Which fares better: the theatrical or Blu-ray 3D version?
Upon exiting the film, I immediately became one of those evangelizers singing the praises of James Cameron's use of 3D. "It's not so much about the cheap pop out moments," I would tell anyone who was listening. "It's about creating depth." And I still stand by that description as high praise for the technology. However, the 3D experience I had with Panasonic's home theater equipment was far superior to what I witnessed in theater.
Perhaps it was the smaller screen or the fact that I was standing much closer to it, but I truly did feel immersed in the film's setting -- almost getting dizzy at times because of fast cuts and movements. What follows is a breakdown of some of the more memorable 3D moments in the trailer (time code from the IGN video is included for your reference).
Click on the image above to watch the second Avatar trailer.
00:26: The wheelchair bound Jake Sully exits the troop transport and sees the planet Pandora for the first time. The soldiers exiting behind him and the mech-suits patrolling on security detail are displayed with varying degrees of depth within the frame.
00:32: Colonel Miles Quaritch is conducting his "welcome to Pandora" briefing for the new arrivals. Again, as the camera pans around the room, the various groups of soldiers/scientists are clearly staggered within the visual framework.
00:34: As the Scorpion Gunship flies through the Hallelujah Mountains... well, you get it.
00:45: As Neytiri pulls back on her bow, I found myself ducking to dodge the arrow that looked as if it were pointed right at me.
01:40: Ever watch one of those IMAX movies shot from the perspective of a passenger on a rollercoaster? The ones that make you feel as if you yourself were actually on the ride? That's the feeling I got while watching this human to avatar body transition scene in 3D.
Battle scenes looked amazing in Panasonic's 3D BD.
01:55: As the camera panned through the foliage to reveal Neytiri crouched on the tree branch, I again found myself ducking and dodging as if those leaves were really going to hit me.
02:27: Another great example of the varying depth levels in the 3D field of vision -- both swimmers as well as the lily pads floating atop the water looked incredible.
03:18: While all of the quick cuts of battle footage looked great, what really popped were the shots of rapid gunfire -- like this clip of a Dragon Gunship firing various weapons at the flying dragons around it.
Hands down the home theater 3D experience was much more immersive than what I saw in-theater. Perhaps Avatar's eventual Blu-ray release will be reason enough to invest in the new technology?
MovieMiguel.com
