking, “Shit, in two years, I’m that guy.” Children of Men in a certain futuristic war movie. In a world of duress, and a world of grit. We’re at war with the machines. It’s hard to get water and we’re all living in subterranean facilities. In that respect there’s a lot to be said about the Matrix films, in particularly the first one that Andy and Larry (Wachowski) cooked up. These are all influences.

How the current climate of technology altered the script

McG: That’s funny because that’s the reason to make the movie the future war. What was once science fiction in the 1970′s and 80′s is here. I have a blackberry in my pocket that has artificial intelligence. If I spell the wrong word, if I use the wrong syntax it will correct me. By definition that’s artificial intelligence. If I have a bad heart, they’ll give me a new one made out of plastic. That is very, very interesting. And most compelling is, if I’m depressed, the days of “Tell me about your father, was he mean to you?” are over. Here’s some serotonin re-up inhibitors and you’re just going to feel better in two weeks. We don’t need to talk about a goddamn thing. That’s just very terrifying that we’ve come to live in a world where that is all real. We can deconstruct the human genetic code, clone a sheep (arguably a human) make a 70 year-old woman pregnant, where’s the limit?

Wherein does humanity lie? Christopher Reeve became paralyzed from the neck down would any of us regard him less of a man? No, probably more from the courage he exerted. My point is that it’s not in his arm, or left ankle. It exists in somewhere in this magical place of brain, which is a collection of neural firings that will one day be mapped by a computer and we’ll be able to interface with. It’s a scary commentary about the reality of having a soul and what is it that makes us human. Machines got to the place of intelligence where they were able to say for the interest of self-preservation this (humans) is no longer necessary. That’s not impossible. In a great many ways James Cameron is a survivalist who is rather convinced that moment is going to happen.

Ernie Estrella

Terminator: Salvation will open wide May 20th, at midnight screenings at a theater near you.