Avatar (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray] (2009)

After 12 years of thinking about it (and waiting for movie technology to catch up with his visions), James Cameron followed up his unsinkable Titanic with Avatar, a sci-fi epic meant to trump all previous sci-fi epics. Set in the future on a distant planet, Avatar spins a simple little parable about greedy colonizers (that would be mankind) messing up the lush tribal world of Pandora. A paraplegic Marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) acts through a 9-foot-tall avatar that allows him to roam the planet and pass as one of the Na'vi, the blue-skinned, large-eyed native people who would very much like to live their peaceful lives without the interference of the visitors. Although he's supposed to be gathering intel for the badass general (Stephen Lang) who'd like to lay waste to the planet and its inhabitants, Jake naturally begins to take a liking to the Na'vi, especially the feisty Neytiri (Zoë Saldana, whose entire performance, recorded by Cameron's complicated motion-capture system, exists as a digitally rendered Na'vi). The movie uses state-of-the-art 3D technology to plunge the viewer deep into Cameron's crazy toy box of planetary ecosystems and high-tech machinery. Maybe it's the fact that Cameron seems torn between his two loves--awesome destructive gizmos and flower-power message mongering--that makes Avatar's pursuit of its point ultimately uncertain. That, and the fact that Cameron's dialogue continues to clunk badly. If you're won over by the movie's trippy new world, the characters will be forgivable as broad, useful archetypes rather than standard-issue stereotypes, and you might be able to overlook the unsurprising central plot. (The overextended "take that, Michael Bay" final battle sequences could tax even Cameron enthusiasts, however.) It doesn't measure up to the hype (what could?) yet Avatar frequently hits a giddy delirium all its own. The film itself is our

Pandora, a sensation-saturated universe only the movies could create.

Price   $19.99

More details                 Buy now

The Art of Avatar: James Cameron's Epic Adventure (Hardcover)

Product Description

Academy Award-winning writer/director James Cameron, the maker of Titanic and the creator of the Terminator series, has been crafting Avatar for over four years. The film follows the story of an ex-marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on a distant planet filled with exotic life forms. As an avatar, a human consciousness in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. The Art of Avatar, the companion book to this epic 3-D action adventure, explores the developmental and conceptual art used by the creative team to create the original world of Avatar.

With over 100 exclusive full-color images including sketches, matte paintings, drawings, and film stills, The Art of Avatar reveals the process behind the creation of set designs for the imaginative vistas, unique landscapes, aerial battle scenes, bioluminescent nights, and fantastical creatures. Interviews with art directors, visual effects designers, animators, costume designers, and creature makers bring insight into this creative process. The Art of Avatar brings readers behind the scenes of this unprecedented moviegoing experience.

About the Author

Lisa Fitzpatrick has been a writer and editor for over 15 years. She has created illustrated books for a wide variety of films and television shows including Kung Fu Panda, 24, Star Wars, Shrek, Madagascar, and The X-Files, as well as anniversary editions for Sony Pictures Imageworks and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She lives in San Francisco.

Peter Jackson is a three-time Academy Award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Jon Landau is an Academy Award-winning producer and former executive vice president at Twentieth Century Fox, and is currently a partner in James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.

price  $19.77

More details                    Buy now

Avatar Na'vi Leonopteryx Collectible Figure

From the Manufacturer

The fiercest and most feared Na'vi creature in all of Pandora comes swooping in, claws poised with an impressive 20-inch wingspan, several points of articulation and the ability to carry any basic Avatar figure on its back. Includes a display stand and an exclusive i-Tag to bring the Leonopteryx to 3-D life. Figures sold separately. Go to www.avataritag.com to activate and unlock the adventure!

Product Description

Intended for ages 6+, each Avatar Creature/Vehicle interacts with most 3 ¾â- 4 ¼â figures, and is accompanied by a character-specific i-tag and a display stand. Boasting a 20-inch wingspan and featuring multiple points of articulation, the Leonopteryx seats one Basic figure (not included). Measuring 24.4 meters in length with a 20-meter wingspan, the garishly-hued Leonopteryx, among the most formidable of Pandoraâs creatures, is a carnivore which primarily feeds upon the likes of Mountain and Forest Banshees. The Leonopteryx is armed with monstrous jaws, a razor-sharp fin, and immense talons. Jake Sullyâs successful attempt to tame a Great Leonopteryx, earning him the mystic title of Toruk Makto, generates profound reverence among the Naâvi, helping to unite the latter against their

human adversaries.

Price     $18.99

More details                    Buy now

Avatar Na'vi Neytiri Action Figure

From the Manufacturer

Na’vi Figures: In the land of Pandora, everything organic glows in the dark inducing the wild and fierce Na’vi creatures. Includes the most prominent Na’vi creatures from James Cameron’s new film Avatar. Accented with glow-in-the-dark bioluminescence. Each 4.25-inch figure comes with a unique weapon or accessory and exclusive character specific i-Tag to bring the battle scenes to 3-D life.

Product Description

Neytiri's got the blues. Also, a bow and arrow. Striking action figure based on the hit movie Avatar! Graceful, fierce, and intelligent. She's a must for any Avatar collection! This graceful, fierce, and intelligent member of the Omaticaya clan is rightfully wary of humans. Yet Neytiri has become an unlikely ambassador to the Earthly colonists on Pandora. Bearing a striking resemblance to the clan leader in waiting in James Cameron's Avatar movie, this beautiful Neytiri Action Figure comes to you in 3 3/4-inch scale. She's a must for any Avatar collection! Ages 6 and up. Clan Position: Daughter of Omaticaya clan leaders Eytukan and Mo'at. Clan leader in waiting. Skills: Mastery of most Na'vi weapons, including various bows, spears, bolas, and knives. Banshee and direhorse rider. Hunter. Proficient in English. Avatar: On a deadly but mineral-rich distant moon called Pandora, ex-Marine Jake Sully is torn between duty and honor when he finds himself caught between the heavily armed forces of Earth's most powerful star-faring consortium and an exotic, noble alien race whose very existence is threatened by the human invaders.

Price       $9.95

More details                       Buy now