Avatar IMAX 3D 2022 Re-Release Review

Wouldn't you know? Avatar is back in theaters for a limited 2 week engagement. And it's come back in 3D with newly added 4K resolution and HDR. As a person who was too young to see the film when it initially came out, I was really excited to hear this as I could finally see the film the way it was intended. So just yesterday, I went out and saw the film in IMAX 3D. Now, I already reviewed the film on 3D Blu-ray and gave it a positive rating. And if you've already read that review, you'll probably notice me repeating myself quite a bit. However, seeing it in on the big screen (the really big IMAX screen) gives me a few new things to say about it. So sit back and let me explain to you whether or not you should see Avatar in IMAX 3D.

But first, in true 3D Dinosaur fashion, we need to dive into what I thought about the film itself. I already gave a plot synopsis in my last review, and I don't feel like going over it again. So I'll give the the link here so you can read it if you don't already know what the film is all about.

So anyway, how is the film? Well, there shouldn't really be all that much to talk about as I've covered most of the movie's story strengths and weaknesses in the last review. In summary, the villain is cartoonish, the remaining characters are just alright, the environmental message is a tad preachy, but the visuals and overall experience remain fun and exciting. I initially gave the film 3.5/5 stars. I will confess, when I had made the review for the 3D Blu-ray of this film, I had really only seen the film once, so that review was more of a first impression. But it was better than nothing. And upon re-watch, the film's strengths and weaknesses I noticed the first time around are still there.

However, seeing it again, I was surprised by how well it held up on the second viewing. Sure, the characters aren't the most interesting people you'll ever see in cinema. However, upon watching the film again, I've began to notice that plenty of them, especially the main character, are still pretty enjoyable the second time around. Sure, the villain is still a cartoonish stereotype, and him and his motivations still remain the film's major flaw. I'm not arguing against that. But the way they handle the motivations and personality of the main character is honestly pretty nice. Jake Sully is supposed to the be the everyman who just wants something more out of life, especially because of his handicapped status. It's handled in a natural way that allows the story to tell itself in a compelling manner. And the other supporting cast are also likable and have unique personalities that are also slightly more multi-dimensional than I noticed on the first viewing. I wouldn't say they give off Oscar-winning performances. But they were still nice enough characters to spend three hours with.

As for the story itself, it still does borrow heavily from Pocahontas and Dances With Wolves, as hundreds of other people have pointed out. And the environmental message is still pretty blatant. Personally, I didn't really mind the plot all that much, in spite of the large leaps in logic it takes, as the film itself carries it's own unique vision to it. And the environmental message isn't as preachy as it could've been. But still, I agree with most people that subtly is not Avatar's strong point. It's reason why the villain of the story ends up being a complete cartoon character rather than someone genuine. I get he's supposed to be a straw man for the white man, but even political commentary in movies doesn't have to be at the expense of genuinely interesting people. But I guess you'd expect something similar to that from the same guy who thought to name the rock the army is looking for "unobtainium" (aka James Cameron, the guy who just 18 years earlier brought us Terminator 2).

I can see where that would turn a lot of people off. And if the film were mostly reliant on the plot, it would probably turn me off a lot too. But the film isn't entirely about plot but rather the experience. And what an experience it gives. It certainly helps that I saw this film in IMAX 3D. But seriously, even to this day, the visuals are still creative and stunning. I should probably keep the in-depth details of how the film draws us into the world of Pandora in the 3D review. But until then, I will say this. The way this movie introduces us to the surreal alien jungle in this film is stellar, making us feel as if we're in the same environment as Jake Sully, going through the same events he is. That makes the film as a whole very engaging. We get introduced to the Na'vi, their culture, and the strange landscapes they live on in a gradual manner allowing us to take in all that Pandora has to offer. And even on the second time around, it feels very special.

So yeah, Avatar isn't by any means a perfect film. The film is at its best when it's delivering an experience rather than trying to serve a plot. The plot isn't necessarily bad, it's just cliched and sometimes, pretty poorly written. But when it spends its sweet time to use an everyman like ourselves to introduce us to the wonders of Pandora, the movie is amazing. And thankfully, Avatar is made up more of the latter than the former. I can see where people can start to notice how its story flaws when you see it on a phone or small TV. But when you can see it on an IMAX screen and see the vision James Cameron had for the film, plot comes second and the experience comes first. I believe that substance always triumphs over style. But if you're willing to look at Avatar the movie as an experience rather than a groundbreaking story, you'll certainly find more to like about it than to hate. This film isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I understand that. But personally, I found it to be mine, and even more so after the second viewing.

OVERALL FILM RATING: 4/5

Alright, now we're onto the 3D. There really isn't much of a point to this review as #1: I've already covered the film's 3D in the 3D Blu-ray review, which you can read here, and #2: You probably already know how good this movie's 3D is. That being said, the IMAX 3D experience does actually bring more to the table than the the 3D Blu-ray viewing did. So, I think a fresh review is necessary.

Avatar is obviously all about the depth, and the depth is brings is absolutely stunning. It starts out when Jake comes out of his cryogenic sleep and into a long hallway of other people coming out of cryogenic sleep. It goes back into the screen so much it's astounding. And I don't know if it's just me, but whereas the parallax on the 3D Blu-ray was eye straining, it turned into a much easier watch on the IMAX screen. And from there, the scenes inside the sci-fi facilities were full of interesting dimension and detail, with holographic computers protruding the screen to the length of the hallways to the claustrophobic shape of the containers our main characters must get inside to control the Avatar bodies.

But like I said in my last review, you come to Avatar for the lush jungles of Pandora. And to that, it doesn't cease to deliver. And obviously, it does so here even more on the IMAX screen than it does at home on my 7x4 foot projector screen. At home, the biggest issue I had with the film was how many of the wide shots would either go completely flat or just into weak 3D. While that issue is still slightly distracting, it's less bothersome here because on the IMAX screen, a little parallax goes a long way, making the distance mountains and surrounding landscape go back into the screen just the right amount. And even when it goes into straight up 2D, it's not as much of a problem because there's still the fact that you're seeing it on a gigantic screen.

Luckily, this weak 3D isn't an issue throughout the film. When the 3D is at its strongest is whenever you're lurking around in the jungle. The many surrounding elements such as the foliage, the Na'vi, the trees, and the animals all in their own 3D space is such a mesmerizing sight to see. You can't help but get drawn into the film. Just like I said in the last review, there's too many great utilizations of 3D camera angles that I can't describe to you without visual aid. But I will give a few examples. The dangling vines on the Tree of Souls are obviously an incredible sight to see. The plants and vegetation going into and out of the screen is straight up eye candy. The action scenes with fire, flying machines, spears, missiles, and other related objects are awesome in 3D. And while the film isn't too huge on pop outs, we still get a good few. We get guns and holographic computer screens (the contents of the screens are also in 3D). But the most notable pop outs involve the flying seeds from the Tree of Souls. In fact, during the scene where we first see these seeds and they're coming way out of the screen, I noticed a three-year-old kid in the row right in front of me sticking his hands out to reach them. That's another reason to get back in the theaters as you'll never see something like that at home.

Now, I still personally think Avatar isn't the number one best 3D film of all time, in spite of the huge impact it left on 3D movies I explained in the last review and that even without that, I'm sure you're already aware of. None the less, it's still an incredible 3D presentation and certainly the only way to watch Avatar. Not only that, but this film strongly benefits from being seen on the biggest screen available with the most immersive sound system available. I liked the film before in 3D when I saw it at home a few months ago. But it was something else entirely in IMAX 3D. I still think The Polar Express might be the greatest IMAX 3D experience I've ever had. But this film comes pretty close. In case I haven't made my point clear, Avatar is a 3D must-see, on Blu-ray or the big screen. But I strongly recommend the big screen.

While I'm on the IMAX 3D experience, I probably might as well talk about the 4K and HDR upgrade this film got for the re-release, as the marketing for the re-release seems to make a big deal out of it. When I first heard that the film was going to be released in 3D and "in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range," the first thing I thought was, "Yeah, those bright colors will get totally wasted on the dim 3D glasses." And for the most part, I was right. Don't get me wrong, the film was still bright and colorful throughout. And with the HDR, it looked even more bright and colorful than it did the first time around. However, the glasses still always add that layer of dimness that works against the color saturation and brightness, preventing it from being as "popping" as it could've been. If you want to see the film in its maximum HDR glory, I'd recommend seeing it in 2D at the Dolby Cinema. You won't get 3D, but you'll get those bright colors. As for the 4K, that I did get a lot of milage out of. The details were all over the place, especially on the IMAX screen. I will say, it did make the animated Na'vi look somewhat fake at times as the 4K brought out some of the blunt areas on the people's bodies, especially their faces. But that being said, it was still nice all around.

3D RATING: EXCELLENT

Other sources that review this film's 3D (for the 3D Blu-ray reviews, check out my 3D Blu-ray review. These sources only review the theatrical re-release):

Real Future Pictures's IMAX 3D Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-xzDcbRjp0

FINAL THOUGHTS:

So Avatar is back in theaters in 3D in all formats. The question you'd usually be asking here is should you go and see it. Well, I believe the better question is how can you not see it? With as great of a 3D movie as Avatar is and the ginormous impact it's left on the 3D landscape afterwards, it deserves to be seen in the third dimension on the biggest screen you can find. If you haven't seen it before in 3D when it first came out 13 years ago, you owe it to yourself to go out and see it at the theater and find out what all the hype was about. In fact, it's movies like this we even have theaters in the first place. Who wouldn't want to be immersed in the lush jungles of Pandora? And where else are you going to find a three year old kid reaching out for floating seeds? Even if you don't like Avatar that much because of how weak and overly familiar the story, see it anyway and discover why everyone was so up and out to see it. Whether you're seeing it for the first time or the fifth time, watching it on the big screen in 3D the way it was intended will no doubt be an unforgettable experience. And if you can see it in IMAX 3D, all the better.

DID YOU LIKE "AVATAR" IN 3D

• 0%Yes
• 0%No