on 3-D

Before I start, yes.  I saw Avatar.  The 3-D rocked the ceiling off, I know.

Generally speaking, however, I hate 3-D.  I have seen Up, Clash of the Titans, and Alice in Wonderland in the past year.  With the gross exception of Avatar, each one could have done without, and my pocket could have used the extra change.  Hence my number one reason:

1. Too. Freaking. Expensive!  Two of the aforementioned films I saw in Tahiti, and movies in Tahiti are already ridiculously expensive (about 840 francs for a matinee only, which is about 10 US dollars).  3-D costs 1400 francs.  Roughly $16.  Seriously?
2. It gives me a head ache.  I know, I sound like an old man but one can only take too many things flying at you arbitrarily.
3. Have you been hearing about the germs being spread through re-usable glasses lately?
4. For those that wear glasses on a daily basis – how fun is it to wear two pairs of glasses at once?  I normally sport contacts but sometimes I choose glasses for style or off-days.  I went to a 3-D movie with some friends on one such day.  Yeah.  Way comfortable.
5. It distorts the color.
6. It’s extremely distracting.  Why listen to what the characters are saying when I can look at the giant moon rock floating towards me!
7. Limited genres.  Citizen Kane in 3-D? I think not.
8. Except (of course) films such as Avatar – it’s extremely unnecessary, and detracts from the film experience.

Is this the new frontier?  It certainly seems like it.  As I stated earlier, I think it distracts from the creation.  Take Alice.  I saw this in French, and had a really difficult time understanding – there are too many words like “curiouser” and “Mad Hatter” for complete comprehension for someone with a limited vocabulary.  But I wanted to see it anyway despite some negative reviews.  (I’m always gung-ho for anything Tim Burton).  Unfortunately, I had an unpleasant experience.  I do not think Alice was a bad movie (though my opinion is seriously handicapped).  I do think and know, however, that i didn’t find what I was looking for: to be immersed in the world of Burton.  The 3-D was too distracting.  If 3-D prevents total escape then really.  What’s it doing here?  I never thought I would say I was more excited to see a movie on DVD than in the theater.

Again.  Avatar was the shiz.  But that was James Cameron’s plan from the beginning.  He is a brilliant cinematographer and everything was carefully planned according to his ideas using 3-D technology.  When it’s forced on movies as a last-minute decision they are motivated by box-office results only.  It works, to be sure.  But it’s terribly sad.  When the next Avatar comes along, I’ll check out the 3-D.  But forgive me if I prefer Toy Story 3 in 2-D.