James Cameron's Avatar

There has been a recent explosion of catastrophic proportions – and it has everything to do with bringing people back into theaters. 3D is here to stay, and to many people’s disbelief and annoyance.

I had been a staunch supporter of Avatar before it came out – and while personally the story was a bit of a letdown, the graphics delivered in a way I thought they would. I also thought it would be the top grossing film that year. It was that, and then some.

Too Many Knock Offs

Unfortunately, in it’s wake, a slew of patchwork 3D titles are coming out – that is, movies NOT shot in 3D, but relegated for that kind of visual makeover after the fact. To me, if this trend continues (I watched Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland) it will be at the expense of art and will actually hurt theater sales in the end. Other than Tron: Legacy, I am unaware of any 3D title being shot in 3D… and this is a bit unnerving, as a 3D supporter.

3D is the natural next step

The whole point of 3D, or at least what James Cameron seemed to be pushing in Avatar, is taking the viewing experience to the next level. Hopefully, 3D will someday be considered an art form, a medium for presentation, rather than a gimmick that is tagged on for extra money. I really believe the historical progression goes from black and white, to color, to high def, to 3D – and that one day everyone will experience regular media of every type in three dimensions (not just action movies and sports). On that day, we’ll look back to the old “flat” movies with a sense of nostalgia. Avatar may very well be the “Wizard of Oz” for our generation.