It’s hard not to be disillusioned by the latest 3-D wave.
Sure, the novelty came and went in the ’50s, and then again in the early ’80s, but the current 3-D craze seemed like the real deal.
Then came movies “up converted” to 3-D like “Alice in Wonderland” and “Clash of the Titans,” and audiences started realizing they were being snookered.
The 3-D movement may carry on indefinitely, but movies like “Jackass 3-D” will do all it can to stop it cold.
Don’t get me wrong. “Jackass 3-D” could be a hit, but it’s more likely to alienate 3-D from the masses and reduce it to a glorified novelty act.
3-D proponents see the technology boosting every film genre eventually, from animated films to romantic comedies. Adding a third dimension gives storytellers another way to tell their tales, or so the 3-D boosters argue. They compare it to transitioning from black and white to color.
That was the argument raised by an expert I spoke to recently for a story at boxofficemagazine.com.
But the next few years – or even months – may be crucial to the future of 3-D. Without another “Avatar,” a smart, sophisticated movie that takes full advantage of the 3-D realm, chances are you won’t be wearing those funny glasses unless it’s to see a gimmick-laden film pop off the screen.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I do hope SOMETHING does kill this 3-D craze. Unless it deveolps into holographic movies, which isn’t likely, I see no need for the extra expense. It actually detracts from the story. Please, Hollywood, let it die.
Add me in the “let it die” group. Totally unnecessary and distracting.
I’ve seen a bunch of 3D movies lately and I gotta say: nothing to see here. It’s totally overhyped and overblown. Even Avatar didn’t really impress me with its mostly technical stuff while leaving a lot to be desired for the plot (at least for me).
Some months ago I thought and wrote a little bit about the argument of those 3D booster that 3D is like adding color. My conclusion was this:
The addition of sound adds a lot of information to a movie. You hear people talking. Before that you needed “insert cards” that conveyed critical information. Hence, sound is very important.
The addition of color also adds a lot of information. We connect colors to moods, for example. A scene in green hues therefore has a totally different atmosphere/meaning than the same one in red. Moreover, you can differentiate objects way better.
But what about 3D? It doesn’t add any crucial information at all. And it doesn’t add any information about mood or atmosphere. It’s only a visual gimmick. A good way to prove that argument is this exercise: think of any 3D movie and ask yourself the question if your impression of the plot/story would’ve been radically different if you’ve watched it on good old 2D. My answer always was “No.”