A Sad 3-D World

Hot Topic: 3-D Animation

                Personally, I cannot stand the new phenomena of 3-D films. I believe that the 3-D technology deployed in Avatar has been the only cutting edge development in the genre. Because James Cameron spent so much money and time to create a new system of cameras and filming technology, the digital breakthrough of the 3-D deployment is striking. In theaters, I had never experienced anything quite like that movie experience. 

The special effects were gorgeous, even though the film was tacky, and the technology did help in bringing the story to life. However, I have seen a handful of 3-D films after Avatar’s release and they are nothing noteworthy. I actually dislike the animation style. 3-D technology has not been evolved or researched enough to create an environment worth participating in. 

                The rest of the 3-D movies I have watched have all deployed cheap, predictable uses for the technology. For instance, Resident Evil: Afterlife’s 3-D graphics consisted of weapons flying at the screen and epic shots of rain falling—and don’t forget the cheesy slow motion shots of women in battle. The movie itself was terrible and its use of 3-D was even worse. Yet, movies such as this draw in large crowds because they employ a new style of movie-watching. 

After Avatar’s success, scores of films began releasing in 3-D. Other movies, especially Disney ones, rereleased in the same manner. I believe this is a ploy to draw crowds to the box office. With the rise of Netflix and internet watch-sites, as well as “On Demand,” people have been going to the cinema less and less. So film companies flounder about, grasping for an advantage. Because 3-D instantly caught on (especially with the release of Nintendo’s 3-DS), movies began automatically releasing in this newly developed format. 

While it has been a bit of a success, I know people (including myself) that strickly avoid 3-D movies. They give me a headache and the graphics are not good enough to endure the pain. The technology distracts me from the film itself—and I think that is a crucial error in movie creation. It seems like the films that are released in 3-D are not as rich in plot or dialogue as the ones that retain the normal format.