Thursday, April 22, 2010

Rent this 'Avatar,' don't buy it

With his 3-D blockbuster, “Avatar,” director James Cameron gave millions of moviegoers a glimpse into the future of filmmaking.

But the “Avatar” DVD, which arrived in stores today, seems awfully old-fashioned.
There is no 3-D version. There’s no director’s commentary. No making-of featurettes or documentaries, no deleted scenes or outtakes. Just the movie.

If something about this seems familiar to you DVD geeks, you’re right – Cameron’s been down this road before. In 1998, his “Titanic” went to VHS and laserdisc first, then was released on DVD in 1999 with no special features other than the theatrical trailer. Everyone bought a copy. Six years later, a fully loaded special edition of “Titanic” hit stores … and everyone bought a copy again.

The wait for an “Avatar” special edition will be more like six months than six years – Fox plans to deliver a multi-disc edition with all kinds of bonus features in November – but still ... what we’ve got here is another case of film fans falling for the oldest trick in the DVD book: Why make people pay for something once when you can make them pay for the same thing twice?

Anyway, if you haven't already rushed out to pick up a copy, I've got two words for you: Rent it.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Or you could do the best thing, and just not buy a copy at all.

Anonymous said...

Watching Avatar at hoome - even if you have the best Blu-ray player and HDTV - would be like watching The Wizard of Oz entirely in black and white.

Mac said...

Disagree. I found the 3D version - at the Stonecrest Regal IMAX - to be underwhelming. 3D still looks too much like overlapping planes; there's no true feeling of depth. I'd rather see it in crystal clear blu-ray goodness on my good ol' fashioned 2D CRT HDTV.

That said, I'm also waiting on the full version later this year.

Anonymous said...

Will the version being released later this year be 3D? I don't want to see the 2D one; I'd rather wait for 3D. I still have my glasses from the theater, wonder if they would work on my home tv?

Mac said...

To anon,4:27 - No. You need a 3D capable TV and special alternate-shutter glasses that are upwards of $100 apeace. Ain't worth it.

roommate management said...

According to me, go for a 3D capable tv. Its much better than 2D one.

Anonymous said...

3D TV is available now, but so far there is only one 3D BluRay movie, Monsters vs Aliens. It also requires a 3D capable BluRay player. Some players can be upgraded with a firmware download. The TV is only slightly more expensive than it's 2D counterpart, but the glasses are about $150 a pair. The 2 TVs available now come with 1 or 2 pairs. ESPN is going to start broadcasting a limited amount of 3D programing in June, DirecTV is planning to carry it, and several more 3D TVs are going to be available soon.

Time will tell how much 3D disks will cost and how many there will be.

Anonymous said...

3D TV is available now, but so far there is only one 3D BluRay movie, Monsters vs Aliens. It also requires a 3D capable BluRay player. Some players can be upgraded with a firmware download. The TV is only slightly more expensive than it's 2D counterpart, but the glasses are about $150 a pair. The 2 TVs available now come with 1 or 2 pairs. ESPN is going to start broadcasting a limited amount of 3D programing in June, DirecTV is planning to carry it, and several more 3D TVs are going to be available soon.

Time will tell how much 3D disks will cost and how many there will be.