Movies: 3D Hype

3D technology has been around for a fairly long time. Sure, it's not "true" 3D, but it certainly is amusing to an extent. What I mean by this, is the 3D technology used in movies is simply a way of tricking your brain into thinking your seeing something on more than two plains.

Enough what 3D really is, how about its application? In my oppinion, 3D really has not done much justice to movies. There are two reasons for this: technology and the way it's used. The technology itself is a bit under-developed. Have you ever watched a 3D movie and felt dizzy? Or did your eyes become blurry after watching a full 3D movie?

I think that it's rediculous that someone would use this technology while trying to relax and be entertained while watching a movie. Being entertained (wheather it be from movies or games) should be fun and not painful/uncomfortable.

However, the technologies' limitations are not the only problem with 3D. It's the way 3D is being used that really irritates me. Directors use 3D to pull off cheap "stunts" that they seem to think are entertaining. I'm talking about your classic, "actor throws dagger through the screen" type of stunt. Sure it's kind of cool and can sometimes be used to shock the audience if done correctly, but this is SO OVERUSED. It's incredible how many times this is used. It seems like (for some movies), this is the only reason 3D was used for in the first place.

I think 3D should be used to emmerse the viewers into the movie experience and should not be used soley for shock-value. Some movie do this correctly, and I am so happy they are out there! One such example is TRON. You can have your oppinion on the movie itself, but the 3D in the movie wasn't used for cheap gags like they were in movies I had seen previous to TRON. Also, I think its only fair to mention that TRON was my first 3D movie since My Bloody Valentine 3D. The reason is that the movie left such a bad impression of 3D movies on me, that I didn't think 3D was really worth seeing anymore.

There is still hope! The concept of 3D entertainment is now going beyond stereoscopic techniques. The Nintendo 3DS is using "lenticular" lenses as a way of providing stereoscopic 3D results. But will this still hurt my eyes? Not entirely sure yet, but it's a nice step in the right direction by providing 3D effects without the glasses!

Here are my final thoughts. 3D today can be used by a director to enhance movie watching. But many times, 3D is just abused and makes a movie's effects cheesy. But maybe this is your thing! Your only a sucker for paying for 3D movies if you keep watching them and your always disappointed. It's not for everyone yet, and for good reason. I do think that 3D has a future in movies, as well as other forms of media/entertainment. The 3DS is one such example. It definitely gives me glint of hope for the future 3D technology.