‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Collector’s Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – A Stunning Return For James Cameron (2024)

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña reprise their iconic roles, playing Jake Sully and Neytiri, now loving parents doing everything they can to keep their family together. When unforeseen events displace them from their home, the Sullys travel across the vast reaches of the moon Pandora, ultimately fleeing to territory held by the Metkayina clan, who live in harmony with their surrounding oceans. There, the Sullys must learn to navigate both the dangerous water world and the uncomfortable dynamics of gaining acceptance from their new community.

For in-depth thoughts on Avatar: The Way Of Water, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

The new Collector’s Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Avatar: The Way Of Water arrives almost exactly six months after the film first debuted on the format. You may be wondering how this differs from that cheaper release and if there is enough difference to upgrade this one. In addition to a new disc entirely dedicated to special features, this new release offers the film in Dolby Vision for the first time on physical media. The previous HDR10 release was stunning, but Dolby Vision has a way of dialing up things to an even more impressive level. Unlike the new release of the first film, there are no different cuts of the film added to flesh things out.

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Avatar: The Way Of Water offers a really nice uptick in quality over the already stunning accompanying Blu-Ray. As one might expect, Cameron delivers in terms of pure visual spectacle, and this disc stands as one of the most gorgeous you can find with the addition of Dolby Vision. With the mesmerizing aesthetic of Pandora on full display, you are grateful to have the HDR to find the nuance within each locale and present it to its fullest effect. The Dolby Vision enriches every color in a way that a lesser format cannot replicate. Every environment is filled with lush colors that truly are a marvel. The subtle differences in shades of the Na’vi are in full effect, and this becomes even more apparent with the Metakinya. The skin tones of the human characters are natural and detailed, as well.

The elements in the film taking place at night or in shadows are more distinct and finely delineated thanks to intensely deep black levels. The highlights in the film are also more crisply defined with white levels pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found even in the brightest sunlight. Fine detail in the dazzling environments is more apparent than ever with this increased resolution. The technology has been even further refined since the original Avatar, and the picture reaches near perfection. The only slightly nagging element comes when the native high frame rate footage that Cameron experimented with is translated to home media as some of the movement can look slightly off compared to what audiences are used to and how the rest of the movie looks. These moments are brief, though, and not enough to completely take you out of the experience. This 4K UHD presentation is a winner with gains in every conceivable category. The Blu-Ray is a top-tier disc, but 20th Century Studios and Disney have delivered greatness with the 4K UHD Blu-Ray release.

Audio Quality

This disc comes equipped with a Dolby Atmos presentation that more than gets the job done throughout. Dialogue is presented crisply and clearly without ever being overpowered by any of the competing sonic elements. The beautiful score adds so much to the emotions of this film, and it permeates the room with a grand fidelity. Environmental details are well implemented in the rear and overhead channels to capture the various locales. The overhead channels take on a substantial amount of information which adds a distinct sense of space to this grandiose tale. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more action-packed scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. The only minor criticism of this track is that the low end could perhaps use a bit more power, but what we are given is still a formidable experience. This audio experience is very solid all around. There are optional English SDH, French, Spanish, and Japanese subtitles provided.

Special Features

Disc Three

• Behind-The-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau: A 37-minute presentation with producer Jon Landau along with interviews with James Cameron and more of the creative team that takes you through the initial development of the sequel, the casting, the new worlds, the training, the visual effects, and much more.

• Memories From Avatar: The Way Of Water: A 19-minute new retrospective conversation with Jon Landau, Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, and Stephen Lang in which they reflect on returning to this world, the themes of the film, the training that went into the experience, how the film changed their lives and more.

• Production Design Panel Hosted by Jon Landau: A 32-minute conversation hosted by Landau with three of the production designers who delve into the process of creating the entire world of Pandora.

• Deleted Scenes: A 33-minute collection of unused material is provided here with various levels of unfinished special effects.

• Scene Deconstruction: An interactive piece that allows you to explore a scene by toggling through three different stages of completion. There are 12 scenes totaling 25 minutes provided.

• Production Materials

• • “One Meal A Day” (3:28)

• • Editing (7:49)

• • 3D Technology (6:25)

• • Virtual Cinema (5:14)

• • Bringing The RDA To Life (7:13)

• • Tank Timelapse (2:45)

• • WETA Reel (3:31)

• • ILM Reel (7:08)

• • CJ Jones Sign Language Guide (5:19)

• • Jackcam (3:56)

• • Shaman Blessing (1:07)

• • Cliff Curtis Blessings (16:26)

• Beyond The Big Screen

• • Pandora – The World Of Avatar (8:56)

• • Crew Movie: Avatar – The Way of the Jimverse (6:13)

• • James Cameron and Jon Landau Hand and Footprint Ceremony (25:46)

• • “Scene At The Academy” (12:13)

• Archives – Script, Artwork, Marketing

• • Monday Night Football TV Spot

• • Original Script

• • Artwork Gallery

• • Set Stills Gallery

• • Russell Carpenter Gallery

• • Advertising Gallery

• • Fan Art Gallery

Disc Four

• Inside Pandora’s Box: An epic 2 hour and 32 minute documentary which explores the genesis of this sequel, how the creative team brought this world to life, introducing new depth and environments to the Avatar universe, the characters and performances, the visual effects, the score and much more that is incredibly enlightening.

• • Building The World of Pandora (9:33)

• • Capturing Pandora (10:47)

• • The Undersea World of Pandora (11:30)

• • The Challenges of Pandora’s Waters (11:42)

• • Pandora’s Returning Characters (9:00)

• • Pandora’s Next Generation (10:47)

• • Spider’s Web (10:23)

• • Becoming Na’vi (10:51)

• • The Reef People of Pandora (11:47)

• • Bringing Pandora To Life (14:40)

• • The RDA Returns To Pandora (13:34)

• • The New Characters of Pandora (9:38)

• • The Sounds of Pandora (13:32)

• • New Zealand – Pandora’s Home (4:24)

• More From Pandora’s Box: Another 28-minute piece that explores more about the casting process, the complex stunts, the motion-capture elements, and more.

• • Casting (10:01)

• • Stunts (5:42)

• • The Lab (6:43)

• • The Troupe (5:38)

• Marketing Materials & Music Video

• • “Nothing Is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”: A nearly five-minute music video for The Weeknd song is provided here.

• • Trailers: This disc provides Theatrical Trailer #1 (1:39) and Trailer #2 (2:29).

Final Thoughts

Avatar: The Way Of Water is an improvement in almost every way from the original film, but most of these improvements range more on the subtle side of the spectrum. Visually the film is a stunning achievement, but the narrative can be a bit inconsistent. The introduction to new areas and cultures on Pandora is exciting, but the actual narrative beats and dialogue can feel more than a little contrived. This has been improved upon from the first entry, but there is a focus more on spectacle rather than narrative that keeps this from being truly transcendent filmmaking. The journey is never boring, yet we wish these films could be a little less obvious and reductive. Disney Home Entertainment has released a Collector’s Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a 5-star A/V presentation and a staggering assortment of special features. Recommended

Avatar: The Way of Water Collector’s Edition is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.

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