3D Movie Fad Already Fading
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I saw Toy Story 3 this weekend. It was phenomenal. And I saw it in 2 dimensions. No need to waste money for a marginal effect.
The 3D crunch is hitting the domestic summer box office, as this weekend’s boffo opener ‘Toy Story 3′ marks the third consecutive 3D opening — and 3D toon — to earn a lower percentage of its gross from 3D venues than previous such offerings.
Actual weekend figures for the Disney/Pixar toon came in at $110.3 million, slightly ahead of Sunday’s estimates, with 60% of the weekend’s gross from 3D screens.
The toon’s 3D grosses were 11% less than Disney’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ opening, which earned 71% of its $116.1 million opening from 3D.
18 Responses to “3D Movie Fad Already Fading”
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© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
Clearly, this is George W. Bush’s fault.
3D isn’t comfortable for my children. The glasses aren’t designed for their smaller heads, the children get headaches and eye strain, and it just doesn’t work for a long time. Either stores should sell good-quality 3d glasses in various sizes (and styles: there’s a lot of money to be made here,) or people like me will not subject my children to it.
They (and I) still loved How to Train Your Dragon, but one of my sons couldn’t watch the whole thing. And no, I didn’t take them again the next week to see what he missed.
3d movies are like pop up books
I agree with the sane comments so far. There have been some very good movies made that have 3D available, and they don’t really need it. The extra cash outlay feels like being nickeled and dimed.
I for one am glad to see 3-D fade (again). Until we get actual holodecks where you really are part of the action (and the story!), it really only makes sense for certain types of movie (like Avatar) where there’s really something to show off. Toy Story is about a bunch of talking toys, you don’t need 3-D for that.
Don’t hold your breath on that one. 3D is here to stay. Funny how you guys are still floating around – been doing that for years. Oh 3D is a fad. It will be gone soon. ZZZzzzzzz.
3D is not supposed to be always in your face guys. You know that. You are probably the same individuals that complain about stuff coming at ya. Funny stuff.
If you have forgotten that the number one movie of all time is AVATAR, do yourself a favor and see TRON: LEGACY this Christmas.
Have fun burying your heads in the sand – it is hilarious to watch your dwindling numbers continue to do so.
Suck mine, too, Bueller.
Step it Up 3D looks so unwatchable it’s hilarious. I almost peed during the trailer. Will I give them 10-12 bucks? Not sure yet, but god, the trailer is a riot. In 3D? Amazingly horrid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQeaAg62_xY
..it really only makes sense for certain types of movie (like Avatar) where there’s really something to show off. Toy Story is about a bunch of talking toys, you don’t need 3-D for that.”
I’m not a fan of 3D. It’s like watching a giant, moving ViewMaster slide show. But I’m interested in the way people discuss 3D.
Do people really feel that are not a “part of the action and story” of 2D films? For over 100 years, that’s exactly how people have described our love collective love of movies, of being “caught up,” of “losing oneself” of “identifying with” the people on screen.
So do people really want to be more a “part” of movies and what does that mean?
At the same time, 3D critics talk about how it throws them out of the story or distracts from the narrative experience.
A holodeck experience implies being immersed in an environment but that doesn’t necessarily mean that one is a part of it or the story unfolding in it, in the sense that you can interact with it.
And once you interact with the environment or the story, you’re no longer talking about movies, you’re talking about games. Right?
So even if 3D still sucks for most people as currently experienced, there still seems to be a desire for some ideal experience that 3D has come to represent, even if it can’t deliver.
The ideal experience of the totally perfect and statisfying recreation of reality is what film theorist/critic Andre Bazin referred to as “the myth of total cinema.” In his essay “The Myth of Total Cinema” written in the 1950s, I believe, he declared that, because the movies had not yet achieved this ideal: “The cinema has not yet been invented!”
Interestingly, Bazin was not a fan of 3D either. He thought CinemaScope would save the movies!
Precisely.
This is the real subliminal message of the Avatar phenomenon, I think. Or at least, “a” message. Imagine if one day you got into a booth like Jake Sully did and you were transported into another body. Not a real one like Jake did, but a CG one in a CG world. For all intents and purposes, you became one of the Na’Vi- total sensory involvement. Even more immersive than the “netrunning” in cyberpunk, where you still had a keyboard or a gestural interface to deal with.
You don’t just control the Master Chief, you ARE the Master Chief.
That’s the ultimate endpoint of gaming, as I see it. We’re not there yet, but we’re heading that way. The tech is getting better every year. How big a step is it from Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero from SimNightclub3000?
I think they do, but it’s a different experience. There will always be a market for stories that you just lay back and watch, I’m sure.
So do people really want to be more a “part” of movies and what does that mean?
Smell-O-Vision I hope.
One word: Pensieve.
Apparently this dip in 3D movies is not stopping Sony and Panasonic from making “3D TV”. I watched AVATAR in 3D and it totally ruined the movie plus it made me sick and nauseated. Teen Pop music is popular but hasn’t brought anything meaningful to music, so why should I believe a gimmick like 3D is supposed to help?
Have fun burying your heads in the sand – it is hilarious to watch your dwindling numbers continue to do so.
ROFLMAO. I had no idea there were such militant 3D advocates out there!
Awesome comment, Jim!
Odorama!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odorama
Don’t hold your breath on that one. Odorama is here to stay!
Dr. Quackenshaw: Through this nose, come some of life’s most rewarding sensations, and we plan to share with you some of the most beautiful odors known to mankind. Unfortunately, this same nose is also responsible for bringing us some odors that are rather… repulsive. We have not shied away from this distressing fact. You may experience some odors that will shock you! But the producers of this film believe that today’s audiences are mature enough to accept the fact that some things in life just plain stink!