Over the past few years I’ve noticed a growing trend in the world of feature film; everything seems to be shifting toward 3-D. A genre-spanning phenomenon, 3-D technology is changing the way that we, as a culture, view films. Personally, I don’t fully understand the appeal of 3-D. Although I don’t really find 3-D effects to be damaging to a film, I don’t always perceive them as beneficial either. Most of the time, I find my movie-watching experience completely unaffected by the addition of 3-D enhancements to modern productions.
But what interests me more than the increasing number of films being created in 3-D is the wave of classic box-office hits being re-released as such. Last fall, the Disney Corporation accompanied their release of The Lion King from the Disney vault with the film’s theatrical release, enhanced with 3-D. Following the relative success of this venture, which generated about 80 million dollars, a plan to re-release a further four box-office successes in 3-D format was formed. Currently in theatres is Beauty and the Beast, which opened on January 12th. Set for release are Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., and The Little Mermaid, in September of this year, January 2013, and September 2013 respectively.
And it appears that Disney is not alone in this conspiracy of re-releases. On April 6th, James Cameron’s 1997 film, Titanic, will be back in theatres, and in 3-D no less. Once renowned as the highest grossing film ever, Titanic has only been surpassed by Avatar, a 3-D picture which Cameron released in 2009. Like the Disney Corporation, Cameron is hoping that the 3-D effects will appeal to current fans (according to Facebook there are over 14 million) as well as anyone who was unable to see the film in theatres when it was originally released in 1997.
The primary reason I take issue with the current 3-D mania is that it involves the conversion of films which were not originally intended to be featured in 3-D. I generally find that a lot of scenes don’t translate especially well as 3-D pictures, especially when the original picture is animated. Although at times the 3-D aspects integrate well within the original picture, these occurrences are limited. In fact, the only such scene which occurs to me immediately is the stampede in The Lion King. It is far more frequent for the 3-D effects to be non-apparent at best. At worst, they just appear to be awkward and interfere with the rest of the scene.
Despite my dislike of 3-D movies, I’m ultimately torn on whether the re-releasing of past box-office hits in 3-D is a force of evil or of good in the world. I don’t think that the 3-D conversion of a movie that was shot as a 2-D feature can fully measure up to its counterpart. However, the addition of 3-D features also rationalizes a theatrical re-release of an older film, allowing new audiences the experience of a theatrical viewing. I couldn’t help but see both 3-D adaptations that Disney has released since September. The Lion King was the first film that I saw in theatres, and I was overpowered by my own nostalgia. The (animated) Disney experience is just better when it’s in theatres.
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