Earth Day is a day where we are encouraged to show our appreciation for the planet that provides us life and a means to live, as well as raise awareness on issues that threaten her ability to so. It is not surprising, therefore, that this day was picked to release
Avatar on Blu-ray, a film with a story that raises issue with the way humans treat their planet, as well as those we might visit in the future.
Like most of you, I will be viewing the Blu-ray for the first time tonight since seeing the film in theaters. I am eager to see how the 3D experience translates to my 2D HDTV, and if
user reviews of the title are any indication, this is a Blu-ray that can't be missed. I realize that some of you may be holding off your purchase for the
ultimate edition which is due out sometime this Fall (or even the inevitable 3D version, which should be out sometime next year), but for me, and many others, this is a title I will enjoy watching many times over the next few months.
With Avatar coming out today, and thus, this post shifting a few days to accommodate, there was undoubtedly some great titles we missed reporting on Tuesday. At the top of the list has to be the Academy Award-winning
Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
In his
Blu-ray review of Crazy Heart, he commented, "Crazy Heart's story of failure and redemption may seem a little too familiar to anyone who's seen Tender Mercies, but the tale is definitely worth the retelling, especially in the capable hands of director Scott Cooper and actor Jeff Bridges, who earns every ounce of his Academy Award for Best Actor. While the lack of any substantial bonus features is disappointing—I would've loved a commentary with Bridges and Gyllenhaal—the film features a strong Blu-ray presentation, with finely tuned visuals and a solid lossless audio track."
For the second week in a row, director Peter Jackson was able to see one of his films achieve a Blu-ray release. This time, it was his latest film
The Lovely Bones, which, like many films, had a mediocre release that was overshadowed by the record-breaking release of Avatar.
For the
Blu-ray review of The Lovely Bones, staff reviewer Martin Liebman commented, "The Lovely Bones is a movie that's going to divide audiences. It ultimately has more going for it than not, particularly in Jackson's master craftsmanship and ability to manipulate his audience even through a premise that's not just assumed but bluntly stated early on in the movie." He continued, "As hotly debated as the film may be, there's no dispute as to the quality of Paramount's Blu-ray release. To sum it up, it's fantastic, reference quality through and through, with its picture quality in particular a stunning achievement that simply must be seen to be believed."
A little off the radar was the release of
The Basketball Diaries which starred a young Leonardo DiCaprio. The acting is exactly what you'd expect from the young star, and the story – being an autobiography of rock musician Jim Carroll – is as engaging and emotional as a fictional drama out there. Definitely add this title to your rental queue if you haven't done so already.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released this week,
click here.