Let’s face it: Avatar jump-started the 3D craze, so to not have easy home access to its 3D version will be a disappointment for many. That’s why the discovery of two 3D Easter Eggs on the Avatar Extended Blu-ray Collector’s Edition is such welcome news. After all, it’s the only way until 2011 that you’ll be able to see Avatar in 3D unless you buy a Panasonic Viera 3D TV bundle.
The Avatar 3D Easter Eggs reside on Disc Three of the Extended Blu-ray Collector’s Edition, and they really are impressive. Short, but impressive. The funny part is, the two featurettes really do hide inside an “egg.” When you pop in Disc Three of the set, you’re presented with a pretty straightforward menu. Scroll all the way to the end, to the Live Extras selection, and then press right one more time, as if you’re trying to loop the selection back to the beginning. When you do this, up pops a little egg/spore thing that looks like (but isn’t) a Wood Sprite from the film. Select this, and you’ll see two hidden 3D featurettes: the Theatrical Trailer 3D (3:32) and Pandora Discovered 3D (4:04).
The Theatrical Trailer is something you’ve seen before, I’ve seen before and we’ve all seen before. But we’ve not seen it in 3D, and definitely not in 3D at home. Having explored a few 3D Blu-rays and with a bunch more reviews on the way soon, this trailer still gives me the shivers. Seeing it in 3D is a not-so-subtle reminder that this is how 3D movies should be done.
Pandora Discovered 3D is a 3D version of a featurette that’s included elsewhere in the collection, but not in 3D. A literal discussion of the planet, its solar system and ecosystem, this four-minute featurette is an overview not unlike the one James Cameron must have given to the producers, cast and crew as they started to get familiar with the world Cameron envisioned. Narrated by Sigourney Weaver, Pandora Discovered 3D uses 3D clips from the film to give general overviews about the various native species and wildlife, tribes, jungles and religion. It also shows scenes of the laboratory and various human technology.
Although they’re great to have and see at home, these two little Easter Eggs will ultimately make people yearn for the 3D version of the entire film, not just two 3D bonus features. The irony of the set, though, is that if people are watching it, they’ve probably already purchased a 3D TV, making a Panasonic 3D TV bundle completely overkill. Perhaps this is a sign that Panasonic’s exclusivity agreement with Fox isn’t as long as anticipated. We can all hope, anyway.
— Jonas Allen
