3D Movies: The Good, The Bad, The Future?

Posted September 24th, 2009 / By Robert Mills in Contributors, News, Opinion

With a recent surge in the number of 3D movies being released, it seems that 3D is certainly enjoying the spotlight. The last year alone has seen the release of My Bloody Valentine, Bolt, Coraline, G-Force, Monsters vs Aliens, The Final Destination and Up, and that is by no means a definitive list. This begs the question of why now, and is the rise of 3D movies worth talking about? In order to obtain more insight into this matter, we need to think about the good, the bad, and the future of cinema.

The Good

Perhaps the biggest advantage 3D movies have right now is that they are still a novelty. Yes, this year has seen an influx of them, but they do have a long way to go before they outnumber 2D movies. For now, 3D movies do seem to be high on studio’s agendas, and they are being used to breathe new life into otherwise forgotten or badly reviewed movie franchises. Only time will tell as to how successful this will be.

Another string to the 3D bow is that there is the potential to take audiences into the reality on the screen. I recently watched a 3D horror movie and people were jumping in their seats and grabbing in the air. There was a fun, social energy in the auditorium; one that I have never experienced with a 2D movie. 3D undoubtedly makes what we are seeing more vivid and dare I say it, real. We can almost touch the world the characters exist in, and there have been a few rare moments where I felt like I was at the same table as the characters I was watching. But ‘rare’ is the key word here; it isn’t always that easy to blur the boundary between our worlds and the worlds on the cinema screen, which leads nicely onto the downside of 3D movies.

The Bad

Some movie-goers have experienced motion sickness during a 3D movie. It is yet to be determined if it’s the 3D itself or the glasses. Either way, there has been a strong correlation between 3D movies and headaches and sickness. The glasses are another argument against 3D movies. Some may have no qualms, but for others, they can be uncomfortable and distracting. Thankfully, we have moved away from the days of cardboard glasses, and cinemas now offer plastic specs at an extra cost.

Another negative aspect is style over substance. A 3D movie might well break all box office records but it could be awful in terms of narrative, character development and emotional impact. The Final Destination was a recent example of this. The story was ridiculous, the acting less than impressive, and the characters forgettable, yet it managed to find an audience and was by no means a disaster.

Currently, 3D is an exciting experience on the big screens, but what about when we watch these movies at home? I recently watched Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D at home and it didn’t quite work; not for me anyhow. My TV is of average size, and the 3D effects simply did not translate well. At this moment in technological time, 3D movies provide little to no dimensional impact on the small screen, and that isn’t the only area where they fail to transcend.

Lastly, modern 3D genres are limiting. The majority of 2009’s 3D releases fall into the category of animation, placed alongside a few horror movies thrown in for cheap thrills. When will we see a stunning 3D movie from another genre?

The Future

In a recent issue of Empire Magazine, Peter Jackson was reported saying that he wants to make 3D versions of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but the Warner Bros. says there aren’t enough 3D screens to justify this. Jackson also has 3D visions to release a remake of the classic 1954 film, The Dam Busters. With a budget of £24 million, this will certainly be on everyone’s watchlist. There is still a long way to go before 3D can really dominate and as it currently stands, such movies can only be shown in selected cinemas. James Cameron’s action/adventure/sci-fi  movie Avatar is imminent, and if we believe the hype and the articles to date, it may change the face of cinema forever according to CNN. It is also reported that 2010 will see the release of a 3D television, and we are also promised 3D versions of Toy Story and a tie-in 3D computer game. Regardless of all the arguments against it, 3D looks to have a big future ahead of it.

Further Reading

• 3-D Film at Wikipedia
• The Illustrated 3D Movie List
• AMC’s Top Ten 3D Movies

Rob Mills is a Writer, Project Manager, and huge film fan. He has lent his skills to the BBC, Mark Boulton Design, Carsonified and now Huw David Design. When he isn’t in the cinema, he can be found writing for various websites and publications, including his blog. You can also follow Rob on .