Avatar (Collector’s Edition 4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
Just in time for the holidays to brighten up the family Avatar fan is Avatar in a definitive new presentation on 4K UHD Blu-ray. Join Jake, Neytiri, Dr. Grace and all their friends and foes as we go back to the Hallelujah Mountains in eye-popping fashion. Read on below and be sure to snag yourself or your favorite physical media collecting family member a copy of this brand new collector’s edition, out now (12/19) courtesy of 20thCentury Studios Home Entertainment, via the paid Amazon link that follows this review.
Film 
In 2009, the epic tale of human Jake Sully traveling to a new planet and becoming one with the Na’vi was a movie few thought would become as powerfully influential as it has. The film was no doubt going to be successful, but surprisingly was one of a few event films to meet critical and commercial sensibilities and storm the box office to become the most successful film of all time, a distinction that it still holds nearly 15 years later.
I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing this film in its first theatrical exhibition, but watching at home, I did realize how special the film was and despite some shortcomings (the film’s romance and some of the dialogue can be hokey at times, admittedly…) Avatar never fails to suck me in. Firstly, it’s a visual feast, with an abundance of incredible world building to take in with each frame, be it with Jake’s avatar learning the ways of the Na’vi or in the bunkers, labs and base of the humans inhabiting Pandora for Unobtanium (which is still a very silly name for the energy that they mine the planet for…).
Secondly, and I don’t believe many people give this film the credit for this, is that Avatar found a way to encourage people to find a way to be kind to the planet we inhabit. The story is about one race of human life taking something from another form of life. The film also adds to that mix the idea of bigotry (in this case the Na’vi are like aliens to the humans, and some of the characters are afraid of the differences, and show they are in their actions) and the robbing of ecological resources from a native culture. This is all big information but somehow, it’s understandable, informative and easier to digest for some I’m sure.
There is also of course excellent acting, motion captured or otherwise from all involved here. Even in smaller roles, the actors bring a care to their character development that means repeated viewings are still invested in the journey of each of them. For Jake and Neytiri, we are watching their connection with fresh eyes each viewing. For Colonel Quaritch, we are anticipating his comeuppance as he is heartless and awful. For Dr. Augustine we hope that somehow, she has a different fate. For the Na’vi, we find that we all have some way to relate to their struggles and that is what draws us in and sends us on this ride, even nearly 15 years later.
We can’t of course forget that James Cameron created this film. He goes for his usual universal approach. There’s some Sci-fi, Action, Humor, Romance, Tragedy and Drama all in one film. That’s classic Cameron, unless it’s a straightforward action film or historical drama, and even then, save for Sci-fi, you’re getting the same mix. This is no complaint to me, and it’s easy to see how this and the follow-up, The Way of Waterhave resonated so largely with audiences.
This brings us now to the different versions of Avatar. For some, less is more, and the theatrical cut is more than enough for you. There are others of us though, that love character development, and don’t mind the length extending with purpose. The special re-release cut added about 8 minutes and then the Collector’s Extended Cut out on Blu-ray following the bare-bones Blu-ray just about 6 months before it in 2010, which had an additional 18 minutes of footage in total. This version provided more background on Jake Sully and fleshed out other characters and their arcs. This in my opinion is the way to go each viewing. This is Cameron’s Final Cut a la Apocalypse Now, and in that fashion becomes the definitive way to watch the film.
Video 
Disclaimer: Screen captures used in the review are from the standard Blu-ray disc, not the 4K UHD Blu-ray disc.
Encoding: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Layers: BD-100
HDR: Dolby Vision/HDR10
Clarity/Detail: Avatar hits the 4K market for the second time this year with all 3 cuts on a BD-100 disc. The clarity that we loved from that release is enhanced by an eye-popping gorgeous Dolby Vision presentation. The colors of Pandora are blindingly bright and sharp as a tack. I’m not sure if this new transfer is still a 2K upscale, but if It is, it doesn’t matter one bit. Clarity is apparent from moment one and never stops being something you want to glue your eyes to as you watch.
Depth: Depth of field remains incredible, with fluid movement and seamless delineation when it comes to framing live action and motion captured characters. There is a somewhat 3D pop to everything and it’s nice to see that the title is getting some additional love from the newer transfer.
Black Levels: Blacks are crush free and stunning, keeping up with the color counterpart! (more on that below…)
Color Reproduction: While blue is the color palette for much of the film, Avatar is a color symphony. From the blazing bright fires to the near neon colors of the Tree of Souls, there is much beauty in the color presentation here.
Flesh Tones: Human characters look natural and near perfect. No weird pasty faces. The blue Na’vi look pretty fabulous too!
Noise/Artifacts: Pristine picture all around.
Audio
Audio Format(s): English Dolby Atmos (Theatrical cut only…), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English 2.0 DTS-HD MA, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, English Family Audio Track, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Japanese
Dynamics: The theatrical cut retains the Dolby Atmos track from the previous Avatar 4K release. This track is something that I knew would soar above previous titles from Disney and it never disappoints. Dynamically, things are exceptional in all channels, with direction flow being spot-on and any surround channels getting plenty of use throughout the duration.
Height: Things fly around you, fall on top of you or buzz in the height channel. Aircraft, Mechs, firearms and more invade this space as well.
Low Frequency Extension: Engines, battles, gunfire, and flapping wings make this track a subwoofer punisher, and for me anyway, this is the highest of praise. The floorboards rumble under the punishing bass and make your neighbors either want to complain or come visit for a movie night.
Surround Sound Presentation: Each sound space is given a special way with the surrounds. Ouside you hear everything from air and insects to the crunch of plant life under feet. Inside you hear machinery or equipment and chatter from background characters. You really are in the world of Pandora!
Dialogue Reproduction: Dialogue is perfect just as the rest of the track is.
**NOTE: I watched the theatrical cut for a time and worked through scenes to give the most comprehensive review on the audio, but of course went to the other cuts as well to get a sense of the film without the new format audio. With my DTS Neural:X engaged on my receiver, I more or less received the same experience as the Atmos track. Dialogue and surrounds were flawless and the LFE experience was pretty close as well. Bass didn’t dig as deep and of course the height channels were more simulated than natural, but if you’re like me and prefer the Collector’s Edition cut most of all, the 5.1 track will do more than fine.
Extras
The Extras on Avatar are what collector’s will love the most. This release not only collects the three cuts of the film, but also, gratefully, all special features materials from previous editions. This means you get 2 Blu-rays of just special features alone. This is a lot to dive into, but here is the list:
- NEW Behind-The-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau – Join Jon Landau as he unlocks the cinematic secrets behind the making of Avatar.
- NEW Colonel Miles Quaritch RDA Promos – Get an inside look into the RDA with these in-universe promos hosted by Colonel Miles Quaritch.
- NEW Still Gallery – Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña Special Shoot
- English Family Audio Track Theatrical and Special Edition Release – 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes – Special Edition
- Herd – As they fly over Pandora in Trudy’s gunship, Jake, Grace and Norm get a closer look at some of Pandora’s creatures
- The Schoolhouse – Entering an abandoned schoolhouse in the jungle with Grace and Norm to retrieve supplies, Jake makes a grim discovery.
- Purple Moss – Jake follows Neytiri after his rescue, and delights in the bioluminescent moss that glows beneath his feet with every step.
- I Don’t Even Know Your Name – Newly tasked with teaching Jake the Na’vi ways, Neytiri brings him to dinner with the entire clan.
- What Does Hold Them Up? – The Avatar team lands at their new base camp in the Hallelujah Mountains, and Jake and Norm marvel at the floating mountains.
- Extended Montage – Jake learns the ways of the Pandoran forest under Neytiri’s tutelage, and the gulf between his two worlds grows ever wider.
- Neytiri’s Flyby – As Tsu’tey, Jake and two other young hunters travel across suspended vines to dizzying heights, Neytiri sails past on her banshee.
- Sturmbeest Hunt – Omaticayan hunters on direhorses attack a massive herd of sturmbeests, while Jake takes aim from atop his banshee.
- Extended Love Scene – Jake and Neytiri confess their feelings for one another and bond together for life under the Tree of Voices in this extended scene.
- Drums of War – The morning after the military’s attack on the Tree of Voices, Parker and Quaritch get some bad news from the reconnaissance team.
- Tsu’tey’s Fall – In the RDA assault, Tsu’tey fights fiercely after boarding the Valkyrie shuttle. But the soldiers counter with a hail of bullets.
- Strumbeest Attack – Sturmbeests charge to the rescue when Neytiri is cornered by RDA soldiers in AMP suits.
- Extended Thanator Fight – Neytiri and her fearsome thanator battle Colonel Quaritch in his AMP suit in this extended sequence.
- The Last Shadow – When Neytiri and Jake find Tsu’tey mortally wounded, he passes leadership of the Omaticaya to Jake, with one last request of him.
- Direct Access to New/Additional Scenes – Collector’s Extended Cut
- Earth – Jake navigates a bleak, dystopian Earth before tragic news offers an escape.
- Herd – As they fly over Pandora in Trudy’s gunship, Jake, Grace and Norm get a closer look at some of Pandora’s creatures
- The Schoolhouse – Entering an abandoned schoolhouse in the jungle with Grace and Norm to retrieve supplies, Jake makes a grim discovery.
- Purple Moss – Jake follows Neytiri after his rescue, and delights in the bioluminescent moss that glows beneath his feet with every step.
- I Don’t Even Know Your Name – Newly tasked with teaching Jake the Na’vi ways, Neytiri brings him to dinner with the entire clan.
- Sylwanin – Norm spars with Jake, who proceeds to one-up him. But Jake’s mention of Neytiri dredges up painful memories for Grace.
- What Does Hold Them Up? – The Avatar team lands at their new base camp in the Hallelujah Mountains, and Jake and Norm marvel at the floating mountains.
- Alternate Montage with Grace’s Story – As Jake learns the Na’vi ways, the gulf between his two worlds grows wider, and Grace shares the tragic tale of Neytiri’s sister.
- Neytiri’s Flyby – As Tsu’tey, Jake and two other young hunters travel across suspended vines to dizzying heights, Neytiri sails past on her banshee.
- Sturmbeest Hunt – Omaticayan hunters on direhorses attack a massive herd of sturmbeests, while Jake takes aim from atop his banshee.
- Extended Love Scene – Jake and Neytiri confess their feelings for one another and bond together for life under the Tree of Voices in this extended scene.
- Drums of War – The morning after the military’s attack on the Tree of Voices, Parker and Quaritch get some bad news from the reconnaissance team.
- They Bulldozed a Sacred Site – Grace and Jake suspect that the RDA forces are plotting to provoke a Na’vi attack, as Trudy brings alarming news.
- Tsu’tey’s Fall – In the RDA assault, Tsu’tey fights fiercely after boarding the Valkyrie shuttle. But the soldiers counter with a hail of bullets.
- Strumbeest Attack – Sturmbeests charge to the rescue when Neytiri is cornered by RDA soldiers in AMP suits.
- Extended Thanator Fight – Neytiri and her fearsome thanator battle Colonel Quaritch in his AMP suit in this extended sequence.
- The Last Shadow – When Neytiri and Jake find Tsu’tey mortally wounded, he passes leadership of the Omaticaya to Jake, with one last request of him.
- Memories from Avatar – Producer Jon Landau leads a spirited conversation with cast members, Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang, recalling warm memories from production and reflecting on the extraordinary success of Avatar.
- Avatar: A Look Back – In this retrospective, cast and filmmakers reflect on their extraordinary journey making Avatar, the groundbreaking technologies they used to create an unparalleled cinematic experience, and the profound effect the film had on audiences worldwide.
- Capturing Avatar – Journey with James Cameron and crew in this feature-length documentary, as they embark on a film the likes of which the world had never seen.
- Part One – After years of testing, research and design, James Cameron’s tackled Avatar, “the most complex film” in his storied career.
- Part Two – Actors and technology are pushed to the limit as James Cameron pushes the boundaries of a groundbreaking, new filmmaking paradigm.
- Part Three – James Cameron used ground-breaking technology to merge the virtual and live-action elements of his film.
- Part Four – The edit room became ground zero as music, sound and visual effects were finalized in order to make the film’s release date.
- Featurettes – Take a closer look at the creation of Pandora and the making of Avatar with featurettes on key aspects of production design, performance capture, and the post-production process.
- Sculpting Avatar – Explore how clay maquettes were sculpted to help bring Avatar’s characters and creatures to life.
- Creating the Banshee – Discover all that went into designing the Banshees, high-flying predators of the Pandoran sky.
- Creating the Thanator – James Cameron and team reveal how the most terrifying beast in the Pandoran rain forest was brought to the screen.
- The AMP Suit – Explore the design of the AMP (Amplified Mobility Platform) and discover why it was the perfect weapon for Colonel Quaritch.
- Flying Vehicles – Explore the design of the RDA’s gunships and how they helped ground the story in a realistic world audiences could connect to.
- Na’vi Costumes – Discover the costumes of Avatar and why it was essential to create real-world costumes for characters that were seen only in a virtual world.
- Speaking Na’vi – Delve into the complex Na’vi language created for Avatar, and the challenging task for the cast who had to speak it.
- Pandora Flora – Explore the science behind the Pandoran rainforest, including the exotic plants and bioluminescence.
- Stunts – James Cameron and Avatar’s stunt coordinators discuss how they learned to move like a Na’vi, ride a Leonopteryx, and more.
- Performance Capture – Discover how the actors’ actions, emotions and spirit were captured in performance and transferred to a virtual character.
- Virtual Camera – Discover the virtual camera system that allowed James Cameron to apply camera angles, lighting and movement to his scenes long after the performance capture phase was completed.
- The 3D Fusion Camera – Explore the newly designed 3D Fusion camera system which enabled the filmmakers to create an immersive stereographic experience.
- The Simul-Cam – See how the newly created Simul-Cam seamlessly integrated the virtual world with the live action camera, allowing Jake’s Avatar to appear in a scene with real-world actors.
- Editing Avatar – James Cameron and the film’s editors reveal the unique challenges they faced editing Avatar, and the benefits of “learning as you go”.
- Scoring Avatar – Composer James Horner and James Cameron discuss how Avatar’s score was grounded in the familiar while evoking a breathtaking new world.
- Sound Design – Explore the sounds of Pandora, including the Banshee, Direhorse and Thanator, as well as the near-future engineering sounds of the Dragon, Scorpion and more.
- The Haka: The Spirit of New Zealand – On the final day of production, the New Zealand stuntmen honored James Cameron with a traditional Haka dance.
- Production Materials
- The 2006 Art Reel – Explore a video montage of striking artwork that inspired the movie’s look and feel, accompanied by temp dialogue and score.
- Brother Termite Test – Watch footage created by James Cameron’s production company for a science-fiction movie that was ultimately never produced.
- The ILM Prototype with Motion Capture Reference – View a VFX test of the scene in which Jake and Neytiri meet, with performance capture reference.
- The ILM Prototype without Motion Capture Reference – View a VFX test of the scene in which Jake and Neytiri meet, without performance capture reference.
- Screen Test – Sam Worthington (Raw Footage) – This raw screen-test footage shows Sam Worthington nailing the part of Jake Sully in Avatar.
- Screen Test – Zoe Saldaña (Raw Footage) – Zoe Saldaña tackles three scenes: Neytiri meeting Jake, their first visit to the Tree of Voices, and her learning of his deceit.
- Zoe’s Life Cast (Raw Footage) – Zoe Saldaña undergoes the all-encompassing process of creating the life cast that will transform her into Neytiri.
- James Cameron Speech: Beginning of Live Action Filming (Raw Footage) – Director James Cameron inspires and gives thanks to the crew on the first day of live-action filming in New Zealand.
- ILM VFX Progression – Break down the layers of effects in a series of shots that showcase Avatar’s battles, vehicles and explosions.
- Framestore VFX Progression – This reel opens a window into the art of worldbuilding through visual effects, highlighting Jake’s arrival on Pandora and more.
- [HY·DRAU”LX] VFX Progression – Examine the layers of effects in shots such as the interior of Trudy’s gunner, the shuttle bringing Jake to Pandora, and more.
- Hybride VFX Progression – Experience how the layering of effects in various shots from Avatar helps bring these scenes to life on screen.
- Prime Focus VFX Progression – See the effects layered into the base’s control room where Jake tells the Colonel and Selfridge about Hometree, and more.
- Look Effects, Inc. VFX Progression – Unpeel the effects in various shots from the base and mountain camps.
- Crew Film: The Volume – Avatar cast and crew members appear in a spoof about a mo- cap actor.
- A Message from Pandora – See how James Cameron’s lifelong quest to protect the environment led him to fight for the Amazon and its indigenous peoples
- Deleted Scenes – Check out scenes that didn’t make the final cut.
- User’s Guide for Viewing Avatar Scenes with Unfinished Shots – A tutorial on the different types of unfinished shots seen throughout the deleted material.
- Stingbat Attack
- Pandora Rules
- Jake Meets Norm (First Cut)
- Jake Sees Decanted Avatars
- Norm Is a Living God
- Breakfast with the Scientists
- You’re in My World Now
- Grandma’s Teylu
- Pied Piper
- Going to the Mountains
- Interspecies Booty Call
- Norm’s Attitude Improves
- Learning Montage Section Early Cut
- We’re Buying Time
- Hunt Festival
- Driving Range
- The Dreamhunt
- The Challenge
- The Drums of War (Full Version)
- Escape
- The Eye of Eywa
- You’re a Long Way from Earth
- Battle Camp
- Kick Some Blue Ass
- Wainfleet Kills Norm
- Neytiri Kills Wainfleet (Alt Wainfleet Death)
- The Avatars Attack
- New Life
- Scene Deconstruction – View these scenes in various production stages: final with picture-in- picture reference, template and performance capture.
- Welcome to Your New Body
- First Run
- First Sortie
- Night on Pandora
- Shahaylu
- Seyzey
- You’re Mine
- First Flight
- Toruk Macto
- You Are Omaticaya Now
- I Am One of You
- I Trusted You
- The Aftermath
- I See You
- Fly with Me
- You Chose Me for Something
- Eywa Has Heard You
- Archives: Script, Artwork, Marketing
- Theatrical Trailer
- Teaser Trailer
- Avatar: The Original Scriptment
- Avatar: Screenplay Written by James Cameron
- The Art of Avatar
- The World of Pandora
- The Creatures
- Pandora Flora
- Pandora Bioluminescence
- The Na’vi
- The Avatars
- Maquettes
- Na’vi Weapons
- Na’vi Props
- RDA Designs
- Flying Vehicles
- AMP Suit
- Human Weapons
- Land Vehicles
- Avatar: The Songs
- Pandorapedia
- Still Galleries
- Pandora – The World of Avatar – Go behind the scenes with James Cameron and Disney’s Imagineers to discover what it took to bring the breathtaking world of Avatar to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
- Raw Footage Production Elements
- Screen Test – Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña/Raw Footage – In their dual test, the chemistry between Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña lights up the screen.
- Screen Test – Stephen Lang/Raw Footage – Stephen Lang fully inhabits the role of Colonel Miles Quaritch in this series of scenes.
- Screen Test – Giovanni Ribisi/Raw Footage – Watch Parker Selfridge, Administrator of the RDA, come to life in Giovanni Ribisi’s performance.
- Screen Test – Joel David Moore/Raw Footage – Joel David Moore pivots from one scene to another, fully invested in the character of Norm Spellman.
- Screen Test – CCH Pounder/Raw Footage – CCH Pounder controls the room with her regal, imposing presence as Mo’at.
- Screen Test – Laz Alonso/Raw Footage – As the fierce warrior Tsu’tey, Laz Alonso commands attention in this riveting performance.
- Speaking Na’vi (Rehearsal/Raw Footage) – The Avatar actors make the Na’vi language their own in a series of clips that shows them learning how to speak it
- Wētā Workshop: Walk & Talk Presentation/Raw Footage – Go behind the scenes on a guided tour with Richard Taylor, who breaks down the workings of a series of props.
- Crew Short: The Night Before Avatar – In this animated short, producer Jon Landau has an unexpected adventure in the lead-up to Avatar’s opening.
- Pandora Discovered – Sigourney Weaver narrates this first look at the world of Pandora.
PHEW – I am tired just from adding that to the review, but comprehensive was the name of the game here. This is as advertised on the J-Card that comes with the set, over 10 hours of additional material. This goes beyond exhaustive and more onto the comprehensive side of things. I have seen a great majority of the bonuses, so I kept my viewing to the new materials, knowing what’s included from previous releases is outstanding and worth a look!
The Behind-the-Scenes Presentation with John Landau is a great new addition as he takes the time to go back with you and give even further insight into the creation of this landmark film. There is no doubt that Landau is just as passionate about the Avatar universe as James Cameron and his enthusiasm in this feature radiates throughout the runtime.
Colonel Miles Quaritch RDA Promo – These promo pieces give you an interesting show of the other side of Pandora life with the venerable Quaritch giving a different take on what we see in ads for the miliary in real life. These are interesting indeed!
The Still Gallery of Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana fully encapsulate other features like it in the Avatar archives included here.
Finally, this definitive edition of Avatar comes with some very luxe packaging. The discs are housed in a glossy hardbound slipcase that has embossed lettering and illustrations. When you remove the slipcase from the outer case, the discs housing has a hidden magnet clasp to keep things in place. When you open the set out, you are treated to more beautiful artwork and the 4 discs side by side. There is where the problem starts. The artwork is so prominent, we have to risk scratching the disc or tearing the box to get the disc out if we aren’t explicitly careful when removing them. If you are gentle and patience as I was working to get the disc out to review its contents, you’ll be fine, but don’t expect and easy removal. Even with this shortcoming, the set is beautiful, and photos just don’t do it justice.
Summary
Whether you’re an Avatar fan from way back in 2009 or a 4K enthusiast looking for a new demo disc to show off the beauty of UHD Physical Media in the home, this is going to be the way you want to own Avatar. A few gripes aside – I’m still side-eyeing over the choice to not upgrade all cuts to an Atmos track by default as well as the difficult to remove discs nature of the otherwise gorgeous packaging – I give this my highest recommendation and say that both this and The Way of Water are both worth a double, triple or quadruple dip depending on how many times you’ve purchased this one.
