Scott Mendelson has written up the new special edition Blu-Ray for James Cameron’s Avatar (not the bare bones one released months ago) and while I don’t share his enthusiasm for the film, this disc sounds loaded!
Aside from the lack of 3D options (and the lack of subtitles on any of the bonus material – boo!), this is as comprehensive a Blu Ray set as any Avatar fan could hope for. In fact, the only thing I wish was included (aside from a theoretical commentary) was the dynamite interview that James Cameron gave with Charlie Rose back in February. In it, Cameron takes on many of the sillier criticisms of Avatar point by point and renders them more or less impotent. The film remains a terrific adventure, and this disc is a genuine labor of love from all involved. Fox is nice enough to house the set in a sturdy book-like box, which is only slightly taller than a normal Blu Ray box. This is no monstrous pizza box or giant collector’s case that won’t fit on any bookshelf here. The film is presented in three different variations, there are nearly an hour of deleted scenes, plus about eight hours of documentary material and about an hour of other goodies, plus scripts and copious still galleries. If you liked Avatar last year, there’s no reason not to pick this Blu Ray set up.