Never a particularly concise film to begin with, this new edition of Avatar is nine minutes longer, and puts back a few scenes trimmed from its initial release. And so Pandora returns to the big screen in all its luminous glory. Essentially, a digital playground in which James Cameron plays around with the pet themes familiar from his earlier movies (space marines, heavy artillery, ecological warnings, destruction on a grand scale), the planet is home to the rangy, tree-dwelling Na’vi, whose verdant forest is under threat from a greedy corporation and its high tech army for hire. In an effort to win the locals’ ‘hearts and minds’ (one of the film’s many heavy-handed references to real-life conflicts), scientists have engineered avatars, creatures identical to the indiginous Na’vi, but that can be controlled remotely by humans lurking in special chambers. You’ll know all this, of course, because you’ll have seen the film already. If so, Avatar‘s numerous shortcomings may still linger in your mind. The clod hopping ethnicity of the Na’vi and their toe-curling cod religion, the forgettable script and pulpy, predictable story are all as distracting the second time around. After an engrossing introductory half hour or so, Cameron spends a lengthy second act swooping his camera across Pandora’s tropical paradise, and swooning over Jake’s relationship with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). There are endless scenes of horse riding, flying and hunting, and the newly added sequences, which are almost interchangeable with those already present, make this part of the film even flabbier than it was before. This darker aspect of the film is helped considerably by Stephen Lang’s performance as Colonel Quaritch. While forced to play a fairly stock military villain, he brings considerable heft and vigour to the role and gives every scene he’s in a tingle of steely-eyed menace. But these are all compliments that could be paid to the original cut of the film, which brings us to the central problem with Avatar: Special Edition – the additional footage is largely inconsequential. The much discussed scene of alien copulation is mere seconds long, and is far less steamy than some were probably hoping. Elsewhere, there’s an extra hunting scene, a brief sequence that shows an early retaliation from the Na’vi, prompting Colonel Quaritch’s tree-wrecking expedition. Perhaps the most notable new moment occurs close to the end in a mercy killing that adds more melodrama where the end credits should be. As opposed to, say, the extended cuts of Aliens, Terminator 2 or The Abyss, the new scenes add little of particular note to everything we’ve already seen. There’s nothing here of the magnitude of The Abyss‘ excised tidal wave, or even the trimmed sentry gun scene of Aliens. And, unlike those earlier science fiction classics of Cameron’s, Avatar has had almost no time to percolate in the collective geek consciousness. By the time Aliens: Special Edition came out many years after its initial release, fans of the film were positively champing at the bit to see it in its new form. Instead, what we’ve been given is a second chance to see Avatar on the big screen, with the added bonus of a few more minutes of flora and fanciful creatures. And while Cameron’s conjuring trick of cutting edge 3D and sumptuous colour may not have quite the shock-and-awe impact it had the first time around, it’s an entertaining sideshow nevertheless. See also:Resident Evil Afterlife 3D impressions (uses Avatar technology)The directors for and against 3D technology7 notable old-school 3D effects
title: “Avatar Special Edition Review” ShowToc: true date: “2025-08-26” author: “Carmen Wasinger”
That was my first mistake, because, as attractive and entertaining as the film is, it’s not really particularly complicated or original. Sully (Sam Worthington) is a marine in a wheelchair, drafted in to assist with the Avatar project. These are human/alien hybrid body timeshares that allow survival and easy mobility on a forest moon, and communication with the natives, the Na’vi. But there’s precious metal in that there jungle, that the Men In Suits want. And they’ll have it, fair means or foul. The plot has several disappointingly expedient shortcuts, particularly in both the way Sully is initially accepted, and later reaccepted, into the Na’vi tribe, and even if it isn’t a made up word, ‘unobtainium’ sounds exactly like the sort of thing a writer calls a McGuffin, as a placeholder until they can come up with something more convincing. As much as the script is still more intelligent, coherent and anti-corporation/military than, say, a Michael Bay film, the camera’s lust for shiny hardware does ever so slightly recall the lesser director’s fetishism and compromise the dramatic angle. Are we condemning or revelling in this swaggering and destruction? Yes, yes, we’re revelling. It’s entertainment, not the news, though it would have been braver and better to have veered the tone a little further away. Plotting niggles aside, I may be ludicrously naïve, but it wasn’t all predictable. I wasn’t expecting such a death toll, and it could have ended at various points only to surprise me by carrying on. In a good way, not a ‘still limping on’ way. Rite of passage montages notwithstanding, I thought the pace was generally well judged and it clocked in a long running time whilst not leaving me fidgety. The nature of The Nature, as it were, the planet’s eco-system, was also nicely sketched in more sci-fi terms to counteract much mysticism of the Na’vi’s religion, worshipping ‘Eywa’. I’m not even going to mention Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. Everyone else beat me to it at the time. But as much as this will sound like heresy to some, 2001: A Space Odyssey should be mentioned too, because Avatar is really so very pretty to look at – 3D or not – that like 2001, it can become something to just see and still have a perfect right to exist and be pretty on those terms. And it is pretty, but it’s balanced. It all looks so blue in the publicity pictures, with the Smurf-toned protagonists, but there’s gorgeous use of colour, terrific composition, movement, light and shade, and for the most part, it doesn’t feel over-egged. It’s not like the Star Wars prequels, where you’re being force-fed sugary eye candy till your cheeks explode. The ‘uncanny valley’ effect of CGI faces is still there, masked by the feline shape of the Na’vi’s faces, but it’s the best attempt I’ve ever seen at fleshy people, right down to hairs, lips and pores. The flying scenes on the Mountain Banshees (beats Knightmare and Harry Potter), the floating mountains, underwater, flora and fauna, all a beautiful showcase of technology today, and one that will probably not be topped for some time. Well, until Avatar 2 and Avatar 3… So, Avatar: terrific big screen, 3D fun that really deserves a look if you can catch it. The initial novelty will fade and I can’t imagine it’s something I’d rewatch at home, particularly, but while I’d hate to make a habit of saying ‘never mind the substance, look at the style’, because generally that’s pretty much my bete noir where filmmakers (and TV producers) tread, but, well, there’s such style to be found here. And a reasonable amount of substance for such a big blockbuster. See Ryan’s take on the Avatar: Special Edition here…
