Movies

Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water (Action, Adventure, Fantasy)

On Tuesday, June 20, “Avatar” fans have double the cause for celebration as “Avatar: The Way of Water” makes its long-awaited debut on 4K UHD, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD from 20th Century Home Entertainment and the original “Avatar” arrives for the first time on 4K UHD in High Dynamic Range to Digital retailers and on Blu-ray. “Avatar: The Way of Water” is also currently available on Digital and streaming on Disney+.

The original Academy Award-winning “Avatar” introduced the astonishing world of Pandora and became the highest-grossing film of all time, earning more than $2.9 billion worldwide and receiving nine Academy Awards nominations. It won three Oscars: Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Art Direction and Best Achievement in Visual Effects.

The 4K UHD edition of “Avatar” has both existing and new bonus features, including “Memories From ‘Avatar’” where producer Jon Landau leads a spirited conversation with cast members Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang recalling warm memories from production and reflecting on the extraordinary success of the film. “‘Avatar’: A Look Back,” meanwhile, provides a retrospective where cast and filmmakers reflect on their extraordinary journey making “Avatar,” the groundbreaking technologies they used to create an unparalleled cinematic experience and the profound effect the movie had on audiences worldwide. Other extras include the four-part “Capturing ‘Avatar’” feature-length documentary and 17 behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” launches the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive and the tragedies they endure. All of this happens against the breathtaking backdrop of Pandora, where audiences are introduced to new Na’vi cultures and a range of exotic sea creatures that populate the majestic oceans.

Nominated for numerous Academy Awards and the recipient of Best Achievement in Visual Effects, “Avatar: The Way of Water” became the third highest-grossing film of all time worldwide and set a new benchmark for visual effects. Viewers can enjoy more than 3 hours of never-before-seen bonus content on the 4K UHD, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and Digital releases featuring the filmmakers, cast and crew. Fans can view a series of 14 featurettes (“Inside Pandora’s Box”) that detail the challenges facing the cast and crew as “Avatar: The Way of Water’s” filmmakers devise new technologies to push the limits of cinema; watch four additional featurettes that highlight various special teams within the production, including casting and stunts; see multi-Grammy-winning music superstar The Weeknd’s “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)” music video; and enjoy the film’s teaser and standard trailers.

Chevalier (Biography, Drama, History)

Inspired by the incredible true story of composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Searchlight Pictures’ “Chevalier” is now available to own on Digital.

The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr., “Monsters and Men”) rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer — complete with an ill-fated love affair and a falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) and her court.

The Digital release of “Chevalier” is available from all major Digital retailers — including Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu and Movies Anywhere — and includes one 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, “Chevalier: Note by Note.”

I am T-Rex (Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy)

An animated fantasy adventure the whole family will love, “I am T-Rex” debuts on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, June 20, from Well Go USA Entertainment.

After a power-hungry dinosaur from outside the valley named Fang attacks the king of dinosaurs by surprise, a young T-Rex escapes and begins to train, vowing never to return until he is the biggest and bravest in all the land — and finally strong enough to challenge the evil Fang and restore peace to Green Valley.

Directed by Cai Shangming and Chen Silin, “I am T-Rex” features English and Mandarin language tracks.

Whisper of the Heart (Drama)

A modern live-action adaptation of Aoi Hiiragi’s classic manga “Mimi wo Sumaseba,” “Whisper of the Heart” comes to Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday, June 20, from Capelight Pictures.

Hiiragi changed manga history forever with his culturally impactful coming-of-age tale. Now this iconic work comes home in a heartfelt adaptation directed by Yûichirô Hirakawa (“The Promised Neverland”), intertwining the themes of first love, promises and finding your dream. “Whisper of the Heart” offers a retelling of the original manga story from the perspective of 10 years later, featuring well-known moments from the novel that perfectly echo realities of the present day.

Once middle school soulmates, Shizuku (Nana Seino, “Attack on Titan Part 1,” “Nowhere Girl”) and Seiji (Tôri Matsuzaka, “The Blood of Wolve”) find themselves chasing a dream they thought was their own 10 years ago, coming to realize that somewhere down the line something went missing. Shizuku, who remained in Japan, now works for a prestigious book publisher, but finds that her inner spark for writing has dwindled. This begins to affect her own career when her clients can’t even decipher if she truly cares about their work. Meanwhile, Seiji, now an acclaimed cello player in Cremona, Italy, has become frustrated and jaded in his pursuit of artistic perfection. When Shizuku decides to visit her long-lost companion of 10 years, the two of them embark on a journey of self-discovery — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to evaluate what is truly important to them in life.

“Whisper of the Heart” asks if young love really can endure the test of time, and if it can bring us closer to fully realizing our dreams in the process. The film features both English and Japanese language tracks.

Front Row Features is giving away a Blu-ray copy of the animated adventure “I am T-Rex” to three lucky readers to watch with their families. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by June 26 for your chance to win. Good luck!