Screen Gal’s discussion of the month: 3D films – mind blowing or mind numbing?

Welcome to the first discussion from Screen Gal all about the marvel that is 3D films. I was looking to talk about something a bit different recently and I thought that a short discussion would be a good idea to get juices flowing and also to hear any feedback on your thoughts about 3D. Every month I will post a discussion about topics related to films so let’s begin!

Standard RealD glasses

It is my own personal opinion that 3D films are not very good to say the least. There are exceptions to my opinion however I have only seen two 3D films that I have been blown away by; The Final Destination and Final Destination 5. Here are the following films that I have seen in 3D:-

• The Final Destination

• Toy Story 3

• Alice in Wonderland

• Thor

• Final Destination 5

I have no comparison with other 3D films such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows but personally I feel that 3D is a money-making scam created by the film industry. In most cases it does not add any extra value or dimension to the film – I can remember sitting watching Alice in Wonderland waiting for something to pop out at me and it never did. Also, paying £1 for a pair of 3D glasses? It is ridiculous! The cost to see a 3D film is also far higher with Odeon charging £10.60 for an adult entry. So why does the public insist on paying extra to see these films? Is it because it is cool?

3D has been around since the 1950’s in its earliest form however it was more prominently featured in the 1980’s and 90’s due to IMAX producing non-fiction films. Derived from stereoscopic photography, a regular motion picture camera system is used to record the images as seen from two perspectives (or computer-generated imagery generates the two perspectives in post-production), and special projection hardware and/or eyewear are used to provide the illusion of depth when viewing the film. (Taken from Wikipedia)

3D TV is also the latest offering from the manufacturers, urging consumers to buy into purchasing the TV and Glasses to enjoy their very own home 3D experience. I tried this out for myself recently while shopping for a new TV and I did not see any change at all. It is about market trends and unfortunately this appears to be something that will not disappear anytime soon. 

Kudos must be made to the creators of The Final Destination and Final Destination 5 as they provided a full round 3D experience and I definitely got my money’s worth. At times I even moved my head back and hands up to cover my face. It was the best 3D experience of my life and if filmmakers took a few tips then yeah, it could be worthwhile.

The original Archetypical 3D glasses

It is not just me who has a problem with 3D, check out the following articles about how 3D has proven to be a strain on the eyes and also causes headaches. Don’t get me wrong, if the right film came out in 3D then I probably would consider going to see it, however I wouldn’t go and see every single release of a film in 3D as it is simply not worth it. 

1. The Guardian article
2. The Daily Mail article

Need anymore proof that 3D simply isn’t worth it? Watch The Last Airbender  - you will never trust 3D again.