real 3d movie review

A comprehensive analysis of thread: AMC real 3D vs digital

This article explores the cutting-edge cinematic technologies of RealD 3D and digital projection at AMC theaters . This article helps you understand each issue in detail of each format, dissecting their unique characteristics, benefits, and the overall impact they have on the cinematic experience.

Main aspects of AMC and IMAX 3D technologies

AMC Theatres have consistently enhanced the movie-going experience by featuring IMAX 3D technology , allowing audiences to dive into a film with the sensation of being part of the action. When you watch a movie in IMAX 3D , you’re not just watching; you’re experiencing the adventure as if you’re actually there.

The IMAX 3D experience is designed to make every scene more lifelike, with details so rich and landscapes so vast, it feels like a new world. The clarity and depth provided by IMAX 3D at AMC Theatres are unmatched, thanks to the specially designed IMAX 3D cameras that capture larger-than-life images.

Movies in IMAX 3D are not just films; they’re larger-than-life experiences that extend beyond the edges of your vision. Each IMAX 3D film is a journey, with the screen encompassing your entire field of view, creating an unparalleled sense of immersion.

The IMAX 3D visuals are backed by a powerful sound system that envelops the audience, making every moment in IMAX 3D . The IMAX 3D glasses add to this immersive experience by providing a comfortable fit, ensuring that nothing distracts you from the IMAX 3D spectacle .

AMC’s implementation of IMAX 3D represents the pinnacle of cinematic technology. The IMAX 3D experience at AMC is not just about the films; it’s about the memories that last long after the credits roll.

Every IMAX 3D presentation is an opportunity to step into a world where the story is not just told but is also felt, thanks to the IMAX 3D dimensionality . With IMAX 3D , the action isn’t just in front of you; it’s all around you, inviting you into a fully realized universe.

IMAX 3D at AMC is where stories live and breathe, making every IMAX 3D session a narrative adventure. As you leave the theater after an IMAX 3D film , the experience stays with you, the echoes of the IMAX 3D world lingering in your mind. That’s the magic of IMAX 3D at AMC – it’s not just a movie.

In the RealD 3D of cinematic experiences, AMC has transitioned from regular film projectors to film less digital projectors, showcasing the same movie in both traditional and modern formats.

Cinemas recently have seen a significant shift towards digital, but the charm of IMAX 3D theatres remains, with many moviegoers preferring the immersive experience of an IMAX auditorium .

While the average movie theater offers digital clarity, IMAX movies are often the highlight, presented on expansive IMAX screens that are a staple of IMAX cinema auditoriums .

RealD 3D , offered in two variations within AMC venues , provides a different take on the visual experience when compared to the spectacle of IMAX 3D , which boasts a three-dimensional depth unmatched by traditional screens.

The sweeping landscapes and explosive action sequences in IMAX 3D bring fantasy worlds to life, providing an escapism that’s as vast as the visuals. Audiences can explore the depths of the ocean or the far reaches of space with an unparalleled sense of presence, only possible in IMAX 3D .

AMC cinema in IMAX theatres

AMC Theatres has been at the forefront of cinematic technology evolution, transitioning from traditional film to advanced digital projection systems. The introduction of IMAX screens in AMC movies marked a significant milestone, offering an unparalleled viewing experience with larger screens and enhanced visual clarity.

The impact of these advancements is especially evident in the rising number of IMAX auditoriums across the globe, where movie-goers can enjoy a more lifelike and immersive viewing experience.

Comparing screen sizes

Let’s make a comparative analysis of IMAX and standard digital screens according to the size criterion.

IMAX screens sizes

The difference in screen size between IMAX and standard digital screens in theaters is stark. IMAX screens are much larger, providing a more enveloping viewing experience.

This larger screen size enhances the visual impact of movies, especially those shot with IMAX 3D cameras , offering viewers a slightly different image that is more immersive and detailed.

Standard digital screens sizes

In contrast, standard digital screens, while still providing high-quality visuals, offer a more traditional movie-going experience.

Comparing visual quality

Both formats offer their own unique advantages. Picture quality varies across RealD 3D , IMAX Digital 3D , and standard digital formats.

Quality of picture realD 3D

When comparing the quality of RealD 3D and IMAX 3D , we can see RealD 3D excels in creating depth and immersion, making it ideal for movies that benefit from a three-dimensional perspective. RealD 3D excels in creating depth and immersion but can sometimes sacrifice brightness.

Quality of picture IMAX digital 3D

IMAX Digital 3D , on the other hand, offers a larger screen size and enhanced image quality, making it better suited for visually spectacular films. IMAX Digital 3D offers both a larger screen and higher resolution, resulting in a more detailed and impactful visual experience.

Standard digital, while not offering the depth of 3D or the grandeur of IMAX , provides a high-quality, consistent picture that is versatile across various film genres.

The choice between these formats often depends on the content of the film and the viewer’s preference for immersion, detail, or traditional viewing.

Comparing the image brightness

When comparing image brightness between RealD 3D and digital projections, there are notable differences.

Image brightness in realD 3D

RealD 3D , due to its polarization process, can sometimes result in a slightly dimmer image compared to standard digital projection.

Image brightness in digital

Digital projections, without the need for polarization, can project brighter images. This difference can impact the viewing experience, particularly in scenes that are inherently dark or have intricate visual details. However, advancements in projection technology and screen materials continue to minimize these differences.

Comparing feature movies

Feature movies in IMAX and RealD 3D undergo specific adaptations to maximize the potential of each format.

Feature movies in IMAX

For IMAX , this often involves using IMAX cameras during filming to capture higher-resolution images suitable for the larger screen size of IMAX 3D theaters .

Feature movies in realD 3D

RealD 3D adaptations focus on enhancing depth perception and creating a more immersive experience. Both formats require careful consideration of visual effects and cinematography to ensure that the film’s visual integrity is maintained while enhancing the audience’s immersive experience.

Comparing audience perspectives

From the audience’s perspective, the theatrical experience varies significantly across different formats.

Audience perspective in IMAX

IMAX 3D offers a larger-than-life experience with its massive screens and high-quality sound, creating a highly immersive environment.

Audience perspective in RealD 3D

RealD 3D provides depth and realism, making viewers feel like they are part of the scene. Standard digital, while lacking the depth of IMAX 3D , offers a clear and consistent image quality that is suitable for a wide range of films. Each format (IMAX 3D and RealD 3D) offers a unique viewing experience, catering to different preferences and movie genres.

Watching movies in an IMAX theater provides an unparalleled cinematic experience, thanks to its state-of-the-art sound system and massive, curved screen that immerses viewers right into the heart of the action.

The latest animated films in RealD 3D and IMAX Digital 3D showcase the pinnacle of modern animation technology. RealD 3D enhances these films with its depth and immersive experience, making animated characters and environments feel more lifelike.

IMAX Digital 3D takes it further with larger screens and higher resolution, bringing out minute details and vibrant colors in animated films.

The choice between these two formats often depends on how the viewer wants to experience the animated world – whether in a more immersive, depth-oriented setting ( RealD 3D ) or through larger-than-life, detailed imagery ( IMAX Digital 3D ).

Understanding realD 3D in AMC

RealD 3D technology in AMC cinema represents a significant leap in cinematic experience. Using the passive circular polarizing technique , RealD 3D creates an illusion of depth, providing a more immersive experience than traditional 2D films.

This technology has become a staple in AMC cinemas and most movie theaters, offering theater audiences a new way to experience films. RealD 3D’s ability to bring movies to life with stunning depth and realism has made it a popular choice among movie-goers, particularly for feature films and the latest films.

AMC’s shift to digital projection has been a game-changer in the cinema industry. Digital projection offers a brighter image and more consistent picture quality compared to traditional film projection.

The digital format allows for a greater range of movies to be shown, from classic re-releases to the latest blockbusters. This transition signifies a major technological advancement in theaters, providing viewers with a more vibrant and clearer cinematic experience.

IMAX cameras: the next level of cinematic experience

IMAX 3D in AMC takes the cinematic experience to a whole new level. The massive IMAX screen format , combined with cutting-edge IMAX 3D technology , immerses viewers in the movie like never before.

The screen size, significantly larger than standard cinema screens, along with the enhanced visual and audio quality, makes IMAX 3D a preferred choice for many movie enthusiasts. IMAX 3D’s distinct presentation style, using IMAX 3D cameras and digital technology, offers a uniquely captivating and lifelike viewing experience

The use of IMAX cameras in movie production plays a pivotal role in enhancing the cinematic experience. Movies shot with these cameras are specifically designed for the larger IMAX 3D screen , offering a higher resolution and a more detailed visual experience.

This technology captures a larger field of view, making it ideal for feature films and immersive storytelling. When these films are projected onto an IMAX screen , the difference in quality is noticeable, providing viewers with a more engaging and realistic experience.

The transition from the iconic IMAX dome to modern IMAX auditoriums represents a significant shift in IMAX’s presentation approach. The dome-shaped screen offered a unique, all-encompassing viewing experience but was limited in terms of the variety of films it could show.

The advent of IMAX digital auditoriums has expanded the range of cinematic possibilities, allowing a broader array of films to be shown, including the latest animated films and blockbuster hits.

IMAX film and digital formats each offer distinct advantages. IMAX film provides an unparalleled resolution and image quality, particularly noticeable in IMAX theaters .

However, the IMAX digital 3D , prominent in many IMAX theaters , offers greater flexibility in movie selection and easier distribution.

The transition to digital has allowed IMAX to expand its reach, making high-quality cinematic experiences more accessible to theater audiences.

New technologies in RealD 3D and digital formats

In RealD cinemas , the viewing experience is markedly different from traditional movie watching. The use of passive technique allows for a more immersive and depth-enhanced experience.

This technology splits the light into two images that are projected onto a silver screen.

The silver screen is crucial as it maintains the polarization of light, ensuring that each eye receives a different image.

This results in a three-dimensional effect that adds depth and realism to the film, making the viewer feel as if they are part of the movie.

The clarity and depth perception offered in cinemas is especially noticeable in scenes with significant depth of field or fast-moving action.

Passive circular polarizing techniques

This technique used in RealD 3D involves projecting two images onto the screen, each polarized differently. The RealD 3D glasses have polarized lenses that synchronize with these images, ensuring that each eye sees only one of the images.

This creates a stereoscopic effect, giving the illusion of depth. One of the main advantages of this technique is the reduction of eye strain compared to older 3D methods, as the polarization process is more natural to the human eye.

Linear polarizing technology, used in some digital cinema formats, functions differently from the circular polarizing technique of RealD 3D . It also uses polarization to create a 3D effect, but the polarization is linear instead of circular.

This means that the orientation of the linear polarized glasses is crucial for the correct viewing experience.

While effective, this technology can be sensitive to head tilting and may not be as forgiving as circular polarization in maintaining the 3D effect.

This comparison highlights the advanced nature of RealD 3D’s polarizing technique in providing a consistent and immersive experience.

The role of silver screens

Silver screens play a vital role in 3D cinemas, especially in RealD 3D and IMAX Digital 3D . These screens are coated with a metallic compound that helps maintain the polarization of light necessary for IMAX 3D effects.

The reflective nature of silver screens also contributes to brighter and more vibrant images, which is crucial for compensating for any light loss due to polarization in IMAX 3D films. This results in enhanced visual quality and a more immersive viewing experience.

The future of movie theaters: trends in technology and viewing preferences

The future of theaters is likely to be shaped by ongoing advancements in technology and changing viewer preferences.

The evolution of IMAX 3D and digital formats will continue, with innovations aimed at enhancing picture quality, reducing costs, and improving the viewer experience.

Technologies like virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) may also start to play a role, offering even more immersive and interactive experiences.

Movie theaters will need to adapt to these changes to provide audiences with compelling reasons to continue visiting theaters in an increasingly digital entertainment landscape.

AMC Theatres has been a key player in shaping modern movie-going experiences. By adopting and promoting advanced cinema technologies like RealD 3D and IMAX digital , AMC has set a high standard for cinematic presentation.

Their investment in state-of-the-art technology and commitment to providing diverse viewing options highlights AMC’s role as an innovator in the movie industry.

As technology evolves, AMC’s approach to integrating the latest advancements will continue to influence how people experience movies and shape the future of cinema.

AMC’s foray into natively digital projection systems has redefined the cinematic landscape, offering a crisp visual experience that rivals even the immersive Omnimax theaters. Patrons can enjoy the latest blockbusters in IMAX 3D , which necessitates the use of relatively lightweight eyewear to deliver its signature depth and immersion.

Furthermore, Shaw Theaters has also embraced these advancements, integrating IMAX 3D technology to provide movie enthusiasts with unparalleled visual spectacles.

In the ongoing debate between AMC Real 3D and digital, horror flicks on RealD systems often boast believable surround sound effects that turn a simple movie night into a spine-chilling experience. Unlike RealD , which uses dual projectors to create a visibly sharper image, the average cinema format typically results in a visibly brighter image. This prevalent technology ensures that every scare in a horror movie is as clear as it is terrifying.

The battle of visual and auditory experiences in AMC’s Real 3D vs. digital formats often boils down to a few possible reasons. While RealD format uses correspondingly large projection equipment to accommodate standard-sized screens, digital formats in AMC theaters typically harness Full HD projection to ensure a crystal-clear image.

Even as both formats use similarly high-resolution cameras during production, Full HD projection is designed to match the standard set by Full HD televisions in homes. Moreover, many AMC movie theaters complement the visual fidelity with Dolby Atmos setups, enveloping audiences in a sound field as detailed as the on-screen action.

AMC’s IMAX 3D and RealD theaters, both known for their immersive experiences, have other notable differences that set them apart. IMAX 3D uses two projectors that cast images on generally larger screen, often curved screens, to create an enveloping environment, while RealD uses circular polarizing technology with polarizing filters for a single projector setup.

This IMAX system aims to deliver twice the resolution of its analog predecessors, reducing image noise and providing clarity that has been the hallmark of the American company founded on high-definition and immersive experiences.

RealD , while newer than the analog format, uses passive polarizing technology to achieve depth without the need for complex projection systems. The Lido Cineplex is one such venue where audiences can appreciate the difference in quality, with IMAX’s six-channel sound system augmenting the visual splendor of IMAX 3D and RealD movies.

The cinematic rivalry continues as IMAX 3D and RealD compete to provide the most captivating movie experiences, with IMAX’s towering screens and RealD’s cutting-edge 3D technology each drawing crowds. Patrons of AMC often debate their preference, with some favoring the breathtaking scope of IMAX theaters and others swearing by the depth and precision of RealD presentations.

Firstly, a key feature of RealD 3D is its use of stereoscopic technology, which creates an illusion of depth , offering a more immersive viewing experience. This is achieved through special glasses that allow each eye to see a slightly different image, creating a 3D effect.

Secondly, the image quality in RealD 3D is often superior to that of standard digital projection . However, some viewers might find that 3D movies appear darker than their 2D counterparts due to the glasses and the technology used. Additionally, the clarity and brightness of the image can be a significant factor in favor of RealD 3D, making the visuals more engaging.

Another important consideration is the cost. Tickets for RealD 3D movies are typically more expensive than for standard digital projections . This is because of the additional equipment and technology required for 3D viewing. The extra cost might be a determining factor for some moviegoers, especially those who frequent cinemas.

Viewer comfort is also a notable factor. Some viewers might find 3D movies less comfortable due to the need to wear glasses and the potential for eye strain, headaches, or motion sickness. This aspect is subjective and varies from person to person.

Which is better RealD 3D or digital?

The choice between RealD 3D and digital projection depends on the type of movie and the viewer’s preference. RealD 3D offers an immersive experience with depth, ideal for action-packed and visually stunning films. Digital projection, while not 3D, offers a brighter image and higher consistency in picture quality, suitable for a wide range of movies.

What does real 3D mean at AMC?

Real 3D at AMC refers to a movie projection technology that uses passive circular polarizing techniques to create a three-dimensional effect. This technology enhances the depth and realism of the movie, providing a more immersive viewing experience.

Do you need to wear glasses for RealD 3D?

Yes, viewers need to wear special glasses for RealD 3D movies. These glasses help create the illusion of depth by filtering the images on the screen in a way that each eye sees a slightly different perspective, resulting in a 3D effect.

Can you watch a real 3D movie without glasses?

No, watching a RealD 3D movie without special glasses will result in a blurred and double image. The glasses are essential for filtering the images correctly to create the 3D effect.

AMC RealD 3D offers a more immersive and potentially visually striking experience at a higher cost and with some potential discomfort for certain viewers. Standard digital projections, on the other hand, offer a more traditional and often more comfortable viewing experience. The best choice depends on personal preferences, the specific movie, and considerations of cost and comfort.

Jaws in 3D (Not Jaws 3D ) Is Out This Weekend and Worth Your Time

The steven spielberg classic is back in theaters this weekend with a whole new dimension..

As the summer movie season comes to an end, a few all-time blockbusters are busting back into theaters. One is from just last year but the other is the original. The first . Maybe the best of the best. Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic, Jaws .

How RealD 3-D Works

Share Content on Facebook
Share Content on LinkedIn
Share Content on Flipboard
Share Content on Reddit
Share Content via Email

In the past decade, 3-D movies have received their share of spectator accolades and critical disdain. Whether you love the eye-popping effects or yawn at their abrupt ubiquity, one thing is indisputable – 3-D is getting more and more common. In 2004 there were only two 3-D movies in mass release. In 2013 there were 45. As recently as 2006 there were a measly 250 3-D-capable theaters on the planet. Now, that number has blown past 50,000 and counting.

There are several types of 3-D technologies in use at theaters, including IMAX 3-D, Dolby 3-D and RealD. Of those, RealD has almost half of the market share. RealD is a digital stereoscopic projection system, and it's installed at more than 20,000 theaters worldwide.

In order to enjoy 3-D at a RealD-equipped theater, you'll don dark, rather goofy-looking glasses that relay the multi-dimensional effects from the screen to your eyes. When a movie director and her team of special effects personnel do adept work, the visuals in a 3-D film are often breathtaking. Explosions seem to expel shrapnel from the screen. Scenes with lush foliage seem so dense and so real that it feels as though you could walk right into those giant ferns.

Producing a well-crafted 3-D film that truly suspends an audience's disbelief requires deft technical sleight of hand and brilliant technical execution. When the recorded data is paired with a RealD system, viewers get a truly 3-D experience that might astound them.

The RealD system incorporates a number of tools to create the 3-D effect that works with the special theater glasses resting on the bridge of your nose. It's a sophisticated, high-speed technology that helps transform a two-dimensional flick into a 3-D masterpiece.

RealD 3-D Fundamentals

Linear polarization, a losing proposition, circular polarization, from small to xl.

Not for actual use: A huge pair of RealD 3-D glasses on display at ShoWest in 2010.

If you imagine movie projection equipment as a room full of dusty film reels, you'd be taken aback by RealD. It's a system that's digital from the ground up and optimized for movies shot in digital formats instead of archaic film.

RealD 3-D setups generally consist of a computer used to process the 3-D data, a digital projector, a proprietary ZScreen polarization switch, the projection screen and, of course, the 3-D glasses that you wear. The system can be adapted to various digital cinema projectors.

Of course, the 3-D system really all begins with the movie set. You have two eyes that let you see the world in stereo. Because your eyes are about two inches apart, their perspectives are just a little different. That's why directors use dual-mounted cameras to film 3-D scenes. One camera captures images ultimately intended for your left eye; the other, for your right.

After the movie is sent to your local theater, projectionists load the data into a server. This computer sends the data in two parallel streams to the projector, which displays them, quickly alternating between images meant for your left and right eyes. Those images then strike the movie screen and bounce back to your glasses.

The glasses you wear are polarized filters, and the lens for each eye is calibrated to let in light waves that strike the lens at a specific angle. All others bounce away or are absorbed. That means directors can purposely design 3-D effects for every aspect of their movies and project them in a way that makes sense to your eyes.

RealD 3-D glasses may or may not be your thing, stylistically speaking. But they provide a much better experience than previous iterations of 3-D specs.

The 3-D systems from years ago didn't work very well. To understand exactly why, you have to know how light works.

Light is a type of wave, and those waves move up and down and side to side and basically all over the place. Light is a bit chaotic. A polarizing filter blocks many light waves but allows those moving in a direction parallel to the filter to pass through. In other words, a polarizing filter cuts down on visual noise.

This is readily apparent if you take a pair of polarized sunglasses and rotate them while looking at a bright surface with a lot of shiny, reflected light. At the right angle, the glasses will block much of the glare and make the scene easier on your eyes.

Engineers can make eyeglasses with lenses polarized differently for each eye. That is, one lens blocks certain light waves and the other blocks a different set of light waves. That's ultimately how 3-D theater technology works. And we've come a long way since the early days.

Old-school 3-D projection technology was a headache, literally, for both theater owners and for many viewers. For starters, these antiquated systems required not one, but two projectors, which cast two different linearly polarized images onto the screen from 45 degrees left and right of center.

Viewers wore linearly polarized glasses, which had to rest at a precise angle (in other words, straight on and stationary with respect to the screen) in order to present crisp images. Thanks to the glasses, your right eye saw only images from the right projector. Your left eye saw images only from the left projector.

It sounds workable in theory, but if you tilted your head, you'd see colors bleeding into each other and stomach-churning, distorted images that gave many movie-goers headaches . Other problems arose if the angle of the projectors was off even slightly, the images weren't perfectly synchronized or if they weren't exactly the same brightness. It was an altogether frustrating experience for projectionists and audiences.

Fortunately, systems featuring linear polarization are no more.

Linear polarization has gone by the wayside. If you've been to a 3-D movie in the past few years and slipped on those fashion-challenged glasses, you've worn lenses featuring circular polarization . Just as with glasses that use linear polarization, those with circular polarization are made to filter out specific wavelengths of light.

The big difference is that the polarized light waves don't travel in a straight line. Instead, they move forward in a spiral. To create that spiral effect, a projection system like the one in RealD might use two projectors with different polarizing filters: one to create a clockwise spiral; the other, a counter-clockwise spiral. Each spiral works with only one lens on your glasses, so each eye sees just one set of images. But these dual systems tend to be too unwieldy or pricey for many theaters.

Instead, RealD uses a sophisticated one-projector scheme. The projector sends its images through a polarizing beam splitter, which divides the light into two beams. Both beams of light bounce from a mirror toward an achromatic polarization rotator , which rotates these beams of light to specific angles for each lens on your 3-D glasses .

Images then pass through the ZScreen, which is a liquid-crystal screen placed in front of the projector lens. The ZScreen acts as a fast-switching polarizing filter (also called a push-pull modulator). Each time it switches, it alternates between images meant for your left and right eyes. It syncs precisely with the movie projector thanks to the help of an electronic controller.

It does this task at 144 frames per second, or 72 per second for each eye. Or put differently, it means that each of the 24 frames per second of the movie is displayed for your eye three times before the next frame appears. That way your eyes and brain can't detect sickening flickering.

And because the resulting light waves move in spirals, they can hit your glasses at different angles and still make fantastic images. That means you have more leverage to tilt and cock your head while you watch.

The system isn't perfect. At certain angles, viewers may still see ghosting , which is a type of image leakage. In ghosting, one eye may see the tiniest glimpse of images meant for the other eye. When this happens, it can disrupt the fun and may make you feel a little woozy.

Another challenge for RealD with ZScreen is brightness. As the projected light moves through all of those filters, there's tremendous light loss, meaning the movie you see looks darker than it should. To counteract this phenomenon, some theaters use silver screens.

Silver screens have actual silver dust embedded in them. The silver is so reflective that it reduces light loss and maintains more brightness than a modern white, matte screen.

Silver screens are actually a throwback to the olden days of movie theaters. Early projection systems had the same handicap as 2005-era RealD systems — they were just too dim and required very reflective screens to maintain sufficient brightness for audiences. Silver screens might be a primitive technology, but they are more expensive than basic white screens, and as such, they're another drawback for owners looking to invest in 3-D.

After your movie, you can toss your RealD glasses in a bin for recycling. Unless you want to take them home and bedazzle them.

The initial RealD 3-D system that's equipped with first-generation ZScreen technology is also the most widespread 3-D projection system in the world, available in many thousands of theaters. This version does have some significant limitations, particularly in terms of the size of the screen on which it can project, specifically screens that measure 45 feet (13 meters) or less.

In 2008, RealD introduced a second-generation system called 3-D XL. True to its moniker, it works on extra-large screens up to 80 feet (24 meters) wide. The XL is designed to provide more than enough brightness for large screens, making for a bigger and ideally more immersive 3-D experience. Whether your theater uses the first RealD system or the XL, both work specifically with the company's 3-D glasses.

The glasses that you wear during a RealD feature film aren't your everyday polarized eyewear. If you tried to slip on your normal sunglasses during one of these flicks you'd miss out on the special effects (and likely upchuck your popcorn , too). The glasses also have some subtle refinements, such as low-glare frames to reduce scattered light that would distract you from the movie.

Each time you buy a ticket to a RealD movie, you receive a brand-spanking-new pair of 3-D glasses. The idea behind this is to provide the best possible clarity for your movie experience, but also to reduce the heebie jeebies you might feel about wearing glasses that other people have already used.

After each show, most theaters collect the glasses for recycling. Some people do keep their glasses for reuse, and others like them just as souvenirs.

Some industry insiders feel like those glasses should just gather dust for a while as the 3-D film industry recalibrates itself. Ticket sales for 3-D movies are sliding downward, and many pundits blame poor sales on overuse of the effect, in addition to poorly produced conversions of 2-D to 3-D, which often results in ugly, almost unwatchable films.

Movies that make full use of the potential of 3-D, such as 2009's "Avatar," were first imagined as multidimensional experiences. "Avatar" was directed and shot with 3-D in mind, and the superior results translated into massive ticket sales.

Whether 3-D will be around for many years is up for debate. What's certain is that companies like RealD will continue to innovate and refine the technology behind 3-D in the hopes that it will capture audience imaginations like no other cinema experience in history.

Lots More Information

Author's note: how reald 3-d works.

I rarely go to theaters to see movies, but I was one of the millions and millions of people who made time to watch "Avatar" on the big screen. It was worth it. "Avatar" wasn't just a movie. It was a sensory experience that made me wonder if it would change the way movies were made. Half a decade later, it seems as though the 3-D trend has overstayed its welcome. Too many 3-D movies are 3-D just for the gimmick instead of the story, and as we all know, it's the story that matters and not the technology. Perhaps more directors will put 3-D to intelligent use soon, or maybe 3-D will fade into obscurity for a few more years before the next generation of projection technology promises a permanent 3-D revolution ... again.

How is digital 3-D different from old 3-D movies?
How 3-D TV Works
How 3-D Glasses Work
How 3-D Bioprinting Works
Acuna, Kirsten. "3 Signs that 3-D Movies Have a Future in Hollywood." Business Insider. Jan. 15, 2013. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.businessinsider.com/3d-movies-have-a-future-in-hollywood-2013-1
Cowan, Matt. "RealD 3-D Theatrical System." European Digital Cinema Forum. Dec. 5, 2007. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.edcf.net/edcf_docs/real-d.pdf
Drawbaugh, Ben. "Ready or Not, the Latest 3-D Technology is Coming Home." Engadget. Oct. 26, 2009. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/26/ready-or-not-the-latest-3d-technology-is-coming-home/
Drawbaugh, Ben. "RealD to License ZScreen for HDTVs, Bring Cheap 3-D Glasses to the Masses." Engadget. Sept. 23, 2010. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/23/reald-to-license-zscreen-for-hdtvs-bring-cheap-3d-glasses-to-th/
Erdogan, Turan. "Understanding Polarization." Semrock. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.semrock.com/Data/Sites/1/semrockpdfs/whitepaper_understandingpolarization.pdf
Koltonow, Andrew. "How do 3-D Glasses Work?" Mental Floss. Oct. 27, 2012. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://mentalfloss.com/article/12876/how-do-3-D-glasses-work
The Optical Society. "Polarized Light." (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.optics4kids.org/home/content/other-resources/articles/polarized-light/
RealD cinema products page. "Cinema." (Jan. 22, 2015) http://reald.com/content/cinema.aspx
RealD corporate page. "About RealD." (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.reald.com/content/about-reald.aspx
Starplex Cinema. "Starplex Cinema's Digital 3-D." (Jan. 22, 2015) http://www.starplexcinemas.com/digital3d.php
Walworth, Vivian K. "History of Polarized Image Stereoscopic Display." Stereojet. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://stereojetinc.com/documents/8648-80.pdf
Weerts, Gwen. "3-D Gets Second Look." SPIE. January 2012. (Jan. 22, 2015) http://spie.org/x84638.xml

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

Film reviews
Theatrical Industry

Select Page

Real D 3D Vs IMAX 3D: Comparison

Posted by cravingcinema | Feb 19, 2023 | Premium large formats , Theatrical Industry | 0 |

This post contains affiliate links. We will receive a commission if you click through these links and make a purchase.

In recent years, 3D technology has advanced dramatically, providing viewers with immersive cinematic experiences.

Two popular 3D technologies in use today are IMAX 3D and RealD 3D. Although both offer three-dimensional viewing, there are key differences between them that can influence the quality of the viewing experience.

In this blog post, we will explore the differences between IMAX 3D and RealD 3D.

Real D 3D vs IMAX 3D: Picture Quality

IMAX Digital Auditoriums use dual 2k projectors in their theaters to display their movies, meanwhile, Real D 3D auditoriums use 1 projector, typically of lesser quality.

The dual 2k projectors that IMAX 3D uses allow for brighter and crisper images when watching the movie in 3D.

Also, the curved nature of the screen as well as IMAX seating (sits closer to the screen) allows for a more immersive experience because it gives the audience a better point of view than Real D 3D.

Another difference between IMAX and Real D is that they use different polarizing technologies. IMAX 3D uses linear polarization, while Real D 3D uses circular polarization.

When watching films in IMAX 3D it is recommended that you don’t tilt your head too much because the 3D image can become fuzzy.

Although this technology leads to a more in-depth image it can cause you a headache if you’re moving your head too much. Meanwhile, Real D 3D does not have this problem.

However, the technology IMAX 3D uses allows for brighter 3D images which alleviates a common complaint amongst many people, which is that 3D images are too dark.

Expanded Aspect Ratio

I should also mention that IMAX has its own expanded Aspect Ratio for films shot on IMAX cameras. The aspect ratios that are exclusive to IMAX are 1.90:1 and 1.43:1.

These ratios allow for a much taller image without sacrificing the depth and wide-screen appeal of other aspect ratios.

In layman’s terms, films shown in IMAX cameras do not have black bars at the top and bottom of the screen as your typical widescreen 2.39:1 aspect ratio does.

This is the IMAX experience and is the biggest appeal of the format, images shot in IMAX feel gigantic and life-like. I should mention that very few films are shot with IMAX cameras though.

Most films released in the IMAX format are shot in 2.39:1 and audiences do not get that expanded ratio.

Make sure to check the technical specifications of the film you are seeing to verify it was shot in either 1.90:1 or 1.43:1.

Although this expanded aspect ratio is cool you can still get this effect at home with the proper 4k Blu-Ray, although nowhere near the size and scale of the screen in a theater. The Dark Knight 4K Blu-Ray (affiliate link) has an expanded aspect ratio for IMAX and it looks amazing.

Real D 3D auditoriums use sound systems that are used in regular digital cinemas, nothing too special, usually a 5.1 or 7.1 channel system. IMAX Digital offers a similar system but typically adds additional height channels.

The sound is also much louder in IMAX auditoriums as the sound levels are strictly enforced and moderated by IMAX.

The subwoofers in IMAX theaters are also much more potent than in standard auditoriums, the bass is much louder.

Meanwhile, IMAX with Laser utilizes a 12-channel system that is a significant upgrade over IMAX digital.

Screen Size

As mentioned before the curved nature of an IMAX screen allows for more optimal and immersive viewing when watching a film in 3D.

Also, IMAX screens in general are much larger than screens found in Real D 3D auditoriums. Real D incorporates its technology on standard-sized screens for the most part which are much smaller than IMAX screens.

Even the smallest of IMAX screens (IMAX digital) are likely to be much larger than Real D screens .

IMAX screen size fluctuates so check your local location. The IMAX screens that are typically the largest are the ones that display their images in 70mm film.

IMAX 3D tickets are noticeably more expensive than Real D 3D, mostly because the technology is more advanced and it is not as widely available.

Real D 3D ticket prices can be anywhere from 11-18 dollars depending on where you live and when you choose to see the film (matinee/evening/weekday/weekend).

Meanwhile, IMAX 3D tickets are usually anywhere from 14-25 dollars. IMAX with Laser 3D can get even pricier.

In conclusion, both IMAX 3D and RealD 3D offer unique and stellar 3D viewing experiences. While IMAX 3D provides a brighter, more detailed image on a larger screen, it is also more expensive and less widely available.

RealD 3D, on the other hand, is less expensive and more widely available but provides a slightly dimmer image on a smaller screen.

I think IMAX 3D is the clear winner here, if you are lucky enough to have an IMAX with laser 3D near you then that would be the optimal choice but IMAX 3D is still a fantastic way to see a movie.

Just make sure to not tilt your head while watching the film.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Imax 2d vs 3d: what’s the difference.

There are a lot of blockbuster movies that incorporate 3D technology in Post-production. After the success of Avatar studios have made 3D a priority as it leads to higher ticket prices and more box office earnings.

There are a lot of movies that haphazardly use 3D and it shows. None of the shots are framed with 3D in mind and it results in the image looking silly and more like a gimmick.

I would avoid most 3D movies unless the filmmaker intended it to be in that format or if the filmmaker actively supervised each shot that incorporates 3D in the film.

IMAX 2D is still a solid way to see a movie, the image is brighter than 3D.

Dolby 3D Vs IMAX 3D

Dolby 3D provides a more colorful and vivid image compared to IMAX 3D.

This is on par with most of Dolby’s technologies, as Dolby excels over IMAX with their picture quality, specifically their trademark Dolby vision technology.

Dolby Vision allows for a brighter image and sharper contrast between colors.

Real D 3D vs IMAX with Laser 3D

IMAX 3D is better than Real D 3D and IMAX with Laser is far superior to your typical IMAX digital theate r.

IMAX with Laser uses laser projection instead of the typical xenon light bulbs used in IMAX digital theaters.

These laser projection systems display a 4k image which results in a higher contrast image with a more detailed and crisp image.

Also, IMAX with laser utilizes more advanced sound technology, including a 12-channel surround sound system.

IMAX 2D vs Digital Cinema

IMAX 2D beats your typical standard digital auditorium on pretty much every level.

The screens are larger, the sound systems are more advanced and the picture quality is better. This is typical for any premium large format.

Cinema formats like rpx, XD , and DFX etc. make sure to distinguish themselves from standard auditoriums on the factors mentioned.

Prime 3d vs Real d 3d

There is not much difference between Prime 3d and Reald D 3D.

AMC prime does not have many locations left as AMC has converted a lot of those auditoriums to become Dolby Cinemas. AMC Prime is somewhat on its last leg, similar to Big D

Craving Cinema is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic.

About The Author

cravingcinema

I have been studying the business side of film for several years. Doing insightful analysis into a movie's box office is what I do. I also cover other areas of movies as well.

3D MOVIE REVIEWS

The most comprehensive 3d movie review / 3d movie rating site on the internet. over 500 3d movies reviewed. search page using find or ctrl+f (windows) or cmd+f (mac), theater - 3d blu-ray - imax 3d - theme park 3d - streaming.

ONE TO FIVE STARS

Until 2005 3D movies could only be seen (via film) in Theme Parks or at IMAX theaters. Digital projection allowed high quality stereo projection, mostly in circular polarized format (contrary to popular belief, 1950's 3D movies were also polarized- but linear, not circular) with silver screens. In 2015 IMAX began showing laser 3D projection with Dolby dichroic glasses: beautiful bright image with zero ghosting or rivalry.

One confession: I LOVE good computer graphics. The ability to create such very realistic worlds and creatures is unprecedented in movie-making... and the art of digital 3D animation is absolutely awe inspiring. Of course, the fact that CG lends itself to stereoscopic rendering is a major bonus! Hair, skin, fur, reflections, transparencies... all these subtle nuances are so much clearer and true to life in stereo (and are pretty much impossible to recreate in a 2D to 3D conversion!)... I may well be prone to grade CG films higher than live action.

Also: I really do not like the grossly violent films like Saw and other torture porn. These movies do lend themselves to 3D treatment, but I'm likely to avoid them.

Another important consideration is whether a film has been converted from 2D. Live action is much more difficult to shoot in 3D than it is to render CG (computer graphics) into stereo. Therefore, conversion is an expensive ( $100,000 per minute ) and time consuming process... while it offers flexibility, it's rarely as magical as "real" stereo. [NOTE: The previous was written before Titanic's 3D re-release: incredible! Cameron said it was "2.8D" Conversions have now earned a legitimate spot on the Studio 3D 3D Movie Reviews... 2.8 is close enough.]

DIGITAL Theater Projection

All movies were seen in RealD , unless otherwise indicated! (2005 NPR News story on the advent of digital projection kickstarted by 3D... 7min mp3)

THE GARFIELD MOVIE Two and a half stars - 2024 - Sony 101 minutes

Godzilla x kong: the new empire two and a half stars - 2024 - warner bros 115 minutes, kung fu panda 4 three and a half stars - 2024 dreamworks 94 minutes, fighter two and a half stars - 2024 - viacom18 studios 166 minutes, anselm two and a half stars - 2023 - road movies 93 minutes, migration two stars - 2023 illumination 83 minutes, wish two and a half stars - 2023 - pixar/disney 95 minutes, trolls band together four stars - 2023 universal/dreamworks 92 minutes, teenage mutant ninja turtles: mutant mayhem four and a half stars - 2023 paramount 99 minutes, the meg 2: the trench three stars - 2023 warner brothers 116 minutes, elemental two and a half stars - 2023 - pixar/disney 102 minutes, the little mermaid three and a half stars - 2023 disney 135 minutes, shaakuntalam two stars - 2023 gunaa teamworks 142 minutes, super mario bros movie one and a half stars - 2023 illumination 92 minutes, bholaa four stars - 2023 dream warrior pictures 144 minutes, scream vi two and a half stars - 2023 - paramount 122 minutes, puss in boots: the last wish three and a half stars - 2022 dreamworks 100 minutes, the bad guys three and a half stars - 2022 universal/dreamworks 100 minutes, sing 2 four stars - 2021 universal/illumination 110 minutes, encanto three stars - 2021 disney 99 minutes, eternals one and a half stars - 2021 marvel/disney 157 minutes, dune two and a half stars - 2021 disney 155 minutes, no time to die four stars - 2021 mgm/eon 163 minutes, venom: let there be carnage three and a half stars - 2021 marvel/columbia 97 minutes, shang-chi legend of the ten rings three and a half stars - 2021 marvel/disney 132 minutes, free guy three and a half stars - 2021 20th century 115 minutes, jungle cruise four stars - 2021 disney 127 minutes, black widow three stars - 2021 marvel 134 minutes, godzilla vs kong three stars - 2021 warner bros. 113 minutes, raya and the last dragon two stars - 2021 disney 107 minutes, wonder woman 1984 two and a half stars - 2020 disney 155 minutes.

Once I saw the 8 year old girl beating the adult women in the Amazon Olympics, I knew we were in for a ridiculous ride. Indeed, the story was grounded in a very childish "wishing rock" premise with plenty of comic book logic (how can you fly an invisible plane?). While I'm happy that 3D movies are still being made, it's too bad the majority are hard to sit through. Stereo conversion was quite good, with a few scenes really utilizing the 3D- like flying through fireworks. Prime Focus did the very good conversion (they are now called DNEG... their credit appeared right before the very end of the film, as usual.)

THE CROODS: A New Age Five stars - 2020 Dreamworks 95 minutes

It was great to get out to a movie theater again! I got the best seat in the house with no one in front of me... comfortable reclining chair, huge screen, awesome sound system. As the movie rolled, I was reminded that this is the ultimate cultural experience for me... the culmination of art, animation and music punctuated with clever humor and the magic of stereoscopy. Yes, I laughed out loud, but I also wept in awe of the monumental art and technology achievement that I was privileged to experience. Many times a visceral "wow" emanated as a new spectacle unfolded. I would say it was a gold experience for me... I loved it! The cost was $14.75 but it was worth a lot more. It's too bad that most people will miss the third dimension which takes it from ordinary to extraordinary... Too bad the flat, unispired end credits were slightly disappointing. [Recently re-watched this in Blu-Ray, and loved it just as much as the first time, with even more laughs as I enjoyed it with two friends that also loved it. This movie is so rich with many spectacular scenes that just don't let up. The rare film that works for both adults and kids... with plenty of that scarce commodity of laughter which I find precious. At one gag my friend Jim could not stop laughing for minutes! I've upgraded from 4.5 to a full (gold) 5 stars.]

STAR WARS: The Rise of Skywalker Three and a half stars - 2019 Luscasfilm 142 minutes

Good classic and new characters led by the heroine Rey with plenty of action and adventure which you'd expect from the finale of this 32 year old iconic franchise. Certainly the excellent 3D conversion (even the reflections worked!) helped immerse you in the story, though I didn't feel like it was shot with 3D in mind. The new droid, D-O, was fun (looking like he came out of a Pixar studio... when will he have his own spinoff?). As in all Star Wars movies, the Storm Troopers cannot hit a target.

CUNNINGHAM One and a half stars - 2019 Arsam Intl 93 minutes

Spawned from the 2011 film about dance (Pina) this very low budget independent film about a form of dance that I really don't enjoy (I did some lighting work for Merce Cunningham in the late 70's) presented lots of archival 2D footage in addition to modern 3D segments. The 3D was ok, but certainly not used creatively. There were some odd stereo artifacts, including some out of sync footage (easily seen in aerial shots of NYC bridges). [The director did a Q&A after the presentation... I asked about 3D and she verified it was Pina that pushed her to 3D, and how Merce was exploring "space", and the 3D has been very well received.]

FROZEN 2 Two and a half stars - 201 9 Disney 103 minutes

If there was a story here, it was pretty thin and uninteresting (had to break the mist? water has memory?)... seemed like mostly filler with way too many forced songs. Even the little snowguy was merely amusing, I never got past a smile to an actual chuckle. Of course, there were a few wonderful Disney scenes, which really came to life stereoscopically (too bad for the vast majority watching in 2D). [Nice to see a 3D showing almost full... unfortunately the mother sitting next to me found it imperative to periodically check her phone, which I finally put a stop to. Another flashed down front quite often... WTF, people?!]

GEMINI MAN Three stars - 2019 Paramount 117 minutes

(Note: there were few local 3D HFR showings, luckily there was a close one, only 30 mile round trip, instead of the 400 mile round trip to NYC to see Billy Lynn's Long Halfmile Walk.) I'll never understand people who not only dislike 3D, but High Frame Rate is the death of cinema... I saw absolutely no "soap box video" effect- the smooth 3D action looked absolutely incredible. Not a great movie, but certainly plenty of great scenes including the mesmerizing motorcycle chase, the catacomb fight and the final clone store attack. The cloned Will Smith was astonishing in it's realism, especially in HFR stereo, where all details are exposed. Sadly, the film is getting little traction- opening night brought less than a dozen people to the one local theater showing 60fps 3D.

ANGRY BIRDS 2 Three stars - 2019 Sony 96 minutes

Surprising how much less funny and clever a sequel can be... whereas the original was non-stop hilarity, this one had sparse laughs (most notably the popcorn scene, which elicited moderate laughs instead of side-splitters). Is it the new director? New writers? Even the new star character, Zeta, was poorly designed and unfunny... (my friend agreed, but the movie seems to be getting good reviews). Good stereo 3D, especially the balloons and snow... I also could have lived without the didactic (2D) short, Hair Love.

SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME Three and a half stars - 2019 Columbia/Marvel 129 minutes

Typically over-long, but plenty of humor ("Night Monkey!") made it less than tedious. Certainly the highlight was a hallucenogenic section that played magnificently in 3D (which overall was excellent- both Stereo D and Legend 3D were involved). Much of the writing was geared toward the teens in the audience (I guess Peter is a teen!) so a bit goofy with the boy-girl stuff. I still don't quite get the main premise of the movie, whereby an illusion machine wreaks havoc on a city (but it sure looked amazing!) Several rather blockbuster twists were revealed mid credits and at the very end! Stan Lee was missed...

TOY STORY 4 Four and a half stars - 2019 Disney/Pixar 100 minutes

So happy that this iconic franchise stepped it up yet again. There was a lot to love about this movie, but I couldn't quite get to the full 5 stars of the first three... Just a few sections dragged and took it down a notch. But one particular scene brought me to a level of laughing that was so teary eyed my 3D glasses fogged up- THAT is rare and wonderful (how to get the key??)! Many great new characters including the brilliant Ducky and Bunny, Giggles McDimples and the just scary enough dummy henchmen... I thought the main one, "Forky" (not "Sporky"?) was the weakest. Attention to detail was phenomenal, especially noticable in the nooks and crannies of the cool antique store. The carnival is yet another great environment, though not as well explored as the store (where was that ripped zebra?). Of course, the 3D was brilliant- and it was sweet to see the credits for the Stereoscopic Dept. popped just a bit more than the others :)

AVENGERS: ENDGAME Three stars - 2019 Marvel/Disney 181 minutes

What was the big draw for this record-breaking movie? The stereo 3D was great (especially in the time-travel scenes, which are always a treat in stereo- check out Sponge Out of Water!) but that wouldn't be it (though rumor is 1/3 of ticket sales were for 3D showings). There was a solid movie there, but again stretched way too long... It's hardly a movie to enjoy if you've not seen at least most of the other Marvel movies (I thought they were calling Gamora the biblical "Gomorrah"). It was amusing to see the re-imagined Thor and Hulk- fun to see so many superheroes in one film, but rather perplexing at the same time. Very odd was the entirely 2D scene near the lake toward the end of the film... WHY?

SHAZAM! Three stars - 2019 Warner/DC 132 minutes

There's a lot to like in this movie... the lead actor was perfect for the role, and the costume looked great. Of course we can imagine the excitement of suddenly becoming imbued with superpowers (the difficulty flying is like many dreams I've had!). The movie had both good humor and heart, as well as a pretty kickass villain. It did take a while gain traction, and there was a lot of corny dialogue. The lead kids were good, and the stereo 3D was decent. Not sure about the multiple "pure heart" transformations at the end... ?

DUMBO Three stars - 2019 Disney 112 minutes

It's hard to go wrong with an old time circus as your backdrop, but Tim Burton managed to mangle this classic (don't remember that I've ever seen the original animation). As a "tentpole" film (!?) I expected a bit more in direction, art and dialogue. The young girl was less than lovable, and the villian less than despicable... we didn't really get the variety of characters a circus might produce. They expounded on how the young elephant could never forget his mother's voice, but he thinks a limo is mama? Certainly there are a number of eye-candy scenes and the stereo 3D conversion is as good as it gets, but when you see Disney, you expect the best.

WONDER PARK Two and a half stars - 2019 Nickelodeon 86 minutes

Seemed like this might have been taken from a little girl's bedtime storybook (complete with requisite female empowerment). Very junvenile writing and quite ridiculous scenarios (the girl built an outdoor amusement ride, which circumvented all traffic, in an afternoon). Again I was reminded how modern animation characters often lack character in their voices (where's our Mel Blanc?)- though the English accent and slightly clever lines of the porcupine helped him stand out. 3D was excellent, often well utilized.

CAPTAIN MARVEL Two and a half stars - 2019 Disney/Marvel 124 minutes

I guess the super-hero genre, like junk food, is here to stay. They did a great job with the stereo 3D conversion, but the story and characters felt like a lot of empty calories. Plenty of mindless battles and chases with the typical aliens that are exactly like humans (including speech) except for scaley skin and pointy ears. If humor was intended, I never laughed. If spectacle was the point, I was never wowed. But lots of female empowerment.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL Three stars - 2019 20th Century Fox 122 minutes

Of course, with James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez at the helm, I had high expectations- but is this how female empowerment happens, with an artificial body? The story and direction left me a bit cold, though the lead actress was quite good (even through the perfect cg/motion capture... big eyes were fun). However most of the cast I found to be rather bland- mostly the father figure, but including the love interest and even the villains. Certainly the 3D was very well done (seemed like they purposely reduced depth on high action sequences?) but I don't recall any wow moments. Seemed a bit too convenient that her original "body" was found in a 300 year old ship (that was still functioning... and no one else had found it!?). Yes, there was plenty of action, but also plenty of very painfully slow segments... Unfortunately not the gold (or even silver) I was expecting.

AQUAMAN Two and a half stars - 2018 Warner/DC 143 minutes

Thankfully I didn't have to endure this one in 2D! Luckily they did a great job exploiting the underwater potential for 3D, but like many of these modern super-hero movies, the substance and dialogue was sadly disappointing (like the star saying to his brother: "I didn't know what a dick you'd turn out to be". Really?) My friends really liked it, commenting "What do you want from a comic book movie?" Well, I have not read a comic book since I was a boy, so I hope in vain these movies will step it up (especially ones like this that break box office records). The many very cool stereo visual effects got me through, but barely- my mind was often elsewhere. (It would be interesting to see a "making of" vid, however!)

SPIDERMAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE Three and a half stars - 2018 Sony/Marvel 117 minutes

(I'm going to the movies a bit more often, since I worry that movies I definitely want to see may not come out on 3D Blu-Ray! Very frustrating... hard enough to find 3D showings.) The visual treatment was very enjoyable- closest comic book drawing/CGI mash-up I've seen... with lots of floating text panels and "hand-drawn" lines on characters. They definitely had fun with the stereo 3D (which still makes me wonder why most folks prefer the FLAT version!?). One effect I wasn't crazy about was the "double image" they used instead of a blur where normal depth of field would blur foreground/background elements (especially odd since in CG there is no real camera, so depth of field is faked/unnecessary!). I'll admit to a few laughs, but overall I wasn't engaged with the story or characters... though it was kind of fun when the really oddball Spiderfolk appeared later on. Yes, diversity.

THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD Four and a half stars - 2018 Wingnut/Warner Bros 99 minutes

How is it that a theatrical release of 100 year old WW I film footage could be so riveting? First, Peter Jackson greets us with some details of what we're about to see, and invites us to stay after the movie for some behind-the-scenes. The film starts small on the screen and grows to full size, but still BW 2D and relatively unrestored... this provides a solid contrast when the full color 3D comes and astonishes the audience. With the actual voices of veterans (interviewed by the BBC in the 1960's) and first quality sound effects, the life of these lads (many joining as young as 15) is realistically brought to life. There were no holds barred from the sanitary conditions in the trenches to the anatomical lessons they inadverdently received. I could not avoid weeping at some of the horrors, but there was enough levity to keep from total gloom. I've never seen anything like it, and likely never will. My friends and I were happy to stay for the epilogue, which included the insanely poor quality of film they started with as well some super-8 film Peter did at age 11playing WW1.. I'm not sure I'd want to see it again, but it sure made a lasting impression... what an incredible achievement.

BLACK PANTHER Two and a half stars - 2018 Marvel 134 minutes

Like the recent "hit" Wonder Woman, I have to wonder if the hype and accolades have more to do with breaking gender/race barriers than the actual quality of the movie. Enjoyable, but certainly not brilliant or even memorable. I had trouble understanding the basic plot: is this vibranium a super strong metal? How does it turn into super technology? What are the vibranium plants? How is this advanced nation hidden from the world? In this super advanced society we've held on to old school African tradition (lip disks? really?? Makes it a bit tough to speak!). The characters and acting were standard superhero fare except for the riveting villian (Andy Serkis). Decent cg and 3D, but many stretches where I was wondering how much longer until the end (that's never a good sign). [Note: I would have waited until Blu-Ray 3D, but friends were going and my nephew, a filmmaker, wrote on social media that going to the movies "doesn't get any better". Well, at least he saw it in 3D!]

COCO Three and a half stars - 2017 Pixar/Disney 105 minutes

[Gerenally I wait for 3D movies to come out on Blu-Ray these days, but my wife wanted to see this one on the big screen, and I have to worry that 3D movies will not be distributed in 3D (like Despicable Me 3, released in 2D only in the US. Checked local theaters: TWO of the local multiplexes are only showing ONE 3D version per day, and both were after 10pm! A family movie!? Not a good sign... Found a 6pm showing. Oddly, after the trailers and before the feature, the directors and producer appeared in a short 2D clip to thank the audience for "supporting" them by seeing the film in the theater. Since it was a really complex film to make. ??!] Turns out Coco is a minor character who has very little screen time... and looks astonishingly like the old man in their previous hit movie UP. Spoilers: Pixar, I think you pulled a fast one: There's a photo with the head ripped off of the musician (which everyone thought was the big bad guy because the body was big) that somehow, when we see the photo again (toward the "surprise" ending) I'm quite sure (could not rewind for verification) that headless body was no longer broad, but more like the skinnier body of Hector. C'mon, Pixar... that's less than honest. Overall, for me the story was just too corny, too "schmaltzy"- and (though a few others in the audience chuckled) I found no laughs, or even the crack of a smile. (As usual, I'm way out of the mainstream.) However, the magnificent visuals were well worth the price of admission... All the cg elements were so brilliant- the nuanced lighting, the breathtaking animation, the detailed sets- no one can argue that Pixar is not among the best. The stereo 3D was quite good and some very subtle effects (like portrait reflections) showed how effective 3D can be to aid in storytelling.

GENESIS: Paradise Lost One and a half stars - 2017 Sevenfold Films

Where to begin ? (This was a special "2 night only" event... I almost never go to the theater anymore, but I was very curious since I'd never seen a 3D release like this... As a Christian who doesn't take the Bible literally, I was interested in their approach.) The quality of the stereo 3D computer generated graphics depicting the beginning of the world and other scenes was pretty good, but at least 50% of the footage was talking head interviews with scientists, all in 2D! And they thought it was a good idea to give it a 3D look by setting it way back into the screen (when it really would have been better just to leave it at the window. Less fatigue!). The quality of the entire production was on par with something from the History Channel.. The claims are kind of ridiculous (yes, the earth is only 6000 years old... the ark was real and the entire earth flooded). The evidence they used seemed pretty thin, mostly it was because the Bible said it, and it's NEVER wrong! (Even though the moon is not a light Gen 1:16.)

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY 3D Five stars - 1991/2017 StudioCanal

Not to be confused with the greatest theme park attraction of all time (James Cameron's) T2 3D: Battle Across Time... I was really pleased to see how well this action film holds up 25 years later. All the characters are excellent, pacing is non-stop and the story/dialogue is well written with humor and heart. Now add flawless stereoscopic conversion and you've got a thrilling night at the movies! Another example of a true classic from the brilliant visionary James Cameron.

DR. STRANGE Four and a half stars - 2016 Disney/Marvel

The opening MARVEL logo sequence was a giant stereoscopic step up from earlier versions, and a clue that this movie was going to rock in 3D- and it sure did! We now have another film that should be recommended to skeptics, because if this one doesn't sell stereo, nothing will! Solid story and good characters with special effects that are absolutely jaw-dropping. Apparently a 3D conversion, but I noticed quite a few stereo credits... more than some fully stereo films! I'm guessing it was the stunning CG that garnered the credits. Academy awards should go to the amazing architectural transformations and fractal designs... during a mesmerizing trip to some other dimension I involunarily vocalized my awe at some of the ingenious stereo spectacles. Story-wise there were some slow scenes, but overall the film had a good pace and bold visuals.

BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALF TIME WALK Three stars - 2016 Sony

(Special 400 mile round trip to NYC to see Ang Lee's experiment in digital technology with the world's first 3D 4K HFR/120fps movie.) Though the stereo was as bright and ghost-free as I've ever seen, the super-crispness of the movie was undeniably distracting. The movie itself was rather mediocre- I found myself paying attention to details: how amazingly sharp the herringbone pattern is on his suit! Are his eyes really that bloodshed, and his lips really that maroon? Usually pans in a 3D movie stutter badly, but these pans were incredibly smooth... but at what cost? Is it not possible to have smooth stereo pans without the ultra-cold video look that takes us out of the cinematic movie experience? Is it that we are used to our movies looking as they have for so long? There were several scenes that did look "normal"...I wonder if they were they shot a 24fps or was some other method used to filter out the harsh reality? The film had almost no perceptible special effects- it was much more a documentary of a real man's life than a super-hero fantasy. In that respect it was probably a good choice for this tangible treatment. Apparently we saw varying frame rates throughout the film... it's too bad we couldn't monitor the speed as a menu option. Incredibly, few will likely ever see the movie in this format: it's only running for a week in two US theaters, then a normal release. And the disc release will not feature HFR 4K 3D anytime soon...

STORKS Two stars - 2016 Warner Bros.

The 13 year old daughter of my friend who attended with me liked it... but we did not. First, the stereo was really thin, and hardly utilized (there was a paddle ball sequence, using a cute bird- but too quick to be effective). Second, the story really made no sense (mailed letters become babies?) and the characters were hardly endearing (especially the annoying "comic relief" pigeon). The "boss" uses cute little birds for golf balls? The girl builds a flying saucer by herself (with inflatable boat)? Urine on the seat (did he actually say that) and internal bleeding? Baby laughs at violence? Huge carnival on roof (for signal to stork)? The wolves making themselves into bridges and vehicles was somewhat amusing (though ridiculous). Usually CG animations at least have plenty of eye candy, but there was very little here (nice design in the scene of the boy under his bedsheet tent). Very not funny, but I'll admit a few chuckles were elicited (funny idea of a fight while trying to not wake the baby). Even the LEGO "Kungfu Master" short before the movie was depressing.

KUBO and the TWO STRINGS Two stars - 2016 Laika

Sorry, Laika... this one was boring and confusing. First, two strings? The "magical" guitar had three strings... what am I missing? The quest was for... armor? But that seemed pretty inconsequential... Scenes seemed to drag on and on... yapping about nothing. At least the Beetle character added some attempts at levity... It's amazing that this is "stop motion", but it sure seems like there is a LOT of CG added. In fact, I think I'd prefer purely CG imaging, as the sets and characters were good, but could have been much better. The stereoscopic aspect of this movie was really poor- the parallax was very thin, could easily have been doubled. Naturally, the movie is getting very good reviews.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS Three and a half stars - 2016 Illumination Pictures

Pixar had Toy Story(s). Illumination had Despicable Me(s). Neither studio ever managed to replicate their original brilliance... Illumination tried to capitalize on the popularity of the minion characters with their own movie- but as funny as they are, they're only supporting players. This totally new "pet" direction was good, but not one of the characters were particularly memorable which for me is critical to a great film. The animation and overall design were great, but character design somewhat disappointing. A few laughs, and a few brilliant sequences including the clothesline alley and the sausage factory. Looking forward to Despicable Me 3...

FINDING DORY Two and a half stars - 2016 Disney/Pixar

Another misfire from Pixar that everyone else seems to love. Was it funny? I didn't really hear a lot of laughs in the full house (though there was applause at the end) and I gave up just a single chuckle. Characters were rather mudane, and the "adventures" weren't as fun as in Finding Nemo. The animation can't be called spectacular, as swimming fish are relatively obvious. I found the constant "short term memory loss" banter a bit of a downer- was it really surprising that she managed to find her parents? Oops... spoiler. The short, "Piper" was quite beautiful, with unusual narrow depth of field that worked well (usually 3D demands everything in focus) and not a word spoken. Perfect music by genius Adrian Belew (his first film score, I believe).

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Three stars - 2014 Marvel/Disney

Perhaps my expectations were too high for this very popular film, but I thought the script was juvenile ("I peed my pants a little bit") and the storyline thin. The characters were interesting enough (especially the tree-man Groot) and there were some excellent stereo scenes. Movie seemed very long, with a mildly amusing coda.

GODZILLA Three stars - 2014 Warner Bros.

Rarely find myself going out to the theatre for 3D since I can buy the Blu-Ray for just a bit more... A friend wanted to see this one, so off we went- and the theatre had big electroic cushy seating! That was nice... The movie certainly was a spectacle, and the converted (by StereoD) 3D looked excellent. However, I found the pace slow and the story way too convenient (wife moves to San Francisco, guess where the monsters go? Hero defuses bombs for military, guess is needed for the big ending?) and the characters not engaging. Some montrous special FX, but few "wow" moments.

THE LEGOS MOVIE Three and a half stars - 2014 Warner Bros.

Toys have long been created and marketed based on kid's movies, but here we have the opposite (brilliant) idea: take a well known toy and create an entertaining movie showing how much fun being creative with it can be! (Perhaps the Transformers franchise did something similar, but they weren't exactly toys in those movies). And it really is entertaining... smartly scripted and voiced, with many whimsical worlds made entirely of legos. Though this makes actual character animation virtually impossible, the Legos (and faces) were animated extremely cleverly (ocean waves!). 3D worked well, with an unexpected twist at the end.

THE HOBBIT: Desolation of Smaug Three and a half stars - 2013 New Line/Warner Bros.

Loads of stunning visuals, but throughout the adventure the dwarfs and the elves who are helping them manage to avoid and/or kill dozens of seriously nasty orks (as well as the giant talking fire-breathing dragon) with hardly a scratch or burn (yeah, one arrow hits- big story point!). Again, the characters are cool to look at but really lacking personality- not one adding sorely needed comic relief. The romance seemed improbable. Movie was long, and it seemed it... Loved 48fps smoothing out the 3D motion- wish all (3D) movies had high frame rates.

FROZEN Three and a half stars - 2013 Disney

The opening short "Get A Horse" was a surprisingly brilliant piece of 3D animation, worth the price of admission alone. The feature presentation's art direction was just spectacular, with ice and snow being utilized in stereo space like never before. Good writing, good (but not memorable, except maybe the comic relief snowman) characters, and well exectured songs and music. Though corny at times, this was certainly Disney doing what it should- quality animation that appeals to "young and old alike". I enjoyed a good number of laughs, as did the little girl in the seat next to me... [ After a Blu-Ray viewing, I had to downgrade from 4.5 to 3.5 stars! What was I thinking? It could have been that I was sitting next to an 8 year old girl, likely the prime demographic! This time around there were no laughs, and the sing-songs were just too syrupy Disney. The most amusing segment was the snowman's song about summer... otherwise the story and dialogue were tired. Certainly the art direction and animation is worth another look, however. Too bad Disney again allows no stereo still frame ... argh. ]

PLANES 3D One and a half stars - 2013 Pixar

It's sad to see the once mighty Pixar releasing pablum like this as a feature film. The story is cliche, the writing has little heart or real humor, and the character animation is minimal: there is not much to animate on a plane (or truck or car) except the deflated decal eyes or anthropormophic mouth. The ocean storm scene was ok, but nothing new. Not a memorable scene in the film. Not even a short beforehand... Pixar? Is it just about merchandising?

PERCY JACKSON Sea of Monsters Three stars - 2013 Fox 2000

Percy Who? Turns out to be modern people living with mythical creatures. Percy is a "half-blood" son of Ocean God Posiedon and human... the actor was quite plain and forgettable (as were most of the cast). The dialogue was juvenile but the creatures were ok, especially the "transformer-like" bull (where did he come from??). Overall, the converted 3D was well done- the highlight was a short prophecy/fantasy sequence (also seemingly out of context) featuring what appeared to be animated stained glass. Beautiful! A memorable (but dumb) line from this 3D movie: Cyclops says "No one's ever trusted me with anything before"... female protagonist says, "Is that because you have no depth perception?" Duh.

WOLVERINE Three and a half stars - 2013 Marvel/20th Century Fox

These super-hero type movies succeed with a good lead character... Robert Downey Jr. does it for Ironman, I think Hugh Jackman does it for Wolverine. He's intense, and he's got the perfect physique to make it real. Jackman serves the story with human interest as well as hardcore fighting. Memorable scenes include the battle on the bullet train and Wolverine dragging dozens of corded arrows in his back- 3D worked beautifully. Lots of well choreographed martial arts and swordplay. StereoD conversion- excellent as usual. Enjoyed the movie, but do I want to see it again? Probably not.

DESPICABLE ME 2 Five stars - 2013 Illumination Entertainment

Perfection. Brilliant from start to finish... LOVED this cinematic animated masterpiece! Every element was superb! Great characters, story, design, sound, lighting, writing... I laughed 'til I cried- again and again (and again). A movie this good does not come around often- this may be the new benchmark! Great appeal for kids and adults- not to mention the stereo being absolutely amazing... with some wonderful final codas! There were just so many standout scenes... I could go on about specifics, but there are just too many. Superseded the great original. Kudos to all the fantastic filmmakers, and thanks for 98 minutes of 3D animated movie bliss. Wow.

WORLD WAR Z Three and a half stars - 2013 Paramount

Do I need a movie to spike my blood pressure? The insanity started pretty quickly and had me on edge through most of the film... the pacing was good and the characters well portrayed. The apocalyptic scenes were quite nightmarish, some spectacular. I'm surprised at the bashing of the 3D conversion- it looked quite good to me! Not sure how the final solution was "safe", so the end left a big question mark (details omitted to avoid spoilage).

MAN OF STEEL Two and a half stars - 2013 Warner Bros.

More disappointment~ I was a huge Superman fan as a kid, looking up to George Reeves as the Great American hero and reading the DC comics for years. In 1978 I was disappointed that Christopher Reeve checks out Lois's panties (the "real" Superman would NEVER have done that). I understand that storytellers have to move with the times- this new Superman is barely recognizable from the one I knew. The "S" logo no longer stands for Superman, it happens to be the Krypton symbol for "hope" (??). So his dad wore it, and somehow packed a uniform with it... very weird and scaley with a cape so long it drags on the ground. The actor, Henry Cavill, has got the perfect Superman look- but his character is quite sterile. I saw no chemistry with Lois Lane, in fact I didn't engage with any of the characters... the villians were certainly nothing special. The movie itself was super in spectacle, but lacked substance. Smashing through buildings is fun, but enough is enough! The most memorable scene was when the young Kent couldn't control his powers, and saw his teachers and classmates through to the skeletons (this looked fantastic in 3D). Conversion was done by Legend3D, and it was very good- but I'd say not up to StereoD quality.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY Four stars - 2013 Pixar/Disney

What an incredible treat for the eyeballs. I'm simply stupefied at the quality of art and craft that these Pixar people produce- always another level up in their mind-bogglingly beautiful animation. Wow. Not really a fan of the "let's scare the hell of of little kids to power our world" premise, but it was tons of fun being with Mike and Sully and all the great characters in their college setting. It's a real shame that there are people out there who don't (or won't) appreciate the stereo3D, because it's SUCH a treat (if I had to give up sound or 3D, it would be the sound!). Also got a wonderful bonus short "The Blue Umbrella" which brought to life many otherwise inanimate objects in a big city rain.

STAR TREK Into Darkness Two stars - 2013 Paramount

Some movies are little more than expanded tv shows, and since this one is based on a the Star Trek original tv show, I guess it's appropriate. I think it was Walt Disney who said a movie is only as good as its villain- this was the worst excuse for a bad guy I've seen in a very long time. They forgot to make him scary or at least scary looking (Kahn could have starred in a soap opera instead). visually I thought it was uninspired... Cool aliens? no. Amazing scenes? Missing. Acting? Story? The hybrid 3d was fine, but saw no instance of creative uses.

The GREAT GATSBY Four stars - 2013 Warner Bros

Very nice opening from scratchy old 2D morphing into glitzy modern gold standard of 3D! The stereo in this movie was well utilized, from fun use of snow and confetti to artistic use of text being written in space. Certainly lots of memorable scenes, including the incredibly extravagant parties and New York/Times Square in the 1920's. I was impressed that a passionate adult movie didn't need to show nudity and really little violence.

IRON MAN 3(D) Four stars - 2013 Marvel

It's getting to the point where being a conversion is no longer an detriment, especially when heavily CG (I'd call this a hybrid). Though you could find some anomolies if you were really looking, Stereo D provided lots of depth to the live action and the 3D VFX were spectactular. A fresh villainous twist, outrageous action scenes ("barrel of monkeys"!) and my favorite current superhero (the man and the suit). Nice touch adding the young boy with the potato gun... Only a few spots lagged, otherwise an entertaining 2+ hours.

JURASSIC PARK 3D Four and a half stars - 1993/2013 Universal

A classic Spielberg which looks spectacular in 3D. It was hard to concentrate on the movie however, since I was overwhelmed with wondering how in the world StereoD succeeded converting what may be the most painfully difficult movie possible! Unless you've actually converted a 2D image to 3D, you can't appreciate the work involved... Here you've got worst case scenarios: non-stop jungle foliage, lens flares, rain, light beams, reflections, water on glass, smoke, fog, screens- every conversion nightmare! How could they have converted the translucent hunk of amber?? There were some glass pieces (eyeglasses, candles, etc) that didn't get full conversion, but overall the quality was exquisitely detailed with generous parallax. The scenes lent themselves to stereo and the results are really just stunning. It will be interesting to look closely at the Blu Ray (I hope it doesn't revert to flat on still frames as some do!) when it comes out.

THE CROODS Four stars - 2013 Dreamworks

The art of stereoscopic computer animation continues to escalate in this visual feast by Dreamworks. How can one not be mesmerized by yet another masterwork which blends the best of so many different artforms into a 98 minute euphoric experience? Is this not magic? We see animated characters which seem so zestfully alive in the imaginary theater before our eyes. Yes, I love this stuff! That people would choose to see a 2D version is like choosing to turn off the sound (which was also well done, with a nice surround effect of unseen characters). At one point I actually gasped when at the top of the mountain the star filled galaxy of space unfurled. While many scenes were visually strong and there were some good laughs ("release the baby"), the characters overall were not that strong (with the exception of the daughter) and the story/script less than memorable. Still, the eye(s) candy was phenomenal. Not crude at all.

OZ The Great and Powerful Three stars - 2013 Walt Disney

Such high expectations... such a great opening... black and white old school aspect ratio... traveling circus with fire breather flames burning right through the window... so cool! Then, all went downhill when the dialogue began.. such drivel! The lead character, so unlikeable and unbelievable! I almost wished it was in another language so I could enjoy the spectacular visuals without the witless words. Speaking of words, who voice cast the flying monkey? What a horrific mismatch! Otherwise, he was an amazing cg character as was the China girl (especially the first meeting in the Teapot Town). The wicked witch just didn't seem that wicked... Wasn't there supposed to be some scary moments? None. Humor? I missed it. One can't help but compare to the original, but there is no comparison.

JACK the GIANT SLAYER Three stars - 2013 Warner Bros.

$300 Million? The FX were great and the 3D was fine but the characters were mostly vanilla! The king and villian were good enough, but leads Jack and the princess just didn't connect (with each other, or with the audience). The action/adventure was not exactly "edge of your seat"... Dialog was not all that clever or interesting, so the visuals were really the star of this movie. I love the flat storybook pages melting into 3D, and the giants were fun to watch (but not one lady giant??).

ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH Four and a half stars - 2013 Rainmaker Entertainment

Went in dubious, was very pleasantly surprised! Great use of stereo space, beautifully designed and even funny! Loved several references to animation (John Lasseter) and 3D (showed a drive-in with an anaglyph movie It Came From Outer Space playing onscreen) "I thought this movie was supposed to be in 3D"? Also a nod to the famous paddle ball from House of Wax... Trailer park was fun... Great to see the frame being broken quite often... Generous amount of good, hearty laughs- Ricky Gervais was perfect as the sarcastic talking computer. Decent story, good characters, excellent animation. Congratulations to these new guys (Rainmaker). [watched it again recently and I just have to up the grade to 4.5... smart, satirical writing.]

HANSEL AND GRETEL: Witch Hunters Three and a half stars - 2013 Paramount

They're calling this movie a "hybird", as half was converted, and half was native (with stereo cg fx). There were a few spots where conversion was noticeable, but overall it was pretty seamless. Movie was surprisingly good, considering the genesis... not sure they had to make it "extra cool" by using unnecessary profanity. Interesting mix of action, horror and humor. Very attractive new "heroine" didn't hurt, either.

CIRQUE du SOLEIL: Worlds Away Two stars - 2012 Paramount

I love Cirque du Soleil- I've seen their live shows 7 or 8 times. And obviously, I love 3D. So why was this movie such a loser? For one, it can't decide if it's a documentary of various live performance fragments, or the story of a girl who falls in "love at first sight" with a circus worker/aerialist. Unfortunately, neither works. There is no cohesive narrative, and nothing really makes any sense- I saw a mashup of various stage acts that just weren't engaging on the big screen (ok, the Chinese contortionists final stack was astounding). The Beatles section was particularly disconcerted, with actions that had nothing to do with lyrics... and why was George Harrison not singing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"? Secondly, seeing these amazing artists executing spectacular and beautiful feats on their incredible stage sets is breathtaking and magical- but I just don't think that all translates to the big screen. I've seen Spiderman swinging on his web, doing incredible acrobatics over New York City... am I supposed to be impressed by guys in generic superhero suits bouncing off trampolines? The cinematography wasn't exactly impressive, there were no "wow" 3D moments in the entire film. Even the sound fx and music, which is a highlight of the live show, was just background or even overplayed and sometimes even annoying. With the right director, perhaps this could have been a beautiful tribute to this legendary troupe. I'm just glad I saw them before this movie...

HOBBIT: Unexpected Journey Three stars - 2012 Warner Bros.

First HFR,High Frame Rate, movie: 48 frames per second instead of 24! Having noted the problem in digital 3D projection with "juddering" (especially in scenes where the camera pans, though not so much with the SONY 4K projectors) I was really excited about this bold new technology. Before seeing for myself, I was surprised at so much negative reaction! It seemed to me that they're using the same camera systems that they've been successfully using for years- now the only difference is that we're getting more frames per second, which should ONLY affect motion smoothness! (A static scene should look absolutely the same!) Yet there was a huge amount of chatter that the movie was "too realistic", looked "slower, but sped up", and "like an old videotape soap opera". Upon actual viewing, I saw a 3D film with smoother movement- and NO downside! Perception is an interesting thing... for the life of me I can't understand why so many people actually don't like 3D movies... now people don't like smooth motion (complaints of headache? nausea?). Granted, there may be something related to less motion blur in HFR that reduces traditional "film quality" in motion pictures, but I sure didn't see it. For me, the new tech is a winner!]

As I did enjoy the Lord of the Rings films, I was also looking forward to the movie itself as much as the HFR 3D. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed! If a comedy doesn't make you laugh, it's not much of a comedy. If an action/adventure movie doesn't engage you, likewise! Yes, there were these very interesting looking characters, but they had little actual character (you'd think one out of 13 would be funny?... Snow Whites' dwarves had more personality)! They had a quest, but I really didn't see much of a story: get from A to B with a lot of obstacles. And they got through every difficulty "miraculously", including being rescued by giant eagles coming from ??? or Gandalf's power stick. Or the peacenik Hobbit slaying the nastiest monster. (Like a video game where you just could not be "killed".) Some of the scenes were gorgeous, and the villians rocked, but I was otherwise terribly bored. It's rare that I snooze during a $15 movie, but on this one I did go out for a bit...

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS Two and a half stars - 2012 Dreamworks

Very often trailers give a good indication as to whether I'm going to like a movie. I didn't have high hopes for this one, but I've been surprised before (like with Despicable Me, and Megamind). Unfortunately, no such luck here. With animations like this, it's all about the characters, and I didn't like them (with the possible exceptions of the Marilyn Manson-esque BoogeyMan and the tooth fairy). Santa Claus with full arm tattoos (naughty and nice)? No laughs or chuckles. Dumb story. There was, however, magical 3D: the movie was made for it, with wonderful frost and flying golden/black stardust effects. It's hard to imagine that some people would actually prefer to see this movie in 2D...

LIFE OF PI Four stars - 2012 Fox

Went in with very high expectations: The film opens with superb 3D animal shots mixed with clever and beautiful graphics... the movie is brimming with incredibly stunning, ground breaking stereo cinematagraphy. No question this film is a stereoscopic work of art, unlike anything ever done before... but the story unravels a bit for me (spoiler:). There's a huge emphasis on religion at the beginning, and the story will (supposedly) make you believe in God... turns out that the whole thing was made up! Unlike the fantasy of The Wizard of Oz, this seemed more like an astonishing adventure story rather than the embellished version of a (fictional) survival at sea. The anti-climactic ending soured an otherwise stellar movie... would I sit through it again on Blu-Ray? I think I'd probably just jump to the good parts. [Blu-Ray: Really enjoyable again on Blu-Ray, with a nice bonus feature showing the boat sinking in multiple stages. Also verified an amazing 3D effect (one of my favorite) with several of the flying fish breaking the frame edge! Happens for only a split second, love being able to freeze frame (in 3D!). Only happens (that I noticed) a few times during that short sequence. The movie was shot 1.85:1, while the image area is 1.77:1, so math tells me there's 42 lines of black non-picture area (likely 21 above and below). Rarely see this effect- fleeting, magical... like a shooting star.]

WRECK IT RALPH Two and a half stars- 2012 Disney

Luckily there was a really nice short before the feature called "Paperman": all grayscale, except for one important spot of color- also, the animation was very cel-like. Nice little story. Then there was the wreck: It's rare that I go to a movie without pre-conceptions... this one had every indication of being a clunker, but the reviews were generally positive. It was actually worse than expected! Certainly not funny, stale characters (except for the woman soldier) and a pathetic story. This from Disney! There were a few scenes that were graphically interesting, the stereo was ok, but overall nearly painful to sit through.

SILENT HILL: REVELATION Three stars - 2012 Sony Pictures

About ten minutes of this film were darkly brilliant, like Joel-Peter Witkin come to life (well, not quite- but as close as I've ever seen at the cinema). Unfortunately these strong artistic sequences were padded with useless storylines, dialog and acting. Stereo was mostly well done, but the director decided to poke a few weapons at you to remind you to be scared.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA Three and a half stars - 2012 Sony/Columbia

This is a cg movie that should be very character driven, unfortunately the monsters were mediocre. It took some time for the fun to really roll- by the end it rocked pretty good. Some top notch stereo imagery and a few good laughs barely made up for the lack of story... surprised to see the Puss in Boots pouty big eye ripoff!

RESIDENT EVIL: RETRIBUTION Three stars - 2012 Constantin Films

Was a big Paul W. S. Anderson fan until he dropped the ball with this one. Ok, the monster was good, decent car chase and no problems with the 3D, but the constant, constant, constant shooting just became tedious- hundreds killed with barely a scratch on our heroes. The jaw-dropping scenes just didn't seem to be there this time... the clone factory could have really opened up some great possibilities, but we barely skimmed it. Most of the beginning was like a video game, but without the controls. And the end was looking promising, but it turned out to be merely a prelude to the next installment...

DREDD 3D Four stars - 2012 DNA Films

Wow! Didn't expect this good: Non stop action, futuristic good vs. evil with strong characters... and great 3D! Amazing how much acting the lead character (Dredd) pulled off with just his mouth (we never see his face!). Luckily we get to see the face of the pretty female rookie, who can't wear a mask as it would interfere with her psychic powers. The female villian was plenty nasty, and the slo-mo 3D effects (due to future drugs) were mesmerizing. A cross between an amazing shooter video game and a great graphic novel, the art direction and hardcore music/sound effects made this a guy movie I'd recommend.

PARANORMAN One and a half stars - 2012 Laika Entertainment

After Coraline, I had high hopes for this new stop motion effort. But it wasn't funny. It wasn't scary. It was hardly 3D... I'll start with what positives I can muster: Alvin and Mitch were nicely designed characters. 3D was utilized well in some of the witch scenes and in Mr. Prederghast's house. Otherwise, characters were uninspired and the dialogue moronic. Young Alvin lamented being stuck in Town Hall instead of the "Adult Book Store" across the street ( who is this film for?). I don't remember stereo parallax this thin since Chicken Little (this may be worse)... the director hardly utilized the great potential here (zombies!!) Rather than laughing, I cringed... How hip and progressive when Mitch [spoiler!] reveals, at the end, to Norman's infatuated sister that he has a boyfriend...?

ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT 3D Three and a half stars - 2012 Blue Sky

Aside from some wonderful, fantastic scenes (mostly involving the siren/monsters) this installment was rather flat (not the 3D! that was good!) especially compared to 2009's Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Sid is always pretty hilarious, but the grandmother (and "imaginary" pet) and other characters were mostly pretty lame. The new pirate characters showcased Captain Gut, who seemed made for stereo- his closeups were magnificent. There were enough laughs to call it a comedy, but overall the writing was uninspired. We were treated to a nice Simpsons short before the feature... decent 3D, though based on layered cel drawings rather than modelled characters (as was the brilliant Homer³ (1995 Treehouse of Horor VI , re-released in stereo3D as part of CYBERWORLD compilation in 2000).

STEP UP Revolution Four stars - 2012 Summit Entertainment

Really surprised at quality of this live action, low (no?) special effects film! The opening is electric, and the subsequent "Flash Mob" dance routines are spectacular (especially at the art museum- brilliant)!. Not only was the stereo 3D a blast, but the choreography and direction was the best I've ever seen on the silver screen. (People seemed to love Pina, but to me it was a pretentious, fawning faux art film where moving chairs around a room is profound.) OK, the story may have been a bit contrived, but for raw, sensual, exciting and creative 3D dance, this one delivers.

THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN Three stars - 2012 Marvel/Columbia

First, the 3D: The live action conversion was not so amazing. The CG stuff had pizazz, but the live action barely showed parallax. I believe Cameron said Titanic (the best conversion I've ever seen) was to be considered "2.8 D"... in that case, Spiderman was more like 2.3 D. And, the movie: aside from the swinging Spidy action, the movie just seemed to drag for me. The convenient coincidences were almost painful- [spoiler!] the girl the Peter likes is not only to top intern for his dad's ex-parter (who also turns out to be the villain) but her dad is the chief of police who wants to jail Spiderman. That said, there were some beautifully choreographed web sequences, especially the coda. [NOTE: Subsequent to writing this review I found that the movie was natively shot in 3D! I'd guessed it was a conversion... Yikes. Apparently the interaxial was dialed down to the bare minimum! Which begs the question: is native necessarily better than conversion? Normally the answer would be of course , but not always is what I would now have to say.]

BRAVE Three stars - 2012 Pixar/Disney

Sorry to report another disappointing offering from Pixar (though, inexplicably, it will likely garner resounding accolades). Of course, the art was spectacular, but the story and characters were lukewarm at best. The star of the show was Merida's incredible orange hair, all the more amazing in stereo 3D. I also liked the bit part Stallone character... otherwise I was incredibly bored. Normally there's at least one chuckle, but I think the best I got was a half smile... I'm not even going to mention that I really don't like bagpipes. Even the short, La Luna , was pretty- but lame. Besides the Toy Story trilogy, the only Pixar work I would call brilliant would be the shorts Knick Knack and Presto ... lucky for Pixar I'm in the minority.

MADAGASCAR 3D Five stars - 2012 Dreamworks/Paramount

It doesn't get any better than this. I LOVED this movie... A masterpiece of stereo character animation in every way. Most outstanding (besides being really, really funny) is the overall design as well as character design. So many characters, each one unique and exquisite, with wonderful, appealing personalities. The beloved main characters hook up with the new circus animals- an opportunity for wonderful scenes which Dreamworks fully exploited. The new seal (I mean Sea Lion!) character Stephano is brilliantly realized, and the outrageous French animal control agent Dubois will literally stop at nothing to get her prey (just the scene of her head coming out of the water was superb). There were dozens and dozens of non-stop animated scenes of artful perfection... so beautiful and funny and brilliant I caught myself in tears amid the laughter. Did I mention attention to detail (the little spark under the enchanting circus train coming 'round the bend) was beyond compare? Of course, the stereo 3D was just out of this world- at the end I felt as though I'd been on one of the best rides of my life, and I am looking forward to getting on again and again... [Blu-Ray Postscript: Now that I can really savor this animated piece of art, I am more convinced than ever that this is one of the great animations of ALL TIME. It is just jam packed with ingenious sight gags ("which vents should we choose?") hilarious dialogue and consummate, classic characters. (I watched 10-15 minutes with the sound off while setting up a new 3D projection system, and still had a number of big laughs!) One of those few movies you delight in every viewing.]

PROMETHEUS Four stars - 2012 Fox

The art of stereography in cinema has been elevated yet again. The opening sequence of the humanoid and the falls was worth the price of admission... there were so many jaw-dropping, eye-candy 3D scenes that I couldn't help but feel bad for those who paid to see this movie in 2D. The most memorable was the floating graphics in the control room... mesmerizing! The story, characters and action certainly had me engaged throughout the film (though following the various plot lines was not easy) but it may not be among Ridley Scott's best. Of course having a director of his stature take 3D seriously adds another level of credibility to this often criticized filmmaking component.

MEN IN BLACK 3D Three and a half stars - 2012 Columbia

Another hybrid (live action conversion with stereo cg) that was well worth seeing. The villian, Boris the Animal, (sorry, it's just Boris ) was awesome- and the alien creatures amazing, fantastic, hysterical! Stereo 3D really made them so realistic- especially the creepy critter than crawls out of Boris's palm. The scene in the Chinese restaurant was a buffet of some very wild imaginations. Fun to see scenes from NYC, especially a re-created 1960's Coney Island (co-incidentally I saw the movie in Times Square). Josh Brolin was perfect as the young Tommy Lee Jones, and the Griffin character was quite amusing. Even an unexpected plot twist that was almost touching! Short, but great extra in 3D about the conversion process.

THE AVENGERS Two and a half stars- 2012 Marvel/Paramount

The Hulk and Ironman were sort of interesting characters- otherwise this movie generated very little interest for me. Dialogue, art direction and story I found bland- and the stereo conversion was really disappointing since it was the same team that did Titanic (and were able to utilize all the stereo cg assets, as well as shooting with 3D in mind!). A lot of backgrounds the were pretty flat, and overall limited depth. So much of the film was fighting, fighting and more fighting... seemed pointless, impossible and so over the top. I never felt like these guys were a "team" nor cared. A few moments almost elicted a wow (like the final serpent robot) but- not quite. However, once again, I'm in the minority...

THE PIRATES: BAND OF MISFITS Four and a half stars - 2012 Sony/Aardman

(Note: Again, I sat in utter amazement at the state of the stereo art: a beautiful 37' immaculate silver screen showing a wide clean, crisp stereo movie via Sony 4k projectors in RealD. I'm absolutely in love with this whole technology- and, of course, the ART ): Was this just a case of the promoters doing a poor job? This was such a gem of a movie- and I really didn't expect it. First, the art direction was absolutely top shelf- the sets, lighting, composition (in all 3 axes) were superb. Second, it evoked laughter, and quite a bit of it (after "Arthur Christmas, I wasn't expecting that! ). Engaging characters (though couldn't they come up with more interesting/memorable names for the leads than "Pirate Captain" and "Number 2" ??) alive with slapstick (yet nuanced) animation that lifts the spirit... The entrance of the rival pirate in the whale's mouth? Totally wild! The "too loud" monkey sign? Quiet, yet hilarious! Overall, brilliant work- some of the best stop motion artwork I've seen, and all in succulent stereoscopic 3D. A treat for the eyes as well as the funny bones.

TITANIC 3D Five stars - 1997/2012 Paramount

[So, how freakin' amazing is this James Cameron guy? In 1984 he wrote the screenplay for a fairly noteworthy movie called The Terminator , and sold it for a dollar so he could direct (having never directed a major motion picture before). In 1997 he wrote and directed the most expensive (at the time) and subsequently financially successful film ever made: Titanic (which also won 11 Oscars). Cameron dove to the bottom of the Atlantic to get shots of the actual sunken vessel, which melded into the film footage seamlessly, breathtakingly. When I saw T2 Terminator 2 3D at Universal Studios Florida in the late 90's, I was floored by the innovative brillance of the live actor/3D film integration (a total must-see). He then goes on to painstakingly convert his Titanic masterpiece to stereoscopic 3D, released in time for the 100th anniversary of the sinking: absolutely the best quality conversion ever done, hands down. Oh, and did I mention that he also wrote and directed the film that beat Titanic in box office earnings and earned serious respect for the art (and profitability) of stereo filmmaking: Avatar ?] Never did I think it would be possible to achieve such a feat as this... Cameron's team created a near flawless stereo coversion of a 3+ hour film! Having done the labor-intensive conversions on stills, I'd pronounced that it would be impossible to do the same for a motion picture. Boy, was I wrong... There has been decent work done, but Cameron has raised the bar sky high. I'm flabbergasted, truly... how is it done?? Smoke, water, reflections... perfect parallax... uncanny how well his 2D film translated to 3D! And, how much it added to my enjoyment of it! It was quite good in 2D, but this re-creation was just so incredibly engaging, intimate and scary! It seemed so much more like being on the ship with the actors... and I had a newfound appreciation of the incredible minute details in the film. At the end the audience broke out in applause... one other person stayed until the very end (I was curious to see how they handled the "extra" 3D credits). I was so blown away by the 3D, I had to ask how he liked it: "I didn't really notice it" was his unexpected reply. (!?) "Can you see 3D?" I asked. "Yes, but this wasn't like a movie actually shot in 3D". This statement didn't make any sense to me at all... nor does the review of critics who claim the 3D was " unneccesary " or " doesn't add much to the experience ". All I can say is that stereopsis is a gift: some people get it, some really get it, and some don't get it at all. Thankfully, I'm one of the lucky ones. And so, obviously, is Mr. Cameron (who has worked so hard to share his gift... THANK YOU.)

WRATH OF THE TITANS Three stars - 2012 Warner Bros.

After the nasty backlash from a poor 3D conversion of the precursory "Clash of the Titans" (which I never actually saw), I was curious to see if they were able to redeem themselves. I was hoping there was enough CG stereo to make it worthwhile... Many of the visuals were pretty rich (the underground labyrinth, the monster villians), but the stereo conversion was often distracting. Aside from noticing some obvious anomolies, there were often sections that just didn't look right- passed by too quickly to discern. The huge finale showcasing the giant fire creature Kronos should have been a stereoscopic storm, but the effects were dialed way down.

JOHN CARTER 3D Two and a half stars- 2012 Disney

Such a huge production for a story that never really engaged... interesting to see this after Star Wars! The main character had little humor or charisma, but he sure could jump high. The visuals were admirable, but not amazing. I have to say the stereo was mostly really quite good- for a "conversion"! We're looking through glass, light rays/flares, electric arcs... All this stuff just had to be stereo cg, but integration with the converted live action was pretty much flawless. HOW do they do it? That was my main concern, much more so than how to save the city of Helium.

STAR WARS Phantom Menace 3D Two and a half stars- 1999/2012 Fox/Lucasfilm

Looks like they weren't able to dig up any of the original digital files or composites, so this was apparently a full conversion. Unfortunately, it showed: the "phantom" had spotty transparency and many scenes were almost flat (John Knoll, the stereo fx supervisor, admits he doesn't like hyperstereo ). The most amazing scenes of the big cities and vast armies were disappointingly without depth. Some of the tighter shots were well done, one could see the telltale wisps of hair separated from the background (HOW do they do that?). The movie itself seems very tired, and the music was often just way over the top. One of the key moments which should have been very dramatic, the death of Jedi Jinn, I felt was poorly staged... This episode- to me at least- didn't withstand the test of time. (NOTE: I was pleased to see an ICE AGE "Scrat" short before the main feature! Always a treat!)

THE LORAX Two and a half stars - 2012 Universal

Had been really looking foreward to this one- a real disappointment. Supposedly done by the "Despicable Me" team, but there were no laughs, no amazing 3D moments, no great characters (I did smile once: "Well, we have a little time"). The look of the movie was often wonderful, and the stereo beautiful. Unfortunately the story and dialogue were flat, the villian was weak, the musical numbers were corny and the Lorax a borax. The kid's ride in his bed down the raging river was kind of fun, but little else.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Four stars - 1991/2011 Disney

Was going to pass this up, as I thought that a cel animation wouldn't fare well in 3D. The opening short, "Tangled Ever After" was just fantastic (as was the full length film) and alone was worth the ticket price. So was I suprised to see how beautifully "Beauty" transferred to stereo! I was just flabbergasted... so amazing, I wept. How did they do it? The rain and snow and reflections all looked flawless- they had to have gone back to the original composites. I never actually saw the original 2D movie, so was pleased to see that the backgrounds (all the non-animated elements) were gloriously, realistically rendered- and that the resulting stereo conversions were spectacular. The cel drawings looked better than expected: round not flat- but just not as clean as the rendered art. As for the movie itself, I found it a bit saccharine, the characters merely adequate... I don't remember any laughs. (After the film, I did some research on conversion process- and found this gem : a case study on converting the movie!) (NOTE : I bought the 3D Blu-Ray to get a more detailed look at the work. I was amazed at how many stereo flaws were revealed in a frame-by-frame analysis that were totally missed at 24fps!)

UNDERWORLD AWAKENING Three and a half stars - 2012 Screen Gems

Similar in theme, I think, to the Resident Evil franchise- with the protagonist being a super-human gun-toting woman- but not quite as edgy. I did enjoy this film: the 3D was well done, and used to great effect, particularly when the werewolves were attacking, and when the werewolf poison silver particulates filled the atmosphere. The human-to-beast metamorphoses were brilliant, especially so in stereo. Though the acting was fine, I was never very involved with the characters- it was the battling monsters that made this film fun.

PINA 3D Two stars - 2011 Eurowide Films

It's not that I don't like dance... I haven't missed an episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" in years! I am often quite moved- even to tears- by the beauty and artistry of the choreographed vignettes. Unfortunately, I didn't get that feeling in this film... there were certainly sequences that were interesting, but over the course of the film, I lost enthusiasm and shifted to mind drift mode. I'd expected more- the 3D was fine, but wouldn't it have been so much better, for example, if there were some hi-speed camera/slow motion sequences in the water on stage? I noted one fun experiment: the dancers were miniaturized, dancing in a doll house box as 2 commented, looking in... I guess it's a fine line where the filmmaker exceeds the choreographer's original vision- but I wanted more interesting stereo treatments, and less static headshots with verbal off-camera accolades about Pina. (BTW, my wife- like many others- loved the film).

ADVENTURES OF TINTIN Three and a half stars - 2011 Paramount/Columbia 106 minutes

From beginning to end I was awestruck at the immense intensity of detail in this new plateau of realistic computer rendering! WOW. Mind-boggling doesn't begin to describe this fully dimensional animated world (yes, all four dimensions) including mansions and docks and airplanes and cities and animals and cars and ships and people... people! Besides the odd facial features on some characters, these virtual cartoon actors were just amazing. So freakin realistic! We are so close to the real thing! I am so mesmerized by the genius of the art on so many levels achieved by these filmmakers: it's hard to fathom that nothing is real... every iota has been painstakingly brought to life through talent, hard work and "math"! The story is a fun action-adventure you'd expect from Steven Spielberg, and the stereo is well utilized. The directors really used 3d to great effect in water, bubbles, bottles, glass and mirrors... the reflections! Loved the clever 2D portrait of Tintin at the market and the way the camera followed the non stop action. What keeps this movie from getting all five stars is that I just didn't love the characters... perhaps because I'm unfamiliar with the comic, or the translation to the 3d world was awkward. Still, a great work of animated stereoscopic art I look forward to seeing again. [NOTE: Upon revisiting the movie via Blu-Ray nine years later, I've downgraded from 4.5 to 3.5 stars. Certainly on first viewing I was overwhelmed by the CG quality, but the actual story was a bit corny with only modest humor.]

HAPPY FEET 2 Two and a half stars - 2011 Warner Bros.

The good news is that there was a cartoon short before the movie, starring Tweety Bird and Sylvester- and the original Mel Blanc's song "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat", modernized to full stereo cg. Lots of fantastic 3D and good fun- but there was a persistent highlight/backlight around the crazed cat that seemed very disconcerting... Then the penguin movie: was this lame film actually directed by George Miller of MAD MAX fame?? There was practically zero actual story and the characters held almost zero interest. (Penquins singing Queen songs??) Luckily there was the substory of the krill (which had about zero to do with the penguins) who at least had some character and humor... the swarm of krill looked fantastic. There were a good number of beautiful scenes, with the stereo sparkle of ice, water and snow- but it was difficult staying awake through the goofball dialogue and ridiculous plotlines.

HUGO 3D Four stars - 2011 Paramount

It was going to be hard to live up to the hype! I'd heard such accolades before going in, I was jazzed... Indeed, the film opens with the sounds of clicking and ticking all around, and the scene opens to active clockworks, which melt into a hyper overview of Paris: stupendous! Then the fly through the train station... incredible! The story unfolds, and it's beautiful- the station and the interior of the giant clocks were made for 3D. The art direction is exquisite, but the story was not quite was it should have been. The lead boy was fine, but I found him a bit stiff, and less than engaging. The station inspector seemed to be overly mean (shoving everyone in his way aside just to catch a little boy?). Ben Kingley's Melies was also too mean, "burning" the boy's precious notebook! Suddenly I found myself wondering if this is a true story of the famous filmmaker George Melies or half fiction... I still don't know. The automaton was beautiful, but it's drawing ability a bit too fantastic (and the coincidence of finding the key a bit too convenient!). With only a few faults in the stereo, it was a real treat for the eyes, and I have no trouble recommending it.

A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS One and a half stars - 2011 Warner Bros.

Yet another example of why I really need to be more discriminatory about which 3D movies I will see. The trailers looked like the film was going to have some fun with 3D, and may even be funny. I knew nothing about previous Harold and Kumar movies, so this was a venture into some new modern culture. Turns out these guys are the current “Cheech and Chong”, but have stepped up the irreverence to a frighteningly new low. How about scenes of a four year old girl “accidentally” getting high on marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy pills? Graphic scenes of Harold’s penis, stuck to a pole (like a tongue) being stretched and pulled? Topless nuns in the shower? And, most offensive: Jesus Christ at his rock club in “Heaven”- his 2 topless angels manually gratifying one of our protagonists. (This used to be called blasphemy, but today it’s par for the course) No wonder the movie only plays late shows in our area. I had high hopes for the 3D when the movie began, with the Warner logo and drummer boy in the snow looking so beautiful. But the stereo in the film itself was mostly terrible- many scenes had little parallax, some with none at all... 2D. There was a plethora of cg effects that utilized 3D very well, as well as a section of clay animation with very good stereo (the audience is treated to Kumar’s clay penis poking us in the face). I won’t be getting the Blu-Ray of this one.

IMMORTALS Three and a half stars - 2011 Relativity Media

I was told this was a "hybrid"... mostly conversion, but shot with 3D in mind (I believe separate composite layers could be separately converted). The stereo was not striking or particularly well utilized, but the conversion was really very good. The only anomoly I noticed was some water reflection (which, being cg, really should have been rendered in stereo!). One memorable scene featured a dissolve from a helmeted head lying in a pool of blood to a boat in the water. The film was certainly engaging: good characters, awesome sets, incredible fighting (and the trapped oracles scene... quite the shocker).

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS Three stars - 2011 Sony/Aardman

The stereo was gorgeous... you could practically feel the fuzz on Arthur's sweater, and the scene with him in his letter-filled room with lighting only from his electric slippers was one of the highlights. Unfortunately, the movie was stupid- and worse: not funny. Characters not engaging, designs uninspired. Struggle to stay awake... Luckily the movie was preceded by a nicely produced 3D music video starring Justin Bieber doing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Awesome drumkit!

PUSS IN BOOTS 3D Four stars - 2011 Dreamworks

The quality of CG animation just keeps improving. This offshoot was not quite in the SHREK league, but very entertaining with lots of laughs (the leche lick scene is a classic). The egg character (Humpty Alexander Dumpty) was good, but there seemed to be a lack of other strong characters (the villians were just not that ominous). The 3D was just right, and some scenes were exquisite.

The THREE MUSKETEERS 3D Four and a half stars - 2011 Summit Entertainment

What is wrong with critics? They loved Caves of Forgotten Dreams and hated this amazing film? Paul W.S. Anderson crafted an exciting, funny and visually stunning 3D film which paralled his great work with last year's Resident Evil. This director embraces stereo- his sets, action and props utilize 3D like no other live action director I've seen. From the opening title sequence over the dimensional maps, through the hyper-real hyper-stereo recreations of olde England and France, to the stunning airship battles- there was never a dull moment. Some scenes were so visually sumptuous, I can't wait to get the Blu-Ray 3D so I can linger longer (one particular shot with the heroine looking into multiple mirrors was especially memorable). The characters were really well done- the English king was hilarious, as was the servant Planchet... and Milla is amazing. Great sets, costumes, FX. Great fun.

DOLPHIN TALE Three and a half stars - 2011 Warner Bros.

OK, it was schmaltzy and predictable... But how can you go wrong with a dolphin, great kids and a very sweet story? Have to admit succumbing a few times to this tear-jerker. The 3D was fine, though I really noticed the beamsplitter rivalry issues. Some nice computer graphics were added to a sequence about designing the artificial tail, and the remote helicopter flying into the audience was fun. Overall, better than expected.

FINAL DESTINATION 5 Three stars - 2011 New Line Cinema

It's beyond comprehension how people can laugh when they see gruesome and graphic deaths. Even though these are "fake", we are still confronted with the most horrible human violence that the human mind can conjure. How is this enjoyable? How can we not be scarred by this pure bloodlust? Isn't there enough real horror? OK, rant over: My friend wanted to see it, so I went... The title sequence with the breaking glass was really fantastic, and the bridge collapse (don't think that's a spoiler!) was quite well done. Overall, the 3D was very good, and humor to make some of the deaths a bit less "real" (the movie is really about making each death as suprising and nasty as possible). For this genre, it was well produced, and the dialogue was not horrid. Aside from the vicarious thrill and disgust of watching someone viciously wasted, it was tolerable- and shot in 3D.

TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon Three and a half stars - 2011 Paramount

Am I looking for a strong storyline in a movie like this? On the contrary, I expect a cinematic roller coaster ride, and I got it! The action was non-stop, the cg phenomenal. The scenes with the building falling over was mind-boggling. Rumor is that the live action was shot in 3D, and the cg was converted (the opposite of normal). I have a real hard time believing this- there was SO much stereo detail in the Transformer machines... They're certainly doing some amazing things with conversions, and maybe a lot of it is some kind of hybrid. Certainly looking forward to the "behind-the-scenes" DVD extras where the stereo work is revealed "in depth". But as each studio seems to have propriety workflows, I doubt this will happen anytime soon. But back to the movie: though it would have been hard to find scenes to cut, I think the film would have benefitted from a shorter than 2.5 hour running time. Just too much of a good thing! Nonetheless, the movie seems to have set some box office records and has bolstered studio confidence in the stereoscopic format.

THE SMURFS 3D Three stars - 2011 Sony Pictures

Ok, I was embarrassed to go to see Smurfs. I was never interested in the comic, but am always interested in merging live action and cg stereoscopically. I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was better than expected... The stereo was wonderful, and I couldn't believe the live action was converted! There were so many details that seemed like they were impossible to pull off in a conversion. However, in reading up post movie, it seems they ran multiple passes on various scenes in order to be able to get reflections and other otherwise impossible stereo effects. I'm not clear on the technical details, but whatever they did was impressive. And the movie was actually tolerable, with Hank Azaria as the over-the-top villian. This is a movie that might be worth picking up on Blu-Ray 3D just to study the stereo more closely... how DID they do it?

HARRY POTTER and the Deathly Hallows Three stars - 2011 Warner Bros.

I had no plans to see this 2D-3D conversion, but somehow I missed the correct time for Transformers, and this was the only 3D option (CARS 2 is already gone!). I'd missed "Part 1", so some of the plot was a bit fuzzy, but there was enough magic and mayhem to enjoy. As for the fake 3D, it worked sometimes and sometimes not so much. The question is: is it worth seeing a fake 3D movie over a 2D version? I guess it is, though I'm constantly distracted by thoughts of how they did it: How did they separate the wisps of hair from the background? The computer graphics look really look, they must have been generated in 3D!? Why did they leave the background so flat in this scene? Is this stereo, or is my brain imagining the parallax?

KUNG FU PANDA 2 Two and a half stars - 2011 Dreamworks

How can I give a good review to a movie that seems to lag, that seems like it just won't end? Yes, the animation was beautiful and the stereo was on the money. But the characters were uninteresting, the "heroes" didn't feel like a team- the story/dialogue left me cold. (Gee, the goose is not the Panda's real father!?) It's always a bummer when a "comedy" is not funny, and this was not (ok, there was one line where I did crack a smile: "false advertising"). The main concept of the fat panda being a kung fu master is painfully dumb, so the entire premise just doesn't work. I did enjoy the dream sequences that were like 3D cel animation, and the peacock had some exquisite sequences. Though there were other moments of beauty, but I was glad when it was over...

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Three and a half stars - 2011 Disney

Good to see JD in actual 3D (unlike Alice in Wonderland) alongside Penelope Cruz and Keith Richards! This may be the weakest film in the franchise, but the 3D is good (even some gratuitous swords in your face) but nothing spectacular. One memorable effect employed parting some giant leaves (which canvassed the screen), but overall the stereo was routine- even the end credits were fairly straightforward. However, several scenes were visually spectacular and the story and characters interesting enough... you can't go wrong with beautiful (and possibly deadly) mermaids in 3D! (Interestingly, I didn't notice any polarized retinal rivalry that I generally see with live action- due to beamsplitter... I wonder how they avoided it?)

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS One half star - 2011 Creative Differences

Are critics insane? "A fascinating triumph"? "Blows you away with it's beauty"? This film is about a few dozen drawings, most of which are rudimentary sketches... we linger on these for SUCH a long time- not once but over and over. I understand the historical significance of these prehistoric cave drawings, but a little goes a long way! Add insipid talking heads jabbering on about artistic baloney... and an albino crocodile that may one day contemplate the meaning of the cave drawings (!?). Never mind the 3D, which was generally horrible! Seems most of it was converted, some painfully/laughably poorly done. Are people really so blind as not to see the backgrounds stuck to people's heads? Do we even know which cave painting walls show their true forms (which is the point of the 3D)? And much of the "real" stereo was way too strong- I saw headache inducing infinity separation of several feet on the screen in several shots. Even much of the "normal" 2D was dreadful! Outdoor footage (no excuse for non-professional cameras here) that were shaky, noisy and poorly hand held... I've never seen anything this bad outside of Youtube. Nevertheless, this is the film that the NY Daily News compliments "it's exquisite use of 3-D"? The Chicago Tribune exclaims "The 3-D is beautiful"? LAWeekly contends "One of the few justifiable recent excursions into 3-D". And the Boston Herald hails: "What 3D film technology was invented for". 95% critic approval (Rotten Tomatoes). Very bizarre. So, is this bad 3D movie that critics seem to love good for 3D? I guess we'll see... (found this article on the 3D tech )

RIO Four and a half stars - 2011 Blue Sky

Were there laughs? Yes, there were laughs! Was there great 3-D? Yes, it was utilized wonderfully with flying things, cages and doggie drool. The birds and other animals were beautifully designed, but the ICE AGE guys didn't do nearly as well with the humans- character design was pretty basic- even the clothing looked sprayed on and plastic. Otherwise, this was a colorful and fun romp though Brazil's party town during crazy Carnivale (and having been to Carnivale in Sao Paulo, I can say they did an astonishing re-creation of that fanatical celebration.)

MARS NEEDS MOMS Two 1/2 stars - 2011 Disney

The word that came to mind while watching this film was "convoluted". Oh, sorry... I should start with what I liked: the main character, "Gribble", was a really well-executed human cg character. And, there was one funny line in the movie, at which I actually "LOL" (laughed out loud) as did the one other adult in the audience (something about zombies). OK, now I can mention the inane story, inexplicable romance and mediocre characters. Oh, and not funny. If you're looking at your watch during a film, can't be good.

CARMEN 3D Two stars - 2011 RealD/Royal Opera House

Interesting to see that RealD is now producing films as well as the presentation hardware and glasses! This is not an easy film to review: basically, it's a recorded stage show. If you don't like this opera (turns out I didn't), how can you like the film? But even if you like the opera, we're reviewing a 3D movie here. Basically, it was a pretty simple capture from various angles. Not very interesting cinematography! And as it's a stage presentation, the sets are not nearly as detailed or interestingly lit or as varied as in a "real" movie. Technically, I saw some vertical misalignment right were the aligned subtitles were, which caused some discomfort in reading. Fellow stereophiles seemed to love this film, but I didn't.

GNOMEO AND JULIET Two 1/2 stars - 2011 Touchstone Pictures

How could I expect a good movie with such a terrible title? The trailers didn't look promising, but there were some good reviews... I hoped to be pleasantly surprised. I wasn't! The movie was pretty much as bad as expected. Character design and art direction were good enough, but there were no laughs, not even a chuckle. There was a groan, however, when the smashed hero was actually a smashed teapot! Duh! No great characters. The 3D was fine for the most part, but what's up with all the flat clips (mostly during the flamingo sequence)? And the Elton John songs seemed to be forced (oh, I see that he's Executive Producer! Duh!).

JUSTIN BIEBER Never Say Never Three stars - 2011 Paramount Pictures

Would not have gone to see this, of course, if it weren't a 3D movie- and even then it was iffy. But my friend Rob has a daughter who was keen to see it. Turned out, however, that it's really NOT a 3D movie. Maybe 5-10% was stereo (I'm not counting the flat shots with a floating caption!). We did see the "director's FAN cut" which added a lot of (2D) footage, but it was really fallacious to call this movie 3D. That said, I actually enjoyed the film since this kid is really pretty phenomenal and seems to be taking his total adoration and huge success in stride. The film nicely lays out his meteoric rise, and there was one really nice 3D segment involving hundreds of YouTube videos...

DRIVE ANGRY Three 1/2 stars - 2011 Summit Entertainment

Films seem to keep pushing the envelope... I was fairly surprised at the nearly hardcore sex and violence with "A-List" actors (Nicolas Cage mix those two at a level I've certainly never seen)! Can't say I was bored... I do have a special interest in "good vs. evil" stories. Fast cars, naked/fighting women and super God-Killer guns- how can you go wrong? Ok, so it was often over the top, but the action was non-stop and the characters were engaging. The stereo was fine and included some nice slo mo bullet effects and a nice dissolve from a really rounded full moon to lit headlight.

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA Voyage of the Dawn Trader Three 1/2 stars - 2010 Walden Media

OK, I wasn't going to see any more "fake" 3D movies... but, like Alice in Wonderland, I thought the CG would be real stereo and I was interested to see if the conversion would be better if more time/effort was involved. The big problem is that I am constantly distracted from enjoying the film trying to figure out what 3D looks right, what's weird, and what CG looks like real 3D. There was quite a bit of live action that looked quite ok, most people would not notice the difference. I saw occlusion, which is good- but I also saw places where there should have been but wasn't. Not quite right 3D goes by quicky, so it's hard to nail down (until I look at the Blu-Ray 3D in slo-mo). Even well done, the fake 3D just doesn't have the magic that comes about in reflections and transparencies that just can't be faked. And it seemed that a LOT of effects (like the snow, and some mist shots) were added in post, in stereo (which is also good). In fact, in the credits I saw 4-5 people listed as doing stereoscopic work! In any case, it was an enjoyable film... the young boy actor was phenomenal, and the effects were good (especially the painting that becomes alive!).

YOGI BEAR Two and a half stars - 2010 Warner Brothers

Saw this right after Tron, and I was struck as to how much better the stereo was! Too bad it was such a dumb movie! One of those "comedies" which could not even crack me a smile (ok, there was one actual chuckle: the line was "He was open!"). I was really amazed at how well the stereo CG characters were integrated into the stereo live action... really quite seamless. The animation and art direction were good, and the characters were beautifully transcribed from the original 2D cels. Unfortunately, the story and dialogue were just anemic. The Roadrunner short before the feature was no rib tickler, either.

TANGLED Five stars - 2010 Disney

Disney has really outdone themselves with this spectacular re-telling of the Rapunzel story. Naturally the stereo was a huge advantage, but I don't believe I've ever seen a Disney film that I've enjoyed more. This is pure, classic Disney at it's best! The star of this movie, for me, was the art- it was just so perfectly realized in SO many dimensions. The design, the sets, the character work, the flawless animation- it moved me. Disney is not supposed to do that! It was funny, bright and sharp- not dumbed down. The bar scene alone was worth the price of admission, yet there were so many. The mime. The mirror. The detail! So rich in detail! You could pull almost any frame from this movie and have a beautiful still... but some were just exquisite. And a nice finish with the Ronald Searle- like drawings... Is this really the same crew that made the lame Chicken Little just five years ago? The only thing I didn't like about this movie was the title- feel free to fire that guy! Otherwise, a fine piece to add to Walt's legacy.

MEGAMIND Five stars - 2010 Dreamworks

I liked Pixar's (2D) The INCREDIBLES, and loved the recent (3D) DESPICABLE ME, but I really loved MEGAMIND! I went in skeptical, but was quickly won over by the hilarious gut-laugh script (improv?), wonderful characters, spectacular animation, meticulous art direction and, of course, world-class stereoscopic rendering. When a movie just fills you with joy for 96 minutes, how can it be anything but 5 stars? Often, the visuals would elicit an audible WOW- how about that water cascading over the nighttime city street? The invisible car (stereo made it brilliant!)? The skybound giant Megamind head made of balls? The water swirl complete with rainbow? Does superhero/villian flight look amazing in stereo? If there is art greater than this, I don't know what it is.

JACKASS 3D Two stars - 2010 MTV

I really didn't plan to go, but a really good review on one of the 3D Movie blogs as well as an A- rating on Yahoo (as well as a friend who wanted to go) prompted me. Stupid college pranks were expected, but I did not expect the crudity to sink to such gross levels. I'll spare the details, but farts, feces, urine and vomit were prevalent- as well as lots of testacle bashing. The fact that this "entertainment" is actually popular is shameful. The reason I gave it any stars at all is that the 3D in the beginning and ending sequences was actually spectacular, and included amazing slo-motion shots. The bulk of the movie had a variety of 3D quality (including a fair amount of 2D) but the content was the very definition of vulgar (and it wasn't fake).

SAW 3D unrated- 2010 Lionsgate

Piranha 3D was bad enough with the violence and gore, I really didn't need to subject myself to what is likely the ugliest of this genre. But it happened to (appropriately) be playing next to Jackass 3D, so I did go in for the first 10-15 minutes (as I was early for Jackass). The titles were well done, and I was treated to a pretty woman being sawed in half at the belly, with entrails flying out. The stereo looked just fine.

ALPHA and OMEGA Two and a half stars - 2010 Crest Animation

This was more like Saturday morning cartoon fare than theatrical release material. The stereo was ok, but not good enough to keep me awake during this predictable and unfunny animation (ok, some people in the theater laughed occasionally- what do I know?) I was not impressed with the character or set designs, though the end credits did manage to stir up some creativity.

RESIDENT EVIL: Afterlife Four and a half stars - 2010 New Legacy Film

Possibly the best stereoscopic camera work in a live action film I've seen. Seems every scene was art directed with 3D in mind, and there were lots and lots of great scenes! Memorable ones include the plane flying into the side of the mountain (in frozen bullet-time, which was used extensively and brilliantly throughout), the small plane flying through burned out LA, the big hammer zombie fight in the shower room with spray, the white pod room with flying sunglasses, aerials over Alaska, zombies lunging their quad suckers (lots of great zombie scenes) at us, and plenty more. The violence was non-stop, but it wasn't the nasty, gruesome type (see Pirahna 3D)... and the women, though sexy, weren't sexual. If there was a bit more character development and humor, I think this would have been a five-star film. Highly recommended for great real stereo.

PIRANHA 3D - 2010 Dimension Films

This film gets NO stars... not only is it not a real 3D movie, but it's a horrible movie. It's Girls Gone Wild meets Saw (ok, I haven't seen either of those, but... now there's a Saw 3D coming. Must I see it?) How low is it that we enjoy near and fully naked women being horribly maimed? Oh, I forgot... it's supposed to be funny! Yeah, the floating penis was just hilarious. (What is the target demographic, I have to wonder??) Probably the worst candidate for stereo conversion (crowds of beach goers, crowds of man-eating fish, bubbles, seaweed, etc) some of the 3D was passable, but so much was less, and much less. The sad part is that so many people are not noticing the bad stereo or the bad taste. (Currently at 75% on Rotten Tomatoes Toastometer, with Resident Evil at 22%. Go figure.)

STEP UP 3D Two stars - 2010 Summit/Touchstone

As big fans of the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance", my wife and I were looking forward to this film. Initially I had to wonder if it was a conversion, but I saw polarization retinal rivalry, so it had to be a beamsplitter rig (turned out to be a Cameron/Pace). But something(s) seemed wrong, and distracting about the 3D... mostly, I saw compressed heads/faces and lots of cardboard-y layering. Were there also sync problems? The high speed dance sequences were not smooth to me... frame rate? Though there was some interesting use of 3D in the dance contests, I would have to say overall that the 3D was not an enhancement, but an impairment. Was it the convergence? I did see vertical mis-alignment, but not horrible. A lame story and insipid dialogue added up to a movie I looked forward to ending. On the other hand, my wife enjoyed it- and didn't complain about the 3D. What do I know??

DESPICABLE ME Five stars - 2010 Universal/ Mac Guff Ligne

Really didn't know what to expect, but was overwhelmed by this fun and different movie. For me, it had it all: sweet story, refreshing characters, great pace, fantastic stereo, superb animation! Where did these guys come from?? There was an avalanche of "WOW" moments, brilliant sets (the bank, the amusement park, both villians' lairs), and loads of laugh out loud lines. I had to wonder if I could give this the same grade as Toy Story, but I just couldn't think of any faults. The three guys that went with me also loved it- so I'm not crazy! We had to guess that the 2D version didn't include the fun "through the window" bits during the end credits~

TOY STORY 3 Five stars - 2010 Pixar/Disney

(Preshow! First, let me mention that this was the first time seeing RealD with the Sony 4k digital projection system... WOW! They've solved a major 3D projection problem: motion judder. Motion was so much smoother than standard 2k systems! Also, there were 3D ads for the first time- called "First Looks". The brilliant Samsung 3D TV ad we've seen on TV ["Dedicated to Wonder", where the guy takes a cube of water out of a huge aquarium] was here in 3D, even more brilliant!) Pixar short: "Day and Night" Yet another wonderfully imaginative and unique animation, merging classic cel animation technique with modern cg imaging, beautifully capitalizing the stereo effect. Loved it. (Not to mention I did a live action stereo short about six years ago with the same title!) Toy Story 3: I knew going in that this was going to be a Five Star movie, and they sure didn't let me down! Story, animation, lighting, color, character, humor, music, oh- and stereoscopy... ALL absolutely top-shelf. Did I say funny? Two routines that stand out were the Ken wardobe sketch, and the "El Buzzo" transformation. The only flaw I saw was the "2D" video setup at the beginning was a bit long... otherwise, Pixar managed to create yet another superb Toy Story for the ages. The detail and intensity of the "landfill from hell" was unexpected... I loved the resolution. Perfect! Thank you, Pixar, for lifting me so high for a few hours!

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Two and a half stars - 2010 Dreamworks

First, the story is inane: Vikings have killed and been killed by dragons for hundreds of years, but it turns out they're really docile and make really nice pets! It just took one kid who was able to hit the nastiest of them all with his first shot (even though it is so fast that no one had actually ever even seen one). And when we do see it, it turns out to be so cute! Then the boy fashions a mechanical tail to replace the piece he lost when the boy brought him down- which allowed the boy to ride the previously feared dragon into the sky (even though it's too fast to be seen). I could go on, but issue number two: not funny! Not a chuckle, not a smile cracked. Didn't love the characters (well, the female lead, Astrid, was ok) but there was plenty of visual interest (even though I spotted a 2D background in the gorge where the dragon went down). Otherwise, no complaints about the stereo!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Three stars - 2009 Disney

Hard to imagine that a brilliant director like Robert Zemekis, teamed with the funniest man on the planet, Jim Carrey, could produce this mediocre film! It's always amazing to see the progression of state-of-the-art motion capture cg- I loved the opening sequence where the book illustration turns to stereo 3D and then to cg stereo 3D... beautiful! Unfortunately, it was downhill from there... I couldn't help but think of things that weren't working... Flying over the rooftops, the chimneys and ornaments seemed so real, yet we flew right through them (wouldn't it have been more effective if the camera veered around them?). Old Scrooge is able to grab the back of a carriage and slide on the snow like a kid? Suddenly Bob Cratchit starts talking to the camera at the end? Character design was not especially good- I did like the shadow of the Ghost of Christmas future morphing to 3D as well as the morphing of many faces of the Ghost of Christmas Past. Scrooge's wife looked incredibly realistic as she was giving her parting words, but many characters still had a doll-like or otherwise odd appearance. Not sure why eyes so often looked crossed, and lip-syncing was not always on target. Compared to Polar Express, scenes were ho-hum (but that's a hard act to follow!).

TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2 Five stars - 1995/2009 and 1999/2009 Pixar/Disney

These classic, groundbreaking Pixar animations being re-rendered stereoscopically is an absolute dream-come-true. The third dimension (fourth, since the animation itself is the dimension of time!) brings even more life to all our beloved characters. Both films hold up incredibly well after almost 15 years. Toy Story was the very first feature CG film and is still absolutely one of the best on every level. I laughed solidly throughout both features, and relished every minute. That Pixar was able to dig up these now archaic files and match them to modern computers and software is nothing short of phenomenal. The only criticism is that perhaps they were a bit shy on the depth, but likely they thought it better to err on the conservative side. Considering these films weren't made with stereo in mind, some scenes seemed to be made for 3D- one that stands out is when Woody is being discarded, and falls into the pile of cards! Possibly since the 3D was an afterthought, it never felt gimmicky. We were also treated to a preview of TOY STORY 3 which looks great, but doesn't come out until June! Why they released both movies at once- and as a two for one, instead of spreading them out is quite a mystery. For most people, sitting through one 3D movie can be a bit of a strain. For me, it was a great treat! Thank you, Pixar.

CLOUDY with a Chance of MEATBALLS Three stars - 2009 Columbia/Sony

OK, I admit I didn't think I was going to like the movie before going in... didn't like the character design and I thought the premise was way too ridiculous. I know my sense of humor was intact, since I laughed at the (2D, unfortunately) trailer for Astroboy. However, I didn't once laugh at this "comedy" (though there was a clever pun about a meteor shower). The 3D was nicely done, with some excellent scenes: at the dock, the food avalanche and the Jell-O sequence. Hamburgers and hot dogs raining from the sky have got to look good in 3D! Hard to imagine sitting through this one in 2D...

THE FINAL DESTINATION (4) Two and a half stars - 2009 New Line Cinema

The good news is that the final destination in this film is a 3D movie! Unfortunatley, there's mediocre writing and acting in yet another piece that appeals to the basest instincts in humans by offering graphic scenes of grotesque mutilations and butcherings of fellow human beings (no matter how Rube Goldberg-esque or "humorous" the circumstances). The stereography and effects are generally quite good, especially the "x-ray" cg sequences at the opening and closing credits. I did notice for the first time, however, some polarization rivalry- likely due to the beamsplitter rigs used.

XGAMES 3D The Movie Three and a half stars - 2009 ESPN/Disney

Not having known much about these sports, I was really blown away by the BALLS these guys have! Absolutely, totally nuts. This has got to be exceptionally difficult action to follow- but they really did a good job with the 3D, despite what seemed to be some sync errors and frame judder. Much of the movie was intercut with 2D, but that didn't bother me much, it was almost a respite. The CG sections were imaginative and fun, and there were plenty of fun effects: slow motion, hyper, frozen multiple exposures, even floating x-rays showing the dozens of injuries sustained by one particular athlete. The film could have been a bit shorter, though the final skateboard competition didn't leave me sleepy at all!

G-FORCE 3D Two and a half stars - 2009 Disney/Sony

Forgettable and not funny, with characters that were less than cute (though the mole was, well, interesting!). Adequate 3D animation, but no laughs were elicited from this reviewer in this collaboration of Disney and Sony (soon to be a video game!). The live-action looked to be completely converted from 2D, and though I'm amazed they can do it as well as they do, it still never looks quite right (the average theater-goer will likely never notice). It's like colorizing a BW film: even though you can do a pretty good job, but it's not going to look quite right (and stereo is WAY harder to pull off)! Compositing had to be a nightmare, but was well-done... and a new, clever trick I'd never seen utilized was that objects would often "break out" of the frame top and bottom. Congratulations on some technical breakthroughs, too bad the movie was a bore.

ICE AGE: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Three and a half stars - 2009 Blue Sky

Started out slow, but eventually became well-animated cg 3D film. The juggling choreography of Sid (one of the best cartoon characters in recent memory) and his eggs was spectacular, in the finest tradition of the master Warner Bros. animators. The scene going into the cave where they all breathe in the "vapors" (with very helium-like symptoms!) was brilliant. Scrat and his new girlfriend were funnier than ever in 3D. The new (stereo-blind) character "Buck" added some good humor. This was the first film I've seen with Master Image 3D glasses, apparently a Korean competitor to RealD...

UP Two and a half stars - 2009 Pixar

Am I a curmudgeon, like the star of this movie? Unlike the rest of the world, I really didn't like this Pixar release very much. The story was, well, schmaltzy. The characters were not endearing (the kid was ok) and character design was less than stellar (ok, I did like the "happy" dog, but the Ed Asner character's square head just did not appeal to me at all!). As far as the storyline being believable, it wasn't! OK, I can buy steering the house with sails, sort of... but after the little kid takes over, they somehow come down in the exact spot in South America (oh, the GPS!)?? The house somehow stays afloat even after a huge number of balloons are systematically popped (and with the huge bird on it), only to finally settle in the exact spot promised to the deceased wife? Dog collars that allow dogs to speak (and understand!) English? The old guy pulls up the dog, the bird, and the kid (though he needs a cane!)? I could go on... On the stereo imaging, I found no problems, but neither did I find any clever use of 3D... I'm not looking for "in your face" stuff, just some special moments which capitalize on the third dimension. I'm always amazed by the craftsmanship of Pixar animation, but this is probably one of my least favorite offerings. (It will probably get an Oscar!) Oh, the opening short "Partly Cloudy" was ok... it elicited a few laughs. My favorite part of the showing was the preview for TOY STORY 3!

BATTLE FOR TERRA Three stars - 2009 Snoot Entertainment

NOTE: This movie was viewed in the XpanD "active" glasses format. Only a handful of theaters are currently showing this system, which I found to be ghost and flicker-free and maybe a little darker than RealD... I also noticed some color desaturation, maybe 30%. The glasses were just covered in fingerprints, and I was told after the film that they just don't clean the glasses very much! Otherwise, the XpanD format works very well . For a "no-name" computer animation production, I found a lot to like about this movie. Although the writing was barely tolerable and the quality of the animation merely mediocre, the stereoscopic aspect was done suprisingly well. Many of the scenes were very well composed for z space (certainly the flying aliens and spaceships had a lot to do with it, but even the views inside Mala, the lead alien's apartment, was nicely set). There were no "in your face" 3D effects (this was a re-render of a 2007 2D animation) which I didn't miss at all. Sound design was also suprisingly good, but cloth simulation was painfully non-existent!

CORALINE Four and a half stars - 2009 Laika Entertainment

Having done still stereo photography of stop motion sets years ago, I was really excited that someone was finally animating in 3D. Coraline utilized lots of digital post processing and some cg, and the results is one of the best stop motion animations I've ever seen. The sequences in the "other" world are just stunning- surreal and fun. Before going to the "other" world, I thought the 3D effect was quite thin, but once through the portal, the effect became strong, but not obtrusive (except for one shot of the "other" dad's hands off the piano, which was totally appropriate- and one good "in-your-face" shot in expected!). I wondered if it would have been more impactful if the real world was totally 2D (or if Henry Selick, the director, thought of that and rejected the idea). Though I really enjoyed the clean, crisp digital projection, I realized that I still prefer full computer animation. Though stop-motion has a wonderful, unique look, it is limited in what can be done compared to pure cg, which is practically unlimited. But what they did do, fantastic.

MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D Two stars - 2009 Lionsgate

The trailers and ads were brilliant, the live action 3D was decent, but I am not a fan of a film that is proud of it's "graphic brutal horror, violence and grisly images throughout"... especially potent in 3D. Isn't there enough murder and brutality in real life? (This was my first Dolby 3D film: the projection was quite dark- it wasn't just the movie).

BOLT Four stars - 2008 Disney

Is there anything better than a great stereoscopic cg movie, well presented? Just about every artform is represented: painting, sculpture, music, animation (dance), storytelling and if you're lucky- humor. There is so much to rave about in this film- from design to lighting to story to characters to action to... having fun with Hollywood movie making! And the breadth of detail is just astounding! The animal fur, the iridescent feathers of the pigeons, the iron bars on the bridge... the list goes on, and the digital stereo brings it all out so vividly. Disney finally got it right, with a lot of help from Pixar, it seems. 3D-wise, it was just great- with so many beautiful reflection/transparency effects... specifically the hamster "ball" (which was brilliant on so many levels)! "Rhino", the hamster, was utterly hilarious (whoever thought "I'll snap his neck" could be one of the funniest lines ever ?!). The treatment of the travel across the Waffle map was a treat in itself. I enjoyed it just as much the second time I saw it, and I'm sure I would again. (On the third viewing, I downgraded from 5 to 4 stars... yes, there's a lot to love, but ten years later it doesn't hold up to full gold.)

FLY ME TO THE MOON Two and a half stars - 2008 nWave Pictures

Though there were some nicely designed CG sets, this movie would have been dreadful in 2D. Mediocre design/animation, lame script (one line was almost funny) and forgettable characters. The 3D looked pretty good throughout, overlooking the extreme parallax and infinity at the window. But the RealD system kept ghosting from being a problem at all. Images looked bright, steady, crisp. The recreation of the Apollo 11 spacecraft and moon landing were the highlights of the film (though the human characters were only tolerable).

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH Two stars - 2008 Walden Media/Warner Bros.

If this were a 2D movie, it would be among the worst movies I've seen. Luckily, the 3D was well done! As a saving grace, there was a funny antique stereoscope reference... too bad the scope was missing the crosspiece! Otherwise, amongst the awful direction and dialogue I did get one laugh, perhaps you'll know where. This was yet another 3D movie with a T-Rex for the kids... and several unnecessary "screen poppers". Those will look great on the 2D screens! I went on opening night, and to my surprise there was applause at the end... perhaps the 3D actually saved it.

U2 3D Four stars - 2008 National Geographic Entertainment

First time I went to a 3D film in two different formats... I'd already seen this in IMAX. There was less ghosting in the RealD version, but there was more ghosting in this theater (Woburn, MA) than the one that I'd seen Hannah Montana in (Framingham, MA). This screen was curved- not sure if the silver surface was less than optimal at this theater...? This time around I really appreciated the artistic use of layering compared to the Hannah concert. I had to go out twice to get the manager to crank up the music! Apparently in a multiplex the volume can be problematic if it bleeds into the next room! (IMAX doesn't have that issue.) There were a few spots of 2D I noticed, but it really didn't matter- with the myriad of layers, the 2D/3D interplay was just fine. Pity promotion is minimal, the theater was almost empty on Sunday night's showing. This is an historic 3D movie... very exciting, indeed.

HANNAH MONTANA 3D Three stars - 2008 Disney

This movie was not easy to sit through having recently seen U23D! She's cute enough, but the bubble gum music was appealling mainly to girls under 12! The stereo was well done, including a couple of really nice (cg?) effects- the guitar player throwing the pick at the camera, and the drummer bouncing his stick up to the overhead camera. Pyrotechnics and confetti shots worked great... nice opening credits as well. A few closeups of the star onstage exhibited way too much distance parallax. It was great to see the stereo camera rigs, especially the "spider boom". I didn't mind the 2D cutaways of the behind the scenes shots... made the concert seem more special (though I'm sure it was done purely for technical than aestetic considerations!). This film really showed off the quality of the RealD system- concert footage is going to be high contrast, yet I saw virtually no ghosting, as opposed to U2 at IMAX, where I saw lots of ghosting.

MEET THE ROBINSONS Three stars - 2007 Disney

Spectacular 3D! Loved the opening Disney "signatures" and the rain sequence, but unfortunately I found the characters, as well as the character design, disappointing (with the exception of the villian). The cg models looked like talking plastic dolls complete with plastic hair and plastic clothes, and I found myself unengaged in the story. There were some bright spots, like the puppet wife (great idea, visually wonderful but not all that funny) the spray paintings and the dinner scene... but without the 3D I would have been seriously bored. (I think the last Disney movie that had a real laugh for me was Aladdin ). One chuckle did escape over the hypnotized frog ("...master") but I was irritated by several references to the boy's invention being "all shiny", which it clearly wasn't...?? Disney's lame robot reminded me of the amazing Blue Sky ROBOTS - and how I'd wished that would have been in 3D! One odd tech glitch: during the food fight scene the entire pictue seemed to go very grainy for 30 seconds or so... Also, this is the third local RealD screen I've seen- the first not to exhibit the silver spray blothiness I'd detected on the other two.

MONSTER HOUSE Four stars - - 2006 SONY Imageworks

Great! A well done cg film that really shows off the quality of the RealD system. Much more parallax than the previous release (CHICKEN LITTLE) but not so much as to be uncomfortable. Even my wife enjoyed the entire film even though I had to drag her to see it! I saw zero ghosting and the circular polarizer freedom nails this stereo projection system as the best ever for large audiences. The movie was well written with excellent human cg characters... story lent itself beautifully to the stereo treatments. The script had plently of laugh out loud jokes for the adults and the visuals were unlike anything seen before in 3D. Sony scored big with this feature- I think they're certainly giving cg king PIXAR a run for their money! (note: viewed again over 12 years later on Blu-Ray... still great, but had to dock half a star for the plastic hair! Yes, this was early in CG imaging, but groundbreaking as one of the early 3D feature releases.)

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 3D One and a half stars - 1993 Disney/ 3D 2006

After seeing the 2D-3D conversion segments in the SUPERMAN film, I had hoped that this would be better. Unfortunately, the first feature length film digitally converted to stereo was woefully disappointing. On the other hand, it's quite amazing that they can do it at all! And my friends who came with me really thought the 3D was good! If there was some miracle conversion process that actually worked, the 3D could have been spectacular... but I just kept thinking how good it could have been. Like colorizing black and white, it's never going to be right, but a lot of people won't notice. And dimensionalizing is a lot tougher than colorizing! ILM did the conversion.

A few things they did well- a few minutes of teaser at the beginning, done in cg (not stop motion, as the original animation) that looked great. They also added cg snow at the end (how? did they paint out all the original snow??) that always works, and a "sparks" effect when Santa takes off. Luckily there was a PIXAR short to see: KNICK KNACK. I had seen this in 1989 (early cg!) at SIGGRAPH in Boston in STEREO and it changed my life! Great to see it in 3D again.

CHICKEN LITTLE One and a half stars - 2005 Disney

The first film released in the revolutionary single projector digital system! But- Little is right... that's how much "3D" there was in this movie! I also had little interest in the story... The GOOD news is that the system works beautifully! I was worried about ghosting (since what I'd seen of circular polarization exhibited more ghosting than linear) but high contrast areas looked very clean (though there were little high parallax instances to really test!). Bright, sharp and stable with good saturated colors and contrast ratio. The main complaint about the system is that the screen (which had been painted silver?) exhibited a somewhat mottled, uneven surface... I found this quite distracting in the brighter scenes. As for the movie itself- I was quite disappointed in the amount of parallax allowed in this motion picture... during the film I just kept thinking that this might as well be 2D! Having done lots of kid shows in 3D, I know that kids LOVE strong 3D (it's only the adults that have objections!). DISNEY should know better- they have been running great 3D films at their theme parks for years! Absolutely no one stayed- except my friends and I- for the best 3D in the movie, an "extra" scene which was tagged on at the very end, after the long credits!) I did notice near the end of the film a couple of short segments where the parallax looked GOOD~ I have to wonder if these were the ones rendered last minute by Disney? This may have been my least favorite CG film... I didn't find the characters engaging, the jokes were flat, the story a snore.

3D Blu-Ray Disc

With the right projection system , a 3D Blu-Ray can look really close to cinema quality. Good 3D TVs can also look spectacular, especially the new 4k passive*. Originally tried to watch every 3D movie at the theater, but I'd rather own the Blu-Ray since it's not much more money and I can watch when I like on a variety of systems... (I just hope they're all released in 3D Blu-Ray... Disney's "FROZEN" was not released in 3D in US, nor "MALEFICENT". They likely plan to milk more $ with a re-release.) I LOVE to pause and slow-frame 3D! But I've noticed that some Blu-Ray 3D disks will revert to 2D when paused! Turns out that sometimes the down arrow will exit out of the menu/2D mode, but often will not allow slo motion in 3D (Pixar/Disney seem to disallow slo-mo 3D). [Nov 2014... Just got a discounted Sony 55" 4K passive 3D TV: SPECTACULAR! This new TV gives a crystal clear, colorful 3D experience like I've never seen. The old 2K passive only showed half the lines for each eye, but 4K is FULL RES... and it shows! The evolution continues...] [FEB 2017: LG, the last maker of 3D TV, announces no more 3D TV production. The evolution has succumbed to disinterest!] [FEB 2019: Samsung announces no new Blu-Ray players , 2D or 3D!]

HAPPY FAMILY Three and a half stars - 2017 Warner Bros/ Ambient 93 minutes

Dead before dawn two stars - 2012 wango films 88 minutes, toriko 3d movie: kaimaku gourmet adventure three stars - 2011 japanese manga 45 minutes, robot monster two stars - 1953/2023 astor/bayview 63 minutes, leda two stars - 2022 patagon films 76 minutes, mulan three stars - 2020 disney 115 minutes, minions the rise of gru three stars - 2022 universal/illumination 87 minutes, nick cave one more time with feeling two and a half stars - 2016 iconoclast 113 minutes, the nutcracker and the four realms four stars - 2018 disney 99 minutes, frog kingdom two stars - 2013 lionsgate 88 minutes, a wrinkle in time two and a half stars - 2018 disney 109 minutes, soul three stars - 2020 pixar/disney 101 minutes, pete's dragon two and a half stars - 2016 disney 103 minutes, the suicide shop (le magasin des suicides) two and a half stars - 2012 diabolo films 79 minutes, snowtime two and a half stars - 2015 shout factory 82 minutes, aladdin three and a half stars - 2019 disney 127 minutes, treasure of the four crowns one and a half stars - 1983/2022 cannon films films/kino lorber 97 minutes, the diamond wizard three stars - 1954 gibraltar films/ 2022 kino lorger 83 minutes, gnome alone two and a half stars - 2017 vanguard/netflix 85 minutes, pirate fairy three stars - 2014 disney 78 minutes, dolittle two and a half stars - 2020 universal 101 minutes, captain underpants three and a half stars - 2017 dreamworks 89 minutes, happy family 2 (aka monster family 2) two and a half stars - 2021 ambient entertainment 103 minutes, stanley's game seven 3d three stars - 2012 network films 23 minutes, pushing the limit three and a half stars - 2012 zdf enterprises 50 minutes, gladiators of rome three and a half stars - 2012 rainbow spa 94 minutes, the warriors gate three and a half stars - 2016 universum film 105 minutes, hara kiri: death of a samuri two stars - 2011 shochiku co 126 minutes, dino time (aka back to the jurassic) two stars - 2012 cj entertainment 88 minutes, asterix: secret of the magic potion three stars - 2019 m6 studio 85 minutes, otto is a rhino two stars - 2013 crone film 77 minutes, el americano two and a half stars - 2017 anáhuac films 87 minutes, goat story three and a half stars - 2008 art and animation studio 81 minutes, twixt two and a half stars - 2011 american zoetrope 88 minutes.

If a film has only several minutes of native 3D, can it still be called a 3D movie? At a few points toward the end of the movie we're prompted to put on 3D glasses by an anaglyph glasses motion graphic (and vice versa)... the last section plays through to the 3D end credits... The movie itself was actually OK except that it was very confusing to know what was "real" and what was a dream... There was some beautiful color grading in several duotone scenes with specific spot colors. A-list director and actors, but a very limited release... If there were any theatrical releases in 3D, I sure didn't know about them. Why would a director put just 5 minutes or so of legitimate (Pace/Cameron native) 3D in a film ? (Apparently he was worried about eye fatigue!) Unfortunately my copy had German dialogue with English subtitles... especially annoying as the actors are clearly speaking English!

VICKY AND THE TREAURE OF THE GODS Three and a half stars - 2011 Constantine Film 96 minutes

Revenge of the shogun women one and a half stars - 1977/2021 tung chuan films/kino lorber 98 minutes, young detective dee rise of the sea dragon four stars - 2013 huayi brothers 133 minutes, spacewalker four stars - 2017 bazelevs production 137 minutes, iron mask mystery of the dragon seal (viy 2) three and a half stars - 2019 ctb film 120 minutes, wwii in 3d two and a half stars - 2011 history/a&e 46 minutes, dino king (speckles the tarbosaurus) two stars - 2012 studiocanal 90 minutes, wildlife south africa- big five two and a half stars - 2012 ksm gmbh 48 minutes, american mummy (aka aztec blood) two and a half stars - 2014 amerimum 82 minutes, trolls world tour three and a half stars - 2020 dreamworks 90 minutes, viy (aka forbidden empire/kingdom) three and a half stars - 2014 russian film group 130 minutes, wings of the hawk two stars - 1953/2021 universal 81 minutes, dynasty two stars - 1977/2021 tung chuan films/kino lorber 94 minutes, stardog and turbocat two stars - 2020 kaleidoscope 92 minutes, lord of the dance 3d one star - 2011 1915 productions 95 minutes, run two and a half stars - 2013 millenium 90 minutes, jurassic world- fallen kingdom three and a half stars - 2018 amblin entertainment 128 minutes, ultimate g's- zac's flying dream two stars - 2000 sky high/nwave 37 minutes, onward one and a half stars - 2020 disney/pixar 103 minutes.

Once again I'm in the minority... I see a 95% positive on Rotten Tomatoes, but I thought this was one of the lamest premises that Pixar has ever undertaken. Of course, the imagery was first class, as always, but the "jokes" and dialogue and plotline were, for me, utterly forgettable. The closest I came to cracking a smile was when the centaur cop counted to three (with his hoof). Nice that they're woke enough to make a "joke" about the lesbian cop's girlfriend's baby. Are these really the Toy Story gang?

TOPCAT One and a half stars - 2011 Illusion Studios 91 minutes

It's a shame that the producers decided to make all the characters in "cel" style- all quite flat- but put them in a 3D modeled world. The cg was actually pretty good, with an interesting and creative approach to the set designs. However, setting the 2D characters into the scenes was poorly done, expecially matching the shadows which generally ended up under or above the ground plane. Oddly, many scenes were totally flat... Since the "comedy" was non-existant, the only interest in watching this was to see how badly the 3D was done (though a couple of scenes actually looked ok).

ALPS 3D Paradise of Europe One and a half stars - 2013 KSM Intl 62 minutes

Low budget, but native 3D was OK (minus one pseudo clip and a weird verically challenged cloud). An hour long, but it should have been 5 or 10 minutes... a few nice scenes, but way too many were mundane and/or repetitve. Too bad they didn't do some hyperstereo of this amazing mountain range.

COMIN AT YA Two and a half stars - 1981/2010 Sternco 3D 91 minutes

The movie that kickstarted the mini 3D boom of the early 1980's (as Bwana Devil did 30 years prior). I remember when I saw it at the theater thinking that the 3D was way too much, especially at the beginning (which is a shame since the credits are actually rather clever). Seeing it 40 years later I could see other serious errors- mostly mismatched density between L and R eyes (very annoying). Surprisingly, I didn't see much vertical error. The Western is true to it's title: there are plenty of objects "comin at ya", often dropped to a camera looking up from the ground. The story is mostly crude and the acting bottom tier. Highlights include the "fat pig" villain (pretty freakin gross) and one shot of a music box with the Scotsman. An effect that was almost impressive in some scenes was highlighting a main object in color while the background remained a duotone blue (apparently added when digitized for DVD). One very odd problem was some serious dust! Usually this is cleaned on a digital remaster, but it seemed to be from the film recorder and not the original film (it was consistent from shot to shot). Guess that had to maintain their low standards (was it a 2nd digitization after the DVD?).

GHOST RIDER Spirit of Vengeance Three stars - 2011 Marvel 95 minutes

Decent "anti super hero" movie with Nick Cage doing what he does best... unfortunately the 3D was all over the place! Apparently they farmed out the conversions to various effects houses, only some knew what they were doing (like Legend 3D). The best segments were a few short graphic novel type animations- would have liked to see more of those

3AM 3D Two and a half stars - 2012 (Thailand) 96 minutes

Three segments, all centered around that time of night... Nothing very scary, with each story cornier than the one before. Good native 3D but could have been utilized better. Well done English subtitles.

IN THE HEART OF THE SEA Four stars - 2015 Warner Bros 122 minutes

Strong performances in this compelling, classic whaling story set in the mid 1800's. The 3D really helped to put you on the ship and certainly addded to the terror of the squall and the attack by Moby Dick. Possibly a bit long, but necessary to show the agony of being stranded for months. Excellent conversion by Prime Focus (though the conversion credits were at the very end, well after the accounting and catering).

TAZA SON OF COCHlSE Two and a half stars - 1954/2020 Universal 79 minutes

I figured out why they call these B movies... they are simply Bad! It really seemed I was watching a high school drama instead of a Hollywood movie... the sets, costumes and even the make up were just so cheap! The slash on Rock Hudson's cheek looked like the makeup crew used a bottle of nail polish. Acting and writing were no better... the native 3D was decent if you could put up with the many dead trees in front of the camera to give some depth effect! Interesting "extra" slide show by Mike Ballew about the making of the movie, with specifics about the cameras used.

GODZILLA- King of the Monsters Two stars - 2019 Warner Bros 132 minutes

Should be called: Godzilla- Dark, Murky and Ridiculous. The story was so juvenile it was painful to watch otherwise decent actors playing in this mud. Humans and "titans" peacefully co-existing! Monsters not scary, villians not fearful, heroes uninspired. The 3D was decent, but nothing memorable. Possibly some good sound effects were noticed...

3D NUDIES CUTIES Collection Two stars - 1962/2019 Kino Lorber 166 minutes

Two features are presented, both are (aside from the "titillation") tedious to sit through. In "Adam and the Six Eves" we have to endure the pathetic narration from the desert donkey, complete with the lamest possible puns. We see lots of the prospector leering at the near naked harem he's found... the camera lingers on them for way too long. Hard to belive exposed young ladies can be so freaking boring! The second feature went from 2D to 3D only near the end... thankfully I felt no obligation to sit through the 2D... the 3D was mindless and juvenile, and the ladies far from enticing. The mistitled "Love for Sale" was a burlesque dancer at her table, then doing a few uninspired dances. The most interesting segment was the very short group of stills from stereo Kodachrome nudes. These were well done scans and displayed two at a time. I think it would have been better to showcase one at a time, and zoom in for a bit more intimacy and movement.

MORTAL ENGINES Four stars - 2019 Universal Pictures 128 minutes

Better than expected... perhaps a cross between Mad Max and Bladerunner. Beautifully produced view of a post apocalypse world with layered story and solid characters. Shrike was one of the best "villains" I've seen in a long time and he (and his toys) were worth the price of admission. May have felt a bit long at times but overall amazing visuals with good pacing. Excellent conversion by Stereo D.

MALEFICENT: Mistress of Evil Two and a half stars - 2019 Walt Disney 119 minutes

You'd think the imagery would sustain this movie, but even that was subpar for a tentpole Disney film (sequel). The story was such a snore (she's against this marriage! Is she really evil?). Nothing going on, lame dialogue, uninteresting characters. At least the floating faeries looked good in 3D.

OCEAN PREDATORS Two and a half stars - 2013 Los Banditos 58 minutes

Yet another underwater documentary, with a good number of great schools of colorful fish which make for amazing 3D. Unfortunately there was also plenty of filler footage of similar, murky, monochromatic scenes which could have easily been left out... unfortunately leaving perhaps a really good 20 minutes instead of a long hour. Noticed at least two short pseudo scenes.

3D RARITIES Vol 2 Two and a half stars - 2020 Flicker Alley 153 minutes

Crowd-funded follow up which again had me asking if all the effort to revive these remnants of 3D was worth it... The first short "A Day in the Country" was a potpourri of cornball in your face on the farm antics which was difficult to sit through. "The Black Swan" focussed on a pair of ballet dancers performing Swan Lake...they (especially the female) were certainly striking but a little went a long way. Polaroid produced a horrendous "pop" film bouncing back and forth between very odd, unrelated shots... I did enjoy the "3D Movie" trailer, since it covered such a wide variety of classic 3D (until it's release in1983). For me, the highlights of the disc for me were the two 3D slide shows: one was an eclectic mix of images curated and narrated by the charming Hillary Hess. I'd supplied some images and there were certainly plenty of great shots (notably Jack Laxer's) but I was surprised to see a fair amount of mediocre 3D. The second slide show was better, featuring great images from Harold Lloyd's stereography, narrated by his daughter Suzanne. He had a good eye for stereo and composition, and of course, he had access to Hollywood elite for an inside look at celebrities and plenty of pretty ladies.The show was well mounted by expert Eric Kurland of 3-D Space. Lastly was the Mexican 3D film "The Sword of Grenada". The movie was surprisingly amateurish- aside from Cesar Romero's spunky female love interest, I could only see bad acting and poor production. The underground tunnel was somehow well lit! The sword choreography was not quite junior high school level! Our tied up heroes got whipped/beaten, but nary a tear in their shirts! I didn't want to sit through it twice so I had to decide on commentary... thought maybe I could go with English subtitles and commentary, but I couldn't concentrate on either... a few minutes in I decided the history of Mexican cinema was surely going to put me to sleep... so I watched the dubbed English version. The decent 3D made it tolerable... All in all the film restoration was excellent, but the content for hard core enthusiasts only.

JUMANJI: Welcome to the Jungle Two stars - 2017 Columbia 119 minutes

Jumanji = Juvenile... embarrasingly so: a girl who enters a game becomes Jack Black. She has to pee (in a game?) but needs instructions on how to use her new appendage. Among several recommendations, the Rock reminds her several times to aim. "It's so much easier". This is the calibre of humor, in addition to the grade school dialogue. Luckily the 3D looked good, and the villian was pretty nasty (though a minor character).

HOBBS AND SHAW Three stars - 2019 Universal 137 minutes

If you took out the intense action, there wouldn't be much left... The initial music didn't seem to belong... The "anti-buddy" premise seemed forced. Dwayne "The Rock" is always likable enough, and it was fun to see him in his "native" environment and garb. Yes, there was some amazing action, but it was really too much (my friend agreed). The story was thin, the villian less than menacing and the romance less than convincing. Luckily the stereo 3D was well done.

THE ART OF FLIGHT Four stars - 2013 Red Bull Media 81 minutes

It is shocking to see what the world's best snowboarders can do on these incredibly steep and dangerous mountains, all the more intense in stereoscopic 3D. Obviously without any practice run, they fly down over fresh moguls doing multiple flips along the way... I couldn't believe my eyes. We follow these insane guys all over the world as they seek new thrills in unexplored terrian in helicopters and private planes. Turns out the stereo was a conversion, but really well done by the company ( Venture 3D ) that worked with Jim Cameron on Titanic... included some sweet hi frame rate shots. Admittedly, with limited backstory, one can burnout viewing these incredible feats.

SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 Three and a half stars - 2019 Illumination 86 minutes

There are moments of cleverness and even some strong characters (super bunny and Rooster come to mind) with several memorable scenes (cat lady and Captain Snowflake montage). Overall amusing enough, with a few chuckles but no strong laughs. Beautiful design and great stereo (including floating bubbles) keeps interest throughout a decent storyline.

HOODWINKED TOO Two stars - 2011 Anchor Bay 87 minutes

Sequel to a 2005 movie no one saw, maybe they thought 3D would help? Lots of wasted top quality voice talent, but the Shrek wanna-be was populated with mundane, unfunny characters (maybe the pigs had potential). Dismal plot and uninspired sets with 3D that was mostly subdued. Animations that have awful writing often have amazing (3D) visuals... this one not so much.

WORLD WAR I in 3D One and a half stars - 2015 Discovery Channel 180 minutes

The narrator, Tony Robinson, talks of the many stereoscopic photos that were taken during WWI (indeed, I have some in my collection, some I saw in the film) which are rarely seen- so I was extremely disappointed to see that the vast majority of images were really bad conversions! To hear these pathetic attempts at stereo being called 3D photographs by a voice of this famous educational channel was almost infuriating. Even the modern day 3D footage, which was mainly well done, inserted a few flat scenes. Great to see the Kaiser Panorama viewer shown, but I could only manage about 45 minutes of this 3 hour travesty before bailing. (I can't comment on the veracity of the historical information, but it's suspect!)

THE LEGO MOVIE 2 Two and a half stars - 201 9 Warner Bros 107 minutes

Fourth in the franchise... I keep hoping that they'll come up with one that's as clever as the first but am continually disappointed. The stereo 3D is good, and they do have some fun (the Batman character is amusing), but ultimately the movie goes nowhere. Nice to see that during the credits there is a song about the credits which actually names the stereoscopic supervisor (I don't think any other movie maker was named!).

POKEMON DETECTIVE PICACHU Two stars - 2019 Warner Bros 104 minutes

Perhaps one needs to be a Pokemon fan to enjoy this film... the 3D was really good, the live/cg integration was amazing- but the story and dialogue? Dumb. I'd hoped for some interesting characters, clever lines, amazing imagery... in vain. Sitting through it was TOFT (taking one for the team) which seems to happen a lot when you're covering as many 3D movies as possible.

SNOW QUEEN (4) MIRRORLANDS Three stars - 2018 Wizart 80 minutes

Some kind of Russian/French partnership, but in English. Story and dialogue were tolerable, but some scenes were spectacular and the stereo was generally quite good (though could have been stronger). None of the characters stood out, overall were fairly generic. No laughs were had, but plenty of female empowerment.

PARASITE Two stars - 1982/2019 Embassy Pictures 85 minutes

With a budget of $750k and written in a week, this is a far cry from the 2019 Korean Oscar winner of the same name. Obviously meant to jump on the success of Alien and the hugely successful (but absolutely awful) kickstart to the 80's 3D revival "Comin At Ya", the movie reeks of poor production, writing and acting. The 3D is often too much or (in the case of closeups) too little. Plenty of goofy in your face shots, though some (in slow motion) work fairly well. In October 2019, Demi Moore stated (in The Late Late Show with James Corden) that this was the worst movie she has ever been in (her 2nd). There is an extra about shooting in 3D, but zero shots of the rig... the short 3D extra about restoration was worthwhile. The movie co-writer does a commentary, and makes grossly inaccurate statements about 3D... Almost funny.

THE MAD MAGICIAN Two stars - 1954/2017 Columbia Pictures 72 minutes

Blatant rip of the hugely successful House of Wax, even starring Vincent Price. Instead of a sculptor, he's a magician... instead of paddle balls, it's flying yo-yos. Even more reliant on the concept of making masks that can fool people into thinking you're someone else (how did the voice change?). So ridiculous... Price didn't look anything like the actual magician. Budget must have been tiny (BW?) with a very quick production time (Many story goofs). Spoiler: Big fight at the end... how does Price end up in the crematory transport? At least the stereo 3D was mostly good, except for the opening credits (pseudo!) vertical and window errors and the handful of flat shots. Bonus footage was two Three Stooges shorts (the only 3D they did) that were painfully unfunny with villians pushing the "deadly" knifes along the very visible wires toward the camera for that big 3D effect. Incredibly, both shorts had opening credits with pseudo 3D, just like the feature... guess the guy who does Columbia's credits is dyslexic. There is a commentary audio track with too much uninteresting information. Apparently this was a very limited release, as the discs are going for big money.

SMURFS 2 Three stars - 2013 Columbia 105 minutes

Yes, it's silly and juvenile. But I was hooked when they opened with a fantastic 3D pop up book! Stereoscopically excellent, with an amazing mix of live action and cg that utilized 3D beautifully (as did the 2011 original). This time we fly around Paris with great hypers of the classic architecture, especially Notre Dame (!). There were some clever lines and direction, I did chuckle. And the end credits featured 2D drawings of the characters along with names, with the 3D Effects Supervisor Smurf wearing anaglyph glasses :) Ha!

WAR OF THE WORLDS: GOLIATH Two stars - 2012 Tripod Entertainment 85 minutes

Ambitious combination of cel, cg and painted background animation, mostly successful but really an odd mix. Of course the cel characters were pretty flat while the cg was fully dimensional (though the overall depth was rather shallow). Unfortunately the story was also weird- martians attack the Earth distracting mankind from World War I... luckily we had giant military robots (!?). Mostly poor use of stereo save for one interesting scene dissolve through a soldier's eye.

LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT Two stars - 2018 Dangmai Films 138 minutes

Why is it that when a 3D movie is lauded by the critics I'm going to dislike it. Neither of the guys I was with liked it either, so it's not just me (Caves of Forgotten Dreams, Goodbye to Language are two others). A disclaimer at the very beginning says this is not a 3D movie, but when the guy puts his 3D glasses on in the theater about halfway through, that's the cue for us to put on our glasses. Luckily the famous "single 3D shot" is more interesting than the disjointed dream sequence which led us here. Little clues seem to tie things together, but as in a dream none of it really makes any sense. I will say the surround soundtrack was phenomenal- I enjoyed it more than the visuals and "story".

ABOMINABLE Two stars - 2019 Dreamworks 97 minutes

Abominable means: "very bad or unpleasant"... exactly! Abominable writing and direction, Dreamworks (but what do I know, audiences seemed to love it). The character design of the "Yeti" looked like the main emphasis was turning the title character into a cute toy that would sell here and China (where the movie is set- 3D is still popular there, apparently). And what exactly are the creature's powers? We don't really know, but it seems he couldn't use them when he was first chased by the "bad guys". Does it understand English? Really? Were there enough incredible coincidences? There were certainly no laughs, but plenty of groaning. I did like the design of the female protagonist, but it felt like torture to get all the way to the end... even if there were some splendid stereo scenes.

SAVVA Heart of the Warrior Two and a half stars - 201 5 Art Pictures Studio 88 minutes

Russian animation utilized A list voice actors (for English version) but failed to come up with a clever or even logical story. First, what's up with a woman (even though she's kick ass Milla Jovovich) voicing the boy hero (I thought it was a girl... Savva?)? Too many ridiculous premises to list... Overall the art direction was quite good and the stereo 3D excellent, but I didn't care for the character design (except for the "Rickies") and certainly not the pathetic dialogue.

ALICE COOPER Halloween Night of Fear Two and a half stars - 201 1 Smashvideo 100 minutes

Extremely hard to find, was only able to snag a bootleg. A huge fan in the early days, my first arena concert was Alice, and it was amazing- so I was looking forward to seeing this. In general the stereo 3D was good, slightly hyper. Unfortunately about 20% of the footage was 2D, which included the drummer who did the most amazing stick twirling I've ever seen! Variety of songs included the big hits and some from early albums which I was happy to hear. Decent sound quality, but the stunts were watered down (not surprising since Vince was old enough to collect social security! I saw he was going to be playing in Boston this June (age 71!)... tickets for second row are $750 plus fees!! 3D video puts you comfortably on stage rather than mob squashed on the floor, standing for two hours (likely barely able to see the musicians).

SAVING SANTA One and a half stars - 2013 Gateway Films 83 minutes

The worst 3D offense is for a cg animation to be converted... especially when it's converted so poorly. There is no reason not to render a native left and right eye when it's a dimensional world they're rendering. The animation itself wasn't horrible, but the bad 3D (mild pillow emboss) was so annoying I couldn't watch more than 30 minutes. Good stereo and I would have endured the full film...

BALLERINA (aka LEAP! in US) Three and a half stars - 201 6 L'Atelier Animation 89 minutes

Sweet story with decent characters, excellent animation (dance was beautifully done) and stunning stereo. One particular "bullet-time" sequence was particulary strong (don't think I've ever seen it done in cartoon cg). There was plenty of schmaltz, but overall well written with little downtime. The comic ballerina was actually rather funny. Why did this get no traction, but "Frozen" made millions? French production, but native English dialogue (there is a French language version- I'm guessing the animation was done to the English- the sync was spot on).

ICEMAN 3D Two stars - 2014 China 3D Digital 105 minutes

Most of the story (which I could decipher) was quite ridiculous, with plenty of pissing, farting and shitting. Seems they were trying to mix humor in with the action and poorly chosen music. Nothing particularly interesting about the sets, characters or costumes (except for the prostitute's hotpants). The 3D was strange in that a beamsplitter rig (shown in behind-the-scenes) was used, but most of the 3D was poor and some definitely converted. On top of that there was heavy beamsplitter rivalry (contrast) in one eye! Even the layered drawing segment was incompetently depthed. There were some good martial arts scenes, especially on the bridge. [I noticed a colleague's name- Ray Hannisian- on credits as stereographer, so I contacted him. Here's what he had to say: "I worked that gig for 5 weeks, using 3ality TS-5’s. The images looked great, but they gradually balked at shooting the action and martial arts with the big rigs. They kept shooting those in 2D handheld. 3D was then “phased out” in favor of conversion. I left. After that, Markus Lanxinger took over the stereo, but didn’t last long. His crew just sat around and watched the film be shot in 2D. I don’t think that any native 3D made any of the final cuts. I’m surprised that my name was even on the finished movie."]

AFRICAN SAFARI 3D Two and a half stars - 201 3 StudioCanal 86 minutes

While there were some really strong stereo images (especially leopards and elephants), it seemed that we were sitting in the back of the jeep for most of the trip (in addition to the generic aerial footage). Unusual (though not strong 3D) and beautiful was the timelapse lunar rainbow at Victoria Falls. Also infrared footage of wild lions at the filmmakers camp in the middle of the night... Noticed only one poor 3D conversion of the rhino with a record setting long horn.

RISE OF THE LEGEND Three and a half stars - 2014 Edko Films (China) 131 minutes

Plenty of Kung Fu action with solid storyline and good characters/villians... more about morality than wild fantasy, based on an historical folk hero. Old China looks amazing in 3D, {though this film was converted, with much of it well done while some was rather poor). A bit much on a single guy taking out dozens and dozens of opponent! Amazing mano a mano fight scene finale in the burning warehouse. Luckily the subtitles were floated out and easy to read.

RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET Three stars - 2018 Disney 116 minutes

Ralph and his little girl super driver friend just aren't endearing or cute... and her voice is really annoying. Things got interesting when they finally "entered the internet" with all the appropriate sites represented... unfortunately a major story glitch is that eBay doesn't go to the full (in this case ridiculous) high bid, but the next increment up. Guess kids don't know or care... It was amusing to see Disney spoof many of their own properties (especially the cadre of "princesses") and the musical number was good. Nice effects with the cloned Ralphs, especially in 3D.

DETECTIVE DEE: Four Heavenly Kings Three stars - 201 8 Huayi Bros 132 minutes

Plenty of great 3D (including what fans are now calling "pop outs", which may or may not be good) and some decent fantasy sequences, but less than many similar Chinese 3D. Surprisingly the choreography was mostly swordplay and little hand to hand martial arts. I found it difficult to understand the storyline- not sure if it was poor translations or Western ignorance of Asian tradition? The subtitles were also at the screen always, so difficult to read if the subjects were in negative parallax (out of screen). The movie felt quite long... and not much humor.

THE HOBBIT: Battle of the Five Armies Three and a half stars - 2014 Warner Bros 144 minutes

Solid fantasy spectacle with good acting and excellent native 3D, possibly the best of the trilogy. Yet, always disconcerting when a few guys are able to defeat legions of bigger uglier opponents (some really nasty looking villians!). Opening sequence with the fire-breathing dragon setting the town ablaze was pretty amazing. End credits featured beautiful drawings of the cast...

LEMURS: Island of Madagascar Two and a half stars - 2015 Warner Bros/IMAX 41 minutes

Yup, they're cute. The fact that they're only on this island and there's a variety of species is pretty interesting. Good native 3D capture, with an interesting behind the scenes segment (2D) that shows how difficult it is to shoot a nature documentary on a remote island with virtually no infrastructure... especially with big 3D rigs!

WARCRAFT: The Beginning Four stars - 2016 Universal 123 minutes

My friend and I were both pleasantly suprised by the superb stereoscopic imaging! It shows that the director was well aware of 3D composition throughout... solid depth, but not overboard. It also starred the lead from one of my favorite TV series ever (The Vikings) in a similar role, so I was all in. Excellent fantasy sequences- seemed like a great mixture of The Hobbit, Dr. Strange, Mad Max and Hellboy~ Decent story, but a bit confusing at times who were the adversaries.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: Hidden World Three stars - 2019 Dreamworks 104 minutes

Probably the best of the three, but the main characters (and dragons) are still rather vanilla... luckily some of the peripheral cast showed some personality (especially Kristen Wiig, who was also great as a comedic voice actor in Despicable Me). As always, the quality of the cgi/3D is top notch, with some amazing scenes- especially the flight through the "hidden world".

THE QUEEN'S CORGI Three stars - 2019 nWave 85 minutes

Surprisingly edgy with an appearance by a cartoon Donald Trump demanding someone "Grab the puppy", and the wrong "queen" at the dog shelter (transvestite). Not surprising was the excellent 3D (though nWave seems to disregard blatant window violations). Some decent humor, sets and characters, though I thought the tough dog was played down a bit... Is this supposed to be for kids?

MOJIN: The Lost Legend Three and a half stars - 2015 Wanda Media 125 minutes

Overlong, but some spectacular 3D with compelling effects (though I noticed at least a couple of quick 2D scenes). Not sure why the first half was widescreen (captions mostly in black letterbox), then switched to fullscreen... ? Corpses coming alive, underground bridge arrays and the Equinox Flower caught my attention.

THIS IS IT Three stars - 2009 Columbia 10 minutes

This music video disc contains 3 short 3D vignettes that apparently were shown as an intro to 3 songs in this concert. "Thriller" I think is the best, with good use of 3D, while "Smooth Criminal" included well done integration of modern footage with classic BW noir movie excerpts. The final piece is "Earth Song", which starts with an idyllic little girl in the butterfly rain forest (great 3D) only to be interupted by the big bad bulldozer.

MR GO Two and a half stars - 2013 Showbox 132 minutes

Korean film that has to be the most ridiculous story ever (baseball teams utilize a couple of super trained gorillas who blow away the human players... really??). The native 3D and CG integration was incredible, except for lots of flat scenes, especially at the beginning... and way too long. English subtitles.

OUTCAST Two stars - 2014 Notorious Films 99 minutes

Nicolas Cage was certainly wasted on this very slow film with ok to poor 3D conversion. Apparently only released theatrically in China, luckily English was spoken by all the cast. The heroes could defeat dozens of bad guys, even when drugged or injured... supermen of ancient China. The Blu-Ray is German Region B.

TINKERBELL: LEGEND OF NEVERBEAST Two and a half stars - 2015 Disney 76 minutes

The lead fairy, Fawn, was an example of Disney perfection in the art of character design and animation... though I couldn't help but think of Betty and Veronica when viewing Fawn and Tinkerbelle (look them up if you don't know who they are!). However, the lead "monster" (Neverbeast) did not impress me... it seemed they were looking for both cute and scary, and got neither (Neitherbeast!). Lots of floating, beautiful faires and pixie dust made for wonderful stereo 3D, but the story was less than juvenile (it was downright dumb)..

MINISCULE Two stars - 2014 Futurikon 90 minutes

The merging of natural world native stereo with the cg insects worked beautifully... unfortunately a slow and inane story with zero dialogue was difficult to sit through. How is it that the thousands of nasty red ants failed to figure out they could just climb up and infiltrate the hole ridden black ant tower (sorry for the terrible spoiler!)? And why were the last few minutes totally flat?

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT Three and a half stars - 2018 Paramount Pictures 147 minutes

Tom Cruise comes through once again in this action packed thriller with lots of edge of your seat chase scenes and interesting plot twists. It was a bit hard not to see the co-star as Superman, but I guess that's what the moustache was for... insane helicopter fight climax. The 3D conversion was decent, but seemed to be an after thought (the credits would have been nice in stereo). (No official Blu-Ray release, unfortunately... on this copy the sound was pretty bad, but picture adequate.)

JURASSIC WORLD Two and a half stars - 2015 Universal 124 minutes

Quite a letdown from the original, I was surprised that Spielberg was even involved. Humor was minimal, as was any anticipation of fright... it was all painfully blatant and predictable with lifeless dialogue. The bad guy was hardly nasty and the romance dull. Decent stereo conversion, especially the pterodactyl attack on the park guests... this is one of the highest grossing films of all time? Argh.

CORPO UMANO (Human Body) 3D Three stars - 2013 Cinehollywood 52 minutes

Very interesting documentary about the bacteria that lives (for better or worse) on the human body, with fantastic stereo cg of the microscopic critters as well as some nice slow motion live action 3D capture. Unfortunately, a great deal of the footage is very poor conversion (over half?), and at least one pseudoscopic scene. Luckily there's an option for English narration.

DREAM BIG One and a half stars - 2017 MacGillivray Freeman Films 42 minutes

Some nice inital 3D shots of Earth from Space Shuttle, but it seemed like 80-90% of the movie was 2D! How do they call this a 3D movie? Did I notice a few meager attempts at conversion? A (heartfelt?) story about how girls can become engineers... sponsored by several engineering groups. There was squandered potential here... their dream was not that big.

HORRID HENRY One and a half stars - 2011 Vertigo Films 89 minutes

Horrid, indeed. Hoping this was cleverly devious (a la Bart Simpson) but instead it was as sharp as a stick of fake butter. Angela Huston played the teacher with the witty name of "Miss Battle-Axe". The children had little character, the leading boy had to be the producer's nephew. The native 3D was ok, but the kaliedoscope special effect was basically flat. I could only watch about 20 minutes before bailing this region B UK disc.

THE GRINCH Two and a half stars - 2018 Universal Pictures 86 minutes

Watching this film made me quite sad, since Illumination's version was incredibly bad. I'd hoped if anyone could do justice to the classic 1966 animation, it would be the geniuses who created Despicable Me's Gru and his minions. Unfortunately this was a miserable remake in my eyes... The first irritation was the soft milquetoast narration, then it was the mundane, average guy voice given to the Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch is their answer to Boris Karloff?) The characters, including Grinch himself, were generic and vanilla- not one was interesting or funny or cute. The opening song talks about the Grinch's yellow teeth, then we see that they're smooth and white (one of many small but painfully half-baked details). To write all the rhymes they just hired whomever, couldn't be Seuss cause they really weren't clever. Even the imaging, animation, music and stereo 3D were run of the mill, at best. I have a newfound admiration for the original Bob Jones TV special , with Thurl Ravenscroft's brilliant theme song: total 5 star genius.

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE Two stars - 2015 Neue Road Movies 118 minutes

This is quite different than the onslaught of 3D Superhero action movies of late... the opposite, in fact. It is interminably slow- just a bit more interesting than watching paint dry. Good acting, but it was a long two hours for very little payoff... The native 3D was rather flat for the most part (except for some particulate matter and snow at the beginning). At least I agree with the director (the reknowned Wim Wenders) that 3D can and should be used for narrative, intimate movies. It was nice to see a plug for 3D in the extras... (this Blu-Ray was a Region B Italian version "Ritorno All Vita"... dialogue in English but I couldn't get rid of the Italian subtitles.)

TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN Three and a half stars - 2014 Bona Film Group 141 minutes

Usually Chinese action films I've seen feature plenty of martial arts- instead this war movie utilized the usual military weapons of the WW2 era. Solid story based on a real post war conflict. Great characters, especially the bandit leader Hawk... Very few slow spots in this long film, with some creative uses of stereo 3D. There were, however, a fair number of inexplicable 2D scenes...

A TURTLE'S TALE: SAMMY'S ADVENTURES Two stars - 2010 nWave Pictures 88 minutes

Lots of praise for the 3D online, but those people seem only to be interested in the "pop out" effect (which there was certainly plenty of with turtles and birds swimming and flying out of the screen). There was also plenty of window violation with ground plane just crashing through... The animation was ok but the story (if you call it that) was extremely thin and the writing juvenile. (Interesting that they used different voice talent for UK and US versions! This was US version on Chinese Region A Blu-Ray!)

SANGAREE Two and a half stars - 1953/2018 Paramount/Kino Lorber 95 minutes

These 50's 3D B movies are just so cheap and corny... it's just hard to swallow considering today's production quality. First off we see the titles moving toward us, including the edge of the glass plate around "Sangaree"! Then the opening scene (as many of the long shots) is flat (generally the actual 3D is fine, with a few obligatory "throw stuff at camera" shots). Cut to a man dying in bed, one of the worst acting jobs I've seen. Luckily Fernando Lamas was fairly amusing, but his encounter with the "maid" was surprisingly sexually aggresive... and she comes into his bedroom for some wine!? Usually I like to listen to commentary, but I was spared this time going through the movie again since there wasn't one. However, the "tagged" 3D trailer extra was great.

DUCK DUCK GOOSE Two and a half stars - 2018 Original Force 91 minutes

Yet another example of a beautifully designed and animated cg cartoon with a lackluster story and dialogue (a waste of good voice actors). I thought the best character was the nasty cat, but I'm not sure how he kept up with the flying goose... One odd thing was that the water reflections, which should have been "into" the water (like a mirror), were laid on top of the water- which is often the case when movies are converted to 3D (it's near impossible to do proper water reflections). Since this was cg, there would be no reason to convert (sure didn't look converted otherwise) so it's puzzling...

JIVARO Two and a half stars - 1954/2019 Paramount 92 minutes

Kudos once again to 3-D Film Archive for bringing yet another vintage 3D movie back from oblivion. This one is particularly worthy since by the time it was released 3D was dead, and it was only released in 2D! Few people had ever seen the stereo version, even though it was a breakthrough in the use of variable interaxial (as we learn in commentary and bonus footage with camera notes regarding lens specs). Unfortunately, the film suffers from the same B movie malaise as many of the 3D films of the period... the writing and direction are pretty inane (for instance, in one of the key predicaments- an old bamboo/straw bridge- the whole group decides to cross at once instead of one at a time, insuring a "scary" fall into the rushing river). Lots of 2D stock jungle shots to bolster the studio sets (including the opening shot that included a composited hut in the foreground). Overall the conversion looked quite good, though there are unavoidable poor color dissolves and often mismatched shadow detail (only one eye was from original camera neg). And I still don't know what "Jivaro" is (a South American country, I'm guessing)... they should have stuck with "Headhunters of the Amazon".

NATIONAL PARKS ADVENTURE Two and a half stars - 2016 Brand USA 43 minutes

I could not believe that there was so LITTLE 3D in this 3D movie! Maybe 10%?? And a lot of that was not very good... The other 3D film by the same group seemed to be all 3D (2008 Grand Canyon adventure) so how did they drop the ball 8 years later? Sure, there was some wonderful (2D) footage, but again a small percentage of the movie. Occassionaly there was a surprise assault of awful 3D conversion (gophers!?). Luckily, near the end, we were treated to some amazing stereo shots in an ice cave. A couple of nice stereocard 3D images helped, as well.

THE MEG Three stars - 2018 Warner Bros/ Gravity Pictures 113 minutes

Better than expected with good effects and a decent cast. Interesting mix of American and Chinese, likely to do well in both markets. Definitely some memorable scare scenes, the giant shark tends to be more believable than, say, Godzilla. Legend 3D did a great job on the stereo conversion, but the title could use some work.

INCREDIBLES 2 Three stars - 2018 Pixar/Disney 118 minutes

Took 14 years to make the sequel... at least they did this one in 3D (which, of course, was spectacular). I remember that the original was just ok, and the sequel is no better. There were no laughs, not even a chuckle (though the character of Edna- played by the director- was at least amusing). Fortunately the quality of Pixar animation is second to none so there's plenty of stereo eye candy to make it a worthwhile watch.

SMALLFOOT Two and a half stars - 2018 Warner Bros. 96 minutes

The title should give an idea of the serious lack of wit the movie is imbued with... humans have small feet compared with the Yeti! Get it? OK, I'll admit I cracked a smile once, but it was begrudgingly cracked. The ice and snow were beautiful in stereo 3D, and the overall design was high quality (the fur was incredible)... but I didn't like the character design (a key ingredient) and the dialogue and story were rudimentary at best (Fleem was at least some comedy relief). And they had to add insult to injury by forcing the audience to endure unnecessary musical numbers. Let's hope there's no sequel we have to endure.

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Three stars - 2018 Marvel 149 minutes

Certainly lots and lots of super heroes... you're bound to like at least a few. But I still don't really know what their superpowers are... some can fly, some need equipment to fly. Lots have hand rays, few seem to get really hurt no matter how smashed up they get. This film did manage to inject some humor, but it's still lots and lots of fighting which gets tiring (not exactly the point). There's a good movie here, but it's buried in this overly long, disjointed story of power stones that were generated during the Big Bang (I think) that the main villian wants. Definitely state of the art effects and stereo 3D, but I'm not sure what makes this series so popular.

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY Three and a half stars - 2017 Disney/Lucasfilms 135 minutes

Ron Howard did a nice job with this (though he didn't seem very interested in the 3D) with great characters: human (yeah, I'm smitten by Emilia Clarke! the young Solo was excellent and Woody Harrelson nailed it), android and alien (especially the 4 armed monkey and the co-piot droid). Solid story with plenty of action and adventure... very little drag time, with a good dose of humor. The elevated train segment was spectacular! Stereo D did a great job on conversion, as usual.

TT CLOSER TO THE EDGE Two stars - 2011 CinemaNZ 104 minutes

Some native 3D, but a lot of 2D along with some mediocre still conversions... If you are really into motorcycle racing this may be for you, but what I see is some pretty ballsy (insane?) guys who put their lives on the line for speed and glory. Apparently the adrenaline rush is quite addictive... Plenty of nasty accidents, injuries and death. Exciting! (BTW, I love my Honda 150cc scooter!)

CHINESE ZODIAC Two and a half stars - 2012 Beijing Dragon 109 minutes

Surprisingly silly, the movie seemed to be an action/comedy mashup (starring Jackie Chan). There were several unusual stunts: one had Chan speeding down the road with a roller skate body suit, and the other featuring skydiving freefall martial arts. Too bad the 3D conversion was mostly pretty poor and the English looked partially dubbed (still, better than captions!). Plot revolved around retrieving stolen sculpture, but it was impossible to tell which were real and which were fake... frustrating.

A HAUNTING IN SALEM Two stars - 2011 The Asylum 90 minutes

The scariest thing about this movie was the casting of the scrawny, ugly guy to play the main character: the new sheriff, married to a taller, very attractive co-star. Shot in native 3D, the stereo was competent but the story made little sense and the flashes of the monster witches didn't exactly strike fear in this low budget horror flick. Luckily there was a nice behind the scenes vid which included stereographer Shannon Benna (whom I've met) explaining the dual Red beamsplitter rig... and the director complaining about how much longer it takes to do a film in 3D! Probably not a fan.

CATS AND DOGS Two stars - 2010 Warner Bros 82 minutes

After the very nicely done title sequence I was ready for a good (maybe even funny) time... that didn't happen. Dogs, cats other critters as secret agents had potential, but the writing was flat and the 3D was mostly poor. Seems they utilized multiple companies for the conversion, and the quality was all over the place (for a few minutes it was unwatchable, with on eye zoomed in, the other out! That's a first!). Luckily there was a Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote short included, with the usual animal bashing with good stereo 3D.

BABES IN TOYLAND Two and a half stars - 1934/2012 MGM 77 minutes

(aka MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS) Color and 3D conversion by Legend Films... the conversion was done fairly well, but unfortunately it was quite thin... without the glasses I could barely see any parallax whatsoever! The color was decent and the humor (for Laurel and Hardy) was lacking (ok, I did laugh at one gag involving a mousetrap, and grinned at a couple of Stan's lines concerning his "marriage"). Many flashes of (1939's) Wizard of Oz imagery, but like a high school version- pretty low budget.

DRACULA (Argento's) Two and a half stars - 2012 Multimedia Film 110 minutes

I like exposed breasts as much as the next guy, but there's not much else to recommend in this retelling. This portrayal of Dracula was the weakest I've seen (there is only one real Dracula!), and even the native 3D (obviously beam-splitter from the oft-seen reflection anomolies) was often shallow down to pretty flat. The lighting seemed harsh and contrasty, the soap opera feel didn't lend itself to fright. The ominous music seemed overdone and the effects a bit low budget. I thought the strongest characters were Van Helsing and Renfield.

FASCINATING INDIA 3D Two stars - 2014 Busch Media Group 91 minutes

There was potential for a decent documentary, spoiled by approximately 50% awful 3D conversion as well as way too much filler/B roll/similar footage. Apparently the actual native 3D was shot with a Panasonic AG-3DA1, and was mostly competent, with lots of interesting architectural and street scenes of Indian people going about their business. We witness lots of (polluted) Ganges River spirital bathing, and even a dead body dipped and burned on a pyre.

SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL Three stars - 2015 Enlighten Pictures 118 minutes

So disappointing to see a Chinese 3D film badly converted! Much of the live action was really shallow, though some of the pure CG showed lots of depth... really it was all over the map. Scenes that really could have been strong in stereo were often lacking. Snow girl likely was inspired by Disney's 2013 Frozen (which used ice/snow 3D magnificently). The plot was difficult to follow, as demons and humans were not easy to tell apart (especially regarding the "hero"?!). The fantasy was less fantastic than many of this genre, and characters were less engaging. Still, some good stuff here.. Chinese, English subtitles.

THE MONKEY KING: UPROAR IN HEAVEN One and a half stars - 1965/2012 Hualu 93 minutes

Apparently this is a conversion of a classic Chinese cel animation from 1965. Unfortuately the conversion was mostly just a few flat layers per scene, with the characters almost universally flat. Certainly nowhere near as engaging as the live action fantasy Monkey King films, I could hardly sit through about half of it (it's bad enough to read captions on live action- with cartoons it's just beyond tolerable... only one of my 3D Blu Ray players ran without the captions jittering). I could find no humor, and the animation was antiquated. Chinese, English subtitles.

CHRONICLES OF THE GHOSTLY TRIBES Four stars - 2015 China Film Group 115 minutes

Interesting story, great characters, nasty monsters, spectacular 3D, amazing soundtrack... even perfect subtitling! This rich film was chock full of harrowing situations and mesmerizing scenes- especially compared to most shallow American fare that milks a few situations for way too long. Like most of the Chinese tales, the storyline can be a bit confusing, but this one had a good final wrap up (and I usually search online for clear English synopsis afterward). Chinese, English subtitles.

BIGFOOT JUNIOR (Son of Bigfoot) Three stars - 2017 nWave Pictures 92 minutes

NWave Pictures has been serious about 3D for a long time (since 1997!)... the stereo in this modestly budgeted movie was excellent. The art direction and animation were surprisingly good- unfortunately the dialogue and character design (especially "Bigfoot" himself) were weak. Nothing close to a laugh or even a chuckle was had, though I'm pretty sure humor was intended. Corny might describe it best.

POLAR BEARS 3D: ICE BEAR Two and a half stars - 2013 Arcadia Entertainment 50 minutes

We mostly follow one bear, while meeting a few others along with some walruses and diving birds. There were some highlight scenes (bear climbing steep cliff chasing birds, infiltrating a huddle of walruses for a baby to eat) but certainly a lot of similar shots. The native 3D was generally good, but I saw a lot of flat shots as well as some sync issues (and a few bad conversions?). The (2D) behind the scenes was interesting, showing several of the dual camera rigs and the rigors of shooting in extreme cold.

JOURNEY TO THE WEST: The Demons Strike Back Four stars - 2017 Wanda Media 108 minutes

Love these Chinese fantasy films... Here is yet another with mind bending scenes, incredible characters and spectacular 3D. Aside from having to read subtitles (taking my eyes off the magnificent imagery), the only complaint is that the story is not easy to follow (could it be that this is a sequel? Unfortunately the original was not stereoscopic). This turns out to be a different take of the Chinese Monkey King 3D trilogy, which was interesting to see (seems Monkey King is an ancient story in China). This one starts with the protagonist as a giant... next he's part of a freaky circus. Hard to believe it could get weirder, but it does! The Amercian super-hero films pale compared to these... Surprisingly, there was little martial arts action in this picture. Chinese, English subtitles.

DIAL M FOR MURDER Two and a half stars - 1954/201 2 Warner Bros. 105 minutes

Like House of Wax, I'd seen this classic 3D film quite a few times before seeing it on Blu Ray. I'd never really noticed that in the opening scene the policeman walks in front of a 2D projection background! Turns out there's a number of similar shots... and a few minutes of 2D near the end. This is pretty much the opposite of a modern action movie, dialogue driven and mostly in a single room. The entire movie revolves around one "who dunit" puzzle, and it's sort of clever if you buy the idea that all "latch keys" look the same! This film shows that 3D can be effective, even when subtle (except for the few well-placed in your face shots).

EVERGLADES 3D One and a half stars - 2014 Kaleidoscope 54 minutes

Native 3D, but extremely low budget (especially noticeable after having just watched BBC's Blue Planet 2!). Very amateur shots, mostly from the tourist boat it seems- aside from the underwater footage (which was mostly very repetative). The otherworldly heads of the manatees could have used some quality cinematography... we followed one poor fellow (who had a floating tracker tied to his tail) for quite a while. He was the "star". Oddly, one shot (that could have been cut) had some really bad 3D conversion... a few other were run flat.

EDGE OF TOMORROW Three stars - 2014 Warner Bros 113 minutes

Interesting concept, but hard to pull off without being somewhat tiresome... overall they did a pretty good job and a Tom Cruise movie is going to have plenty of action! Loved the aliens, very creepy and scary,especially in 3D.. Apparently filmed in 2D, but the conversion was very good, though I didn't notice specific use of stereo effect.

AMAZONIA 3D Three stars - 2013 Kaliedoscope 83 minutes

At least I didn't have to worry about subtitles... there was no dialogue! Very interesting and unusual approach to a nature documentary- following a capuchin monkey through the Amazon, discovering flora and fauna in an often dangerous adventure. Some really wonderful cinematography, but only about half was 3D! Much was either totally flat or very thin... The lack of narration was a bit tedious at times, but overall it was a successful experiment in filmmaking, with the requisite ending. (Wish they had a "making of" bonus segment!)

WEIHNACHTEN MIT OPA FRANZ One half star - 2012 Ascot Elite 45 minutes

Ok, the 3D was fine... but it was basically one or two shots for the entire film (ok, I couldn't watch more than a few minutes but I jumped through). It's a freakin Punch and Judy very cheap puppet show! A few hand puppets and a set that was poor by grammar school standards! Even though it says there's an English soundtrack, I couldn't find it- which was a blessing since I really didn't want to sit through this horror show. Not to mention the hiss in the German soundtrack was intolerable! Lucky I didn't pay much for it. German dialogue only.

SWORD MASTER 3D Three and a half stars - 2016 Bona Fide Film

A Chinese movie featuring martial arts... how novel! Though it should be tiresome, they manage to create such utterly fantastic scenes with creatively choreographed swordplay that it keeps interest through the sometimes confusing storyline. It's always tiresome to have to read captions (often missing great imaging when it's dialogue heavy) but at least they were well done. The stereo 3D was excellent- it looked to be a mix of native and conversion with lots of immersive effects. Chinese, English subtitles.

SKYSCRAPER Three stars - 2018 Universal/Legendary 102 minutes

Another disaster spectacle starring Dwayne Johnson... again there's plenty of impossible stunts and cliffhangers, but this one just seemed a bit too contrived and often corny. Dwayne's artificial leg certainly added some pathos and even comedic moments and the hall of mirrors in "the Pearl" offered some excellent stereo effects. I was disappointed to see one glaring conversion error by one of the best (StereoD) in the control center, where the background was flat to the foreground grating (yes, it's a tough separation, but I've never noticed such an omission before!).

FUTBOLIN (FOOSBALL) 3D Two and a half stars - 2011 Universal 106 minutes

Foosball players come alive- they are really beautifully rendered and animated. However, the story is pretty ridiculous and the humans are just tolerable. Overall the stereo 3D is well done and definitely adds to the movie which has very good cgi textures and lighting. Strange opening sequence recreates 2001's ape sequence (in 2D!?) with ape skull turning to soccer ball (that's when the 3D kicks in, so to speak). Spanish, English subtitles

ANTMAN AND THE WASP Three stars - 2018 Disney/Marvel 118 minutes

Certainly great effects with the shrinking and englarging of both people and objects, as well as the disintegrating ghost... even sprinklings of funny (especially the truth serum questioning). I also thought the trips into the microscopic quantum world looked great in 3D and the overall conversion was good, with lots of depth. However, the dialogue and story had little depth, with lots of dull discussions between the action and humor.

TAI CHI ZERO Three stars - 2012 Huayi Brothers 99 minutes

Some very fun 3D elements, such as spatially placed graphics and a sequence moving into the gears of the steampunk monster machine. Unfortunately there's a lot of mystifying storylines starting with the odd growth coming out of the protagonist's head... Is Tai Chi the same as Kung Fu? Do the Chinese men take the women's name in marriage?? Live action was converted from 2D, and not always quite right. Chinese, English subtitles.

HUBBLE 3D Two and a half stars - 2010 IMAX/Warner Bros 44 minutes

There are certainly some stunning footage, but it's all pretty similar. The scenes of space that the Hubble took had 3D artificially added. It looks pretty great, but the depth is unlikely to be very accurate. Some other scenes were converted from 2D as well. Space freaks will likely love this, but I have a personal bias against spending vast resources to add little to our real understanding of the universe or finding aliens.

THE MONKEY KING (1) Three stars - 2014 Filmko Entertainment 120 minutes

Viewed this first installment last, which gave a different perspective: it's my least favorite of the three. Certainly there were lots of amazing effects and the native/cg stereo 3D was well done (except for several minutes which were inexplicably flat), but it really seemed long as the narrative jumped all over the place, and it was hard to figure out good vs. bad guys. There seemed to be less humor and the characters were much less engaging (they switched actors for the protagonist for 2 and 3, which I found an improvement). Very disappointng, as this disc seems to be out of print and I had to pay more than usual to get it! Chinese, English subtitles.

HOUSE OF WAX Three stars - 1953/201 3 Warner Bros. 88 minutes

The most famous and iconic of all 3D movies... prior to Avatar. I'd seen the film version projected many times, but am finally reviewing via Blu-Ray. It was great to see a nice, clean (though grainy) stable version for the first time. I was disappointed, however, that a great deal of time there was unnecessary vertical disparity (which should be an easy fix)! Watched the whole movie twice, with and without the commentary... the guys talked mostly about Vincent Price and many similar movies, not too much about the stereo (though one guy "recalled" how, at age 3, he was confused by the "red and blue" colors until he put the glasses on... odd, since it was only shown polarized !). The stereo 3D was mostly quite well done with lots of depth (though too much on many close-ups)... I like the gimmicky paddle-ball and can-can sequences, but I have to draw the line when things are thrown at the camera (instead of the adversary). At one point a punch went toward the camera, then hung in the air to make sure we got it. That kind of schlocky direction goes right along with the goofball dialogue that seemed to be really prevelent in the B movies of this era (but was this A?) A famous fact is that the director was stereo blind! Luckily several stereo experts were on hand in the crew. Lots of story holes: we're supposed to buy the idea that our burned sculptor was able to make some kind of wax mask (that apparently came easily on and off) that made his grotesque face look perfectly natural... One minute he's got a horrible limp (chasing the heroine) and later he gets out of the wheelchair and walks normally... argh. Wires can be seen pulling props (3D makes them harder to hide!) Certainly the highlight of the movie is when the wax figures are melting in the fire... a classic segment in the annals of stereo filmmaking. The sound was mostly decent, but some sections had serious hiss. Unfortunately the original multi-track "Warnerphonic 3D" soundtrack has disappeard- this stereo track was created from surviving elemnts. Lots of great info on the 3d Film Archive page. A solid 48 minute 2D documentary is included, with quite a few interviewees, such as Martin Scorsese and my friend Eric Kurland (with segments of Vincent Price and director Andre deToth). There's even a full version of the 1933 (2D) "Mystery of the Wax Museum" from which "House of Wax" was based.

THE THOUSAND FACES OF DUNJIA Four stars - 2017 Star Century 113 minutes

One of the most creative 3D title sequences I've ever seen, followed by yet another amazing Chinese martial art fantasy film. Gobs of great effects with plenty of humor and very engaging characters, monsters and environments... Some story points that were lost on me, but I'm not sure how much was a translation issue? Didn't really impact my enjoyment of this wacky tale in wonderful native stereo 3D. Chinese, English subtitles.

IRON MAN 3 Two and a half stars - 201 3 Marvel 130 minutes

Two words went through my mind as this movie rambled on: "mindless pablum". Is there a story here? Are the characters interesting? Seems they just churn out these American super-hero movies and make them nice and long so people feel like they got their money's worth. Yes, there's some cool effects, but nothing we haven't seen before. Connection with the kid had a touch of heart, and the stereo was very good (some good computer display scenes) but overall seemed like a waste.

THE FOUR 2 (LAWLESS KINGDOM) Two and a half stars - 201 3 Enlight Pictures 118 minutes

Yet another Chinese movie that was difficult to digest... possibly because it's the 2nd of a trilogy? Like pretty much every Chinese film, martial arts play a major role. Here we've got "the four" who seem to be their version of our superheroes (Avengers?) but it's unclear what their "superpowers" are. Unfortunatly a 3D conversion, often quite flat though several scenes were quite strong and several graphic sequences worked well. Chinese, English subtitles.

LOST IN WRESTLING Two and a half stars - 201 5 Gold Harbor 98 minutes

This relatively low budget Chinese movie looked like it had potential, but the story was hard to follow and the Halloween style women's wrestling was on the edge of weird but not quite there. Native stereo was there but not well utilized with some very odd composite errors. Chinese, English subtitles.

THE MORTICIAN Four stars - 2011 Full Circle Films 89 minutes

Powerful, dark tale of a black man working in a morgue in the heart of a slum, who goes home to his walk up to gut animals for taxidermy. He becomes friendly with a boy whose mother was raped and killed by his own father, strangely mirroring the mortician's life... Strong themes of family, life and death which I found quite moving. Surprisingly well directed and acted for a small budget film, with native 3D. While the stereo was generally mild, it was well used without any gimmicky tricks.

RAMPAGE Four stars - 2018 Warner Bros 107 minutes

Certainly among the best I've seen in the Godzilla/King Kong genre- Great stereo 3D (conversion by StereoD) from the outset with floating debris (including human parts) in the space station... The pace of action was pretty non-stop with a number of pretty good jump scares. Great spectacle effects merged the CG with live action perfectly with the freaked monsters tearing things up in an awesome recreation of Chicago but with very little real gore. Insane stunts and well-cast, solid characters held my attention (except, possibly, for the female villian) throughout.

THE WHITE HAIRED WITCH OF LUNAR KINGDOM Three and a half stars - 2016 Bona Film Group 103 minutes

Another enjoyable epic from China (English subtitles) showcasing spectacular scenery, strong characters and smart effects. The plot was a bit hard to follow, with many armies working together with too many leaders... Usual heavy martial arts with strong romantic edge (starring the stunning actress who was missing due to tax evasion!). Excellent native stereo 3D (did I see a few flash pseudo scenes?)... he title sequence featured a particularly sweet 3D effect with two goldfish merging into a yin-yang symbol. Chinese, English subtitles.

METALSTORM: The Destruction of Jared-Syn One and a half stars - 1983/2016 Universal 84 minutes

Back when I saw this Mad Max wanna-be at the cinema, I was so starved for 3D I must have overlooked how awful this movie is... The vertical error (which COULD have been fixed digitally!?) was horrendous! Had to remove glasses quite often (especially in the scenes showing the ground passing by from hero car). Plenty of extreme background parallax as well as mismatched exposure on opposite edges (due to single strip StereoVision camera). Some terrible compositing (ok, this is very pre-digital, so it wasn't easy!) of flying vehicles, but I was impressed by the "Tron" style crystal laser world, and even a bad cyborg-ish cg-looking villian (animated?). Very dumb plot and dialogue, low budget feel throughout.

THE LITTLE VAMPIRE Two and a half stars - 2017 Ambient Entertainment 83 minutes

Decent quality animation with well done stereo 3D (except for the flash of a pseudo scene!). I'm not a fan of the pool ball super white shiny eyeballs, but the vehicles and some scenes (evening lakeside notably) were very well designed. The script was less than stellar, with an obvious lack of wit in the humor department. The most fun was the sister who could mesmerize humans... "it's a girl thing". Dutch movie with English dialogue.

MONSTERS INC Three stars - 2001/2012 Pixar 92 minutes

How can people call 3D a gimmick when it allows you to see each and every individual hair so clearly in Sulley's fur? Mind-boggling. Also mind-boggling is how such a ridiculous story can get through the Pixar pitch (like quite a few others... how to imagine the ones that were nixed!). A city of "monsters" is powered by screams of children. So the idea is to scare kids as much as possible... really? There's a huge crew of Child Detectors (because a child's touch will kill you... but no, it doesn't) even though a child has never gotten through. Luckily the characters were fun, but not funny... (not an actual laugh throughout). The Steve Buscemi Randall chameleon was very cool, especially in 3D (though stereo3D would have prevented him from looking transparent!)- nice that the movie was re-released in stereo eleven years later.

NOVA ZEMBLA Four stars - 2011 Eyeworks Film 108 minutes

Dutch fact based drama with excellent native 3D cinematography, traveling on a ship in the late 16th century which gets caught in ice attempting a northern passage to China. Very convincing in it's narrative of an extremely harsh winter- not an easy watch (sure made my life feel extremely comfortable!). Enjoyed the characters and the dynamics between these very different men. Well placed English subtitles.

DAYBREAKERS Two and a half stars - 2010 Lionsgate 98 minutes

Yes, there was a 3D option in play, but NO- this is NOT 3D. I cannot understand why distributors would put a minimal "bend" in the image (like a slightly curled postcard) and call it 3D. Horrible. So, perhaps I shouldn't even include this movie, since I watched it in 2D! I really liked the movie... maybe the best vampire genre movie I've seen! Intriguing story with sci-fi and horror in a strong narrative... top level acting and direction with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. A good stereo conversion would have brought it to at least four stars (the human "farm" would have been stunning).

DELHI SAFARI Two stars - 2011 Krayon Pictures (India) 96 minutes

Produced in India with top American voice talent, a "good message" movie urging us to share the planet (with talking animals). Animation, character design and writing was medicre at best, with brief flashes of cleverness (stuttering tortoise, shape-shifting bee swarm). Very disturbing was the handling of stereo 3D, which at times looks properly rendered but generally poorly rendered (bad compositing?) resulting in errors like feet sinking or floating... along with totally flat scenes. Musical interludes were not a plus... nor was the guy wearing FCUK on his shirt.

JAWS 3D One and a half stars - 1983/ 2016 Universal 99 minutes

Though I did see this at the theater, I don't remember it being so painful! Way too much parallax in many shots, as well as vertical errors (that really should have been fixed before digital release) along with noisy image and mismatched lighting (especially on underwater shots). Very heavy on the gimmicky effects, such as a severed arm floating out (too close for literal comfort)... ouch! Never mind much of the story being quite ridiculous and the pre-digital effects looking quite hokey. Thankfully there were the wonderful dolphins and orcas to enjoy (along with the goofy fake shark). Native stereo by Chris Condon's Stereovision rig.

CALL OF HEROES Three and a half stars - 2016 Bona Fide Film 120 minutes

These recent Chinese martial arts movies are really quite good... much better stories, I think, than most of the American super hero fare. This one featured one very nasty villian, and some difficult choices that had to be made. Real down to earth, good vs. evil with great characters and some serious situations... well told. I was, however, very disappointed that the 3D was converted! Some of it quite horrendous- but most was passable. I thought China was more dedicated to quality stereo... ah, well. Chinese, English subtitles.

THE FLYING MACHINE Three stars - 2011 Breakthru Films 85 minutes

There was a lot to like in this fantasy tribute to Chopin... First, the stunningly beautiful Heather Graham takes her kids to a 3D movie (which is a stop action animated movie "Magic Piano" within a live action movie). The animation is decent and the stereo is quite good/comfortable (with the odd flat scene)- but only piano on soundtrack, no dialogue (and the ugly vampire kid) tended to get tiring. Back to live action, the dialogue was rather trite and sophmoric... but some wonderful visuals included a nice animated drawing segment (though only 2D). Storyline was disjointed and a bit corny, unfortunately.

GO FOR IT! 3D No stars - 2012 Los Banditos Films 90 minutes

Not even close to being a 3D movie... the "conversion" of this dance movie seemed to be a "sweep" from window at bottom to most of film being slightly behind the screen. I lasted about 5 minutes before ejecting... Looks like the film company abandoned the movie- there's no mention of it on their website . About impossible to find any mention of the 3D version online, yet here it is.

MEASURING THE WORLD Four and a half stars - 2012 Warner Bros 119 minutes

Refreshing to enjoy a movie with excellent cinematography that's also native 3D. This may not have been historically accurate, but the concurrent biographies of two of Germany's eminent early 19th century scientists I found enthralling (though at times, confusing). Stunning expedition scenes and a wonderful mix of royal and raw commoner life of the era... with an exquisite animated 3D drawing thrown in for good measure. (German, English subtitles)

THE CHILD'S EYE Two and a half stars - 2010 Enable Film 97 minutes

Native 3D Chinese "horror" film, which (like many) seemed to rely on scary, loud and especially sudden sound effects to inject the fear factor... (ok, on one occassion with a sudden "comin' at ya moment with the hybrid monster, I got a chill!). The story didn't quite make sense, even after the long sequence near the end which tried to explain the strange situations. Only near the end was a very surreal dream world introduced- I wish it had been utilized a lot more! The 3D was mostly decent except some flat and even pseudo scenes ( how does that happen? Especially in a key "out of window shot near the end! ). English subtitles (which are always difficult in 3D).

CAPTURE THE FLAG One and a half stars - 2015 Paramount 94 minutes

Well, this was novel: about half the scenes were in natively rendered (decent) stereo... the other half was bad conversion! WHAT? How is that even possible? Why would they not just render both eyes throughout?? Add to that a ridiculous story and painfully unfunny dialogue and you've got a movie that just could not be tolerated all the way through (I lasted 36 minutes). Naturally the Spanish film won the "Goya Award" for best animated film in 2016 (just how bad was the competition?).

TOMB RAIDER Two and a half stars - 2018 MGM 118 minutes

Good choice for lead actress, but the story, direction and visuals were only OK, as was the stereoscopic conversion (certainly not directed with 3D in mind, not optimally utilized save for one quick explosion). Several much too coincidental plot points as well as impossible situations... what do you want from a video game franchise?

BOX OFFICE 3D One and a half stars - 2011 Mendips Productions 90 minutes

Unusual Italian sketch "comedy" based on parodies of famous movies (Godfather, Harry Potter, Avatar, Gladiator, etc). Production value was decent, but the writing was atrocious... painfully unfunny. Is it possible there are people who actually laugh at this drivel? On top of that, the native 3D was dialed down to 1... the shallowest 3D I've ever seen with a number of pseudo scenes! To add insult to injury, the English subtitles were mostly set way deep past the close objects making it difficult to read the imbecilic dialogue.

ASTERIX: The Mansion of the Gods Two and a half stars - 2014 M6 Studio 85 minutes

Well known comic in France is barely known here in US... The transition from 2D art to 3D animation was quite good, but the dialogue was not funny or witty and the stereo 3D was half of what it should have been (and was not really utilized well, seemed to be added to 2D built movie). Luckily the dialogue was in English. My favorite character was the main black slave...

SECOND SIGHT Three stars - 2013 DeltaMac 86 minutes

Native 3D was well done in this Thai "horror" film (English subtitles). Not much for special effects, except for a very nice segment where a number of "zombies" morphed from one to another... and a cheap shot of a snake coming through the screen for a bite. The story was interesting enough (though fairly implausible), but really not very scary. Decent soundtrack.

WACKEN 3D Louder Than Hell Three and a half stars - 2014 Jumpseat 3D 95 minutes

Excellent document of the huge German heavy metal festival known as Wacken... The crew did a great job shooting native 3D under very tough conditions including rain and mud! Great variety of shots- many positions on stage, at the audience, in the audience and following various bands and attendees. (Though Led Zeppelin is probably favorite band, I really don't like most "heavy metal"... not sure if Alice Cooper or Deep Purple qualify.) 3D worked beautifully with confetti, bubbles and especially a shower of sparks around one lead singer... Although the great "mud portrait" section was mostly 2D (backed by a Maria Callas opera!) they added some flying mud for nice effect. Some other shots were 2D, which I didn't mind, but there's no excuse for an obvious pseudo (of the tent tops). Great bonus section included stills of the many 3D rigs used... wow. Most of the soundtrack was English, but a good deal was in German, with only German subtitles.

PACIFIC RIM: Uprising Two and a half stars - 2018 Universal 111 minutes

First, we're expected to believe this 15 year old girl built this "small" giant fighting robot from parts by herself... then it's tons of action with a minimum of story that seems to hijack the popularity of the oddly popular Transformer (toy) movie franchise. The characters were weak, especially the villian who was hardly fearful. Luckily the effects were very well done as was the stereo 3D: the floating computer displays always work, as does snow and flying objects. I was able to stay awake, but barely...

CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON: Sword of Destiny Four stars - 2016 Kam & Ronson 102 minutes

Solid story, engaging characters, well choreographed action, gorgeous scenes. Stereo 3D was quite good (though underutilized, perhaps... native?). Love, vengence, redemption- these Chinese films seems to follow classic narratives- unlike American super hero films that seem to rely on action and effects. There's no lack of those here, with strong heroes, villains and those in transition. Brilliant ending, I thought- cannot understand the negative reviews. Chinese, English subtitles.

THE MERMAID Four and a half stars - 2016 China Film Group 94 minutes

Another winner from those wacky Chinese! Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) co-wrote and directed this fantasy romantic comedy which was chock full of fun and spectacular native 3D. The first view of the "mermaid" had me almost literally on the floor laughing... Certainly no down time as each new scene brings fresh burlesque sometimes tempered with serious danger. Great characters and mesmerizing visuals... Only crit is that the subtitles were usually out farther than necessary (making reading a bit less comfortable). Chinese, English subtitles.

MONKEY KING 3 Four and a half stars - 2018 Filmko Pictures (China) 114 minutes

These Chinese fantasy/action films are phenomenal in so many ways... This particular franchise has great characters and bounces from one exhilarting scene to the next, with crazy, absurd elements thrown at you like a curve ball. On your toes from beginning to end! Spectacular sets and scenes, costumes, effects- all with magnificent 3D. There were many times I could just not hold back a WOW out loud. So happy I found a source for these from Hong Kong through eBay... (the "gingerbread man" parchment shenanigans were hilarious). Still puzzled by the original couple/river god... but loved it (just the subtitles, despite being well done, keeps it from full five stars). Chinese, English subtitles.

KATY PERRY Part of Me Two and a half stars - 2012 Paramount Pictures 95 minutes

It's hard to critique a concert/documentary movie when you're not a fan. If I were a fan, I'd probably like this a lot- there's quite a bit of background, behind the scenes and early footage to show how she rose to be a major music star (I really didn't know how big!). Turns out her breakout song was "I Kissed a Girl"... how many young girls were influenced by that? A LOT. At least half the film was 2D, which made sense and there was to need to convert. Seemed all the concert footage was native 3D (especially good lasers and bubbles) and some interviews. I saw StereoD in the credits: I'm guessing they did the 3D stills (which may be a first for a 3D movie?).

BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES One and a half stars - 2011 The Asylum 91 minutes

I thought, at first, that we were in for a low budget INDEPENDENCE DAY remake, but it took some odd turns- with a pilot appearing from 1942. Effects were mostly bad, but even worse was the 3D conversion: ludicrous to call it 3D... besides a few hints of parallax, the 2D movie was simply pushed behind the window a bit. Lots of heroines, including one that used a sword against the aliens, including the space ships and weapons. Not quite easy to follow, but some amusing action- especially the female pilot who is stuck in the monster's mouth. (Not to be confused with 2011 Battle: Los Angeles, theatrically released in 2D one day later after this appeared - in 2D- on the SyFy Channel, and apparently later released on Blu Ray with a 3D sticker.)

APARTMENT 1303 Two stars - 2012 Imageworks 85 minutes

The scariest part of this "horror" movie was the soundtrack... seems you can put ominous and unexpected loud sounds behind any footage and you've got a creepfest. At least the stereo 3D was native, but it was on the thin side and succumbed to some flat and at least one pseudo scene! A simple composite of an exterior building showed the cloudy sky closer than the top of the structure. Otherwise, the story was disjointed and, well- dumb.

RIBBIT One star - 2014 Lionsgate 88 minutes

How can a computer generated animation- created in 3D- be rendered in 2D, then "converted" to stereo? It really makes no sense, and in this case the conversion was almost indiscernable. In addition just about every aspect of this movie was just awful- characters, writing, animation, story.... Without appreciable stereo, I couldn't watch more than 15 minutes or so.

JUMPER Two stars - 2008 20th Century Fox 88 minutes

OK movie about a teen who discovers he can teleport anywhere (even though he was teleporting when he was five?) who later has to escape guys (and his mother?) trying to kill him... Unfortunately the stereo conversion was really poor- one can't even consider this a 3D movie.

MONKEY KING 2 Four and a half stars - 2016 Filmko Pictures (China) 120 minutes

Looked like the Chinese answer to Marvel's Cinematic Universe, but way better! Reading subtitles is a bit of a pain, otherwise this was a live action superhero 3D tour de force. Strong, brilliant native stereo with exotic, fun characters in some of the most fantastic depth-laden sequences I've ever seen. Serious villainy (drinking children's blood!) is offset by wacky humor with an Asian marial art/eccentric twist. Solid story of good and evil redemption, Buddhist style. Magical, dreamlike and sometimes silly with echoes of Wizard of OZ. The Chinese take their 3D very seriously... I need to get more Blu Rays like this. Chinese, English subtitles.

SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING Three stars - 2017 Columbia/Marvel 133 minutes

Heavy on goofy high school humor, this new Spiderman shows what a klutz he is exposing he's a "real guy" (following suit of previous actors). Sweet how his new costume compresses to his body at he touch of a button... Still not sure how invulnerable he is- he can get pretty beaten up, but it takes a lot to draw blood. The bad guy (Michael Keaton? Previously Batman!?) wasn't really all that bad, and the surprise at who he is was really just too coincidental... A ferry getting zipped in half was cool to see, but how did it not sink immediately? Fun, well done stereo that seemed to be a hybrid of native/converted 3D.

FLORENCE AND THE UFFIZI GALLERY One and a half stars - 2016 SkyTV 85 minutes

Why would Sky TV produce a disc with such awful 3D conversions? Right away there's aerial footage of Florence demonstrating poor 3D work- but it's almost laughable when they attempt to convert 2D artworks! Do they just not notice? Why bother doing 3D at all if it's not taken seriously? I actually like classic art converted to 3D (since the groundbreaking 1995 3D MUSEUM book). Luckily much of the ground/sculpture footage was decent native 3D.

ST. PETER'S and PAPAL BASILICAS of ROME Two and a half stars - 2016 SkyTV 90 minutes

Certainly better than the Florence documentary, but it too had some bad conversions (especially live action of the Pope). Most of the 3D, however, was quite good, including lots of quality aerial hypers and classic sculpture. These holy buildings are magnificent, but it begins to become too much as they look so similar and the narration (English subtitles) was like a textbook that is bound to put you in snoozeland.

BLADE RUNNER 2049 Three and a half stars - 2017 Warner Bros. 163 minutes

Not easy to digest, but certainly intriguing enough to keep interest for the full 2.5+ hours. All the elements were extraordinary: cinematography, scripts, set design, acting, stereoscopy. It did move slowly, but that served to contribute to the dark mood concerning questions of life- procreation and childhood. Luckily I was able to consult wikipedia to fit together most pieces... but I still don't know [spoiler] why the real girl hooker planted the tracking device (if she was really an ally)?

THOR: Ragnarok Three and a half stars - 2017 Marvel 130 minutes

In addition to the captivating cast of super characters and stirring action sequences, there was a mighty injection of humor in this Marvel installment (devil's anus?). Though there were some slow sections, overall pacing was good and memorable stereo scenes were abundant. The fire demon was awesome and including Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" to the battle scenes (twice!) was brilliance (and apparently not easy ).

INDEPENDENCE DAY: Resurgence Three and a half stars - 2016 20th Century Fox 120 minutes

Spectacular effects and some laugh out loud humor (mostly by Jeff Goldblum) highligthed this epic follow up to the Will Smith 1996 original (which I never saw). Yes, it's 20 years later... Plenty of action and good characters with very little downtime and some very memorable 3D segments (particularly when humans and autos and buildings are being sucked up by the alien vaccuum) made for an enjoyable 2 hours. One does have to ignore some corny dialogue and too coincidental plot points, however!

RATATOUILLE Two stars - 2007 Pixar 110 minutes

My reviews seem to be often very out of sync with the rest of the world: people seem to like this movie. Academy Award for Best Animated Feature!? Personally, I can't understand how it got through the initial story review board, never mind green lighted... Remy is a rat. OK, he can speak English to his rat pals, and can understand human English, but can't speak to humans. OK. He can read, and has somehow been able to read a cookbook in his neighbor's kitchen by his chef hero. When the chef hero dies, he comes as an imaginary ghost to Remy and somehow leads him to his restaurant (really?). The washer boy there discovers that the rat is a great chef (the best in Paris... really?) So the rat hides in the chef hat, and can see well enough through the hat to manipulate the washer boy like a marionette by pulling his hair. Yes, by pulling his hair. (You buying this?) So the washer boy is cooking up masterpieces via the rat. Oh, and the washer boy turns out to be the chef's son that the chef never knew about (really??) so becomes the restaurant boss. For the big finish, the rat somehow knows that the influential mean food critic loved ratatouille as a boy, and so concocted the perfect meal. Sorry, but this was ridiculous from beginning to end. And certainly not funny or clever (though I will admit I did smile when I saw the design of the mean critic's typewriter- very cool). I will never be a critic...

ROBINSON CRUSOE (aka THE WILD LIFE) Three stars - 2016 nWave Pictures 90 minutes

Absolutely first class cg animation and stellar stereo imaging... unfortunately the producers utilized their entire budget on the visuals and skimped on the writers. It's a shame, since this had lots going for it otherwise. Looked at the timeline several times to see how much longer- that's usually not a good sign! Much of the dialogue seemed pretty tired... certainly no laughs.

SUPER HYBRID Two and a half stars - 2011 Anchor Bay 94 minutes

Well produced horror movie about a monster (alien?) that can turn into any car. If you can stand the ridiculous story it's pretty well done aside from the abysmal 3D conversion (by Trixter ). The gore was kept to a minimum, the suspense was mainly which car in the police garage is actually the alien?

TEKKEN: Blood Vengence Two and a half stars - 2011 Digital Frontier 92 minutes

Not sure how typical this is for this genre (Japanese video game movie) but there was a lot of sexy young females that were also martial arts experts (fighting while wearing very short schoolgirl skirt or low-cut/high-slit gowns and heels). I'm amazed at how realistic these cg characters are, but at the same time confused about the storyline (does the schoolgirl have superpowers- she never gets hurt? Is the cute robot girl programmed or independent? Am I lost since I never followed the video game?). Decent stereo, but it could have been stronger and better utilized.

RATCHET AND CLANK Two and a half stars - 2016 Focus Features 94 minutes

Yet another example of a nice looking, well-crafted cg animation undone by senseless dialogue and half-witted humor. I found the character design entertaining, except for the protagist... Unfortunately the stereo 3D was quite shallow, could have easily been doubled (kept looking for the stereo volume knob, none to be found).

CLASH OF THE TITANS Two and a half stars - 2010 Warner Bros 106 minutes

Finally viewed the pariah of the 3D movie world, the posterboy for bad conversions: Yes, it was bad- but I've seen worse. The beginning scene showing figures in the starry sky actually looked pretty good, but quality went downhill, from bad to worse (even still, this Prime Focus 3D is preferable to flat). The movie itself was decent- good characters and acting with enough story and effects to keep me interested.

JUSTICE LEAGUE Two and a half stars - 2017 Warner Bros 120 minutes

The best part of the movie was the 15 second DC Universe intro... Otherwise, I found the story slow and the 3D merely adequate. It's really unclear what their superpowers are: when Batman is thrown against a cop car by Superman the car is crushed, but Batman is basically unhurt. I guess his costume saved him?? Is Aquaman just as powerful on land? Who is this new bionic guy? Is the Flash also invulnerable? Why does Superman's costume have fake muscles? I guess I was less skeptical when I was reading these comics at 12 years old.

WYRMWOOD: Road of the Dead One half star - 2014 Studio Canal 96 minutes

What is wrong with people? Touted as 3D, they didn't even bother with some fake 3D: they merely pushed the flat scene back a bit! Absolutely no reason to wear 3D glasses! So I turned off one of the projectors to watch it in 2D... the production quality was good, but I guess I'm just not onboard with the "kill as many zombies as possible" genre (with a touch of laboratory torture thrown in). Lots of blood... zombie blood can be used for petrol (which is handy since actuall gasoline has somehow been rendered inflammable)! No actual story I could discern, I sat through maybe half...

RIPD Three stars - 2013 Universal 96 minutes

Very much Men in Black style villains, this film was sort of fun but humor was definitely on the moderate side. The most interesting thing was that my wife had brought home cannolis from Mike's Pastry in Boston today- and I see Kevin Bacon bring some to his ex-partner's wife... Really odd coincidence! Not to mention the weird display of Indian food which we ate tonight. Otherwise, highlights were several bullet-time type scenes with beautiful conversions from StereoD.

TORMENTED 3D Three stars - 2011 Phantom Films 83 minutes

Didn't know what to expect from this Japanese "horror" film... turned out there was a lot to like about it. The native 3D was very well done with plenty of strong effects. The dad made pop up books, and we find ourselves at a 3D movie (in a 3D movie) where the deadly rabbit comes out of the screen into the boy's hands. The movie was more creepy than scary or gory, but my main problem was that I had no idea what was going on! Some of the people were there, but not there, but imagined (no not imagined) then a really nasty ending that didn't make any sense to me.

FRIGHT NIGHT 3D Two and a half stars - 2011 Dreamworks 106 minutes

I never knew a vampire can't enter your house without an invitation (good to know... I guess that's symbolic of evil in general!). Mundane vampire story with a pretty ridiculous ending. It's an example of a natively shot, very shallow 3D film that might have done better as a conversion. There were some strong effects, but generally bland and dark (does my projector need new lamps?). Not really scary or riveting- at least the gore was kept to a minimum.

THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. SPIVET Three and a half stars - 2013 Tapioca Films 105 minutes

A endearing (but improbable) story of a 10 year old boy who runs away to give a presentation of his perpetual motion machine. Well done native stereo spiced with great 3D effects and CG elements (especially the chapter marker pop up books and the initial end credits showing a View-Master viewer clicking through the cast!). Some strange interactions and suprising to hear some hard expletives in a family film.

INFERNO Two stars - 1960/2017 20th Century Fox/Twilight Time 83 minutes

With a title like "Inferno", you'd think they'd play up the blistering heat of the desert. I don't think I heard them complain about heat much if at all, nor did I see the obligatory shots of the relentness sun... I never felt the fire. Such a thin (and ridiculous) plot, and you hardly felt the struggle of the man left to die. (Watch out for that rattlesnake!) Was it poor direction or par for the course for B movies of the time? At least the 3D looked good (except for the mandatory object thrown at camera on a wire so it stays in frame toward the end). Extras included interesting interviews with 3D greats Dan Symmes and Ray Zone.

AMPHIBIOUS (Creature of the Deep) 3D Two and a half stars - 2010 Fu Works 83 minutes

One very short scene in the Voodoo Village was actually a bit scary, and utilized excellent stereoscopic psycho effect... otherwise a very mediocre monster/horror film that made little sense. The native stereo was mostly pretty good, but I noticed a flat scene or two, and some footage near the beginnng that must have been put in as an afterthought, since it involved really bad 3D conversion and a bikini top coming off for no good reason (um, except the obvious!).

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Three and a half stars - 2017 Lucasfilm/Disney 152 minutes

A bit long but enjoyable installment of this never-ending saga. Many classic characters along with some new ones: particularly good was Andy Serkis as the nasty villian Snoke. Battle scenes were not over-the-top, but impossible escapes were in evidence. Stereo D did a fine job with 3D conversion... the floating rocks worked especially well.

SEPTEMBER STORM Two stars - 1960/2017 20th Century Fox/Kino Lorber 99 minutes

5 years after the mid century death of 3D, this film tried in vain to revive it- apparently only a few theaters showed the dual strip version... mostly shown in Cinemascope. This restoration was unusual as it was a Kickstarter project (fun to see many 3D friends on the credits). While the film looked quite good (except for some flat scenes and some mismatched underwater exposures) the movie itself was quite slow in both speed and wit. Seemed like 20 minutes was spent trying to get the seaweed off the propeller... After one of the men tries to kill the other, he's admonished to make the rest of the boat trip fun, so the boys shake hands... Extras included an English B&W vaudeville style short "Harmony Lane" but no commentary.

GEOSTORM Two and a half stars - 2017 Warner Bros 109 minutes

One of the most ridiculous premises I've seen: climate controlling satellites (in 2019!). Of course bad guys infiltrate and use them for destruction... this leads to some decent (3D) visuals of catastrophic weather events with frozen people or tumbling skyscrapers. The plot centers around brothers who have a difficult time reconciling differences. Yawn.

LEGO NINJAGO Movie Two and a half stars - 2017 Warner Bros 101 minutes

Certainly the runt of the LEGO litter after the surprise hit of the first (2014) LEGO movie. This one seems to be a mashup with another toy turned movie: Transformers. There were some nice (3D) visuals, but the story was threadbare and without any of the cleverness previously seen.

THE MAZE Two stars - 1953/2018 Allied Artists/Kino Lorber 80 minutes

The advertising pleaded "PLEASE do not reveal the amazing climax to your friends!" Likely because if you did they would AVOID seeing this clunker! Seriously horrendous plot and dialogue, I'll forgo the spoiler except to say it's almost laughable- but pathetic is more like it. Apparently it was a shocker in 1953, at least to some. Just so many holes in the story... I love that the female lead goes right into the cobwebs instead of just walking around them (and watch out for the rubber bats!). Luckily the restoration was beautiful, with great 3D (except for mis-aligned titles, which cannot be fixed and some weird camera rig reflections) and some interesting visuals. The commentary was mostly pretty tedious except for Bob Furmanek from 3D Film Archive .

GUN FURY Two and a half stars - 1953/2017 Columbia/Twilight Time 82 minutes

A notch better than most of the 3D B movies from this period, the script was not dull and the characters were interesting. As long as you're willing to overlook plot points like the star getting shot, checked and declared dead, only to rise sometime later without a scratch as good as new. It was refreshing to enjoy a full movie with native 3D (though a few clips were flat) without a shred of computer graphics. Real stereo from head to tail. I think this was my first Twilight Time 3D re-release and it was decent quality (albeit some lip sync problems), though little in the way of extras (just the original trailer). Peculiar that they used a "pulp fiction paperback" style of art for the cover (whose faces looked nothing like the actual stars).

THE STEWARDESSES Two stars - 1969/2016 Sherpix/Kino Lorber 93 minutes

An historic anamoly in the history of 3D filmmaking, The Stewardesses was the highest grossing 3D movie prior to Avatar! Apparently it began as X rated, cut to R for wide distribution then back to XXX for VHS and finally back to R for 3D Blu Ray. The softcore movie I saw was an editing nightmare, jumping cutting constantly. The cinematography was quite amateur, but the 3D was mostly decent (shot with Chris Condon's StereoVision which avoided sync issues by putting L and R on one strip of film). The movie itself (aside from the overly long "makeout" scenes) was a hodgepodge of very odd scenes, especially the woman who "made love" to a Greek statue head lamp base while tripping. The requisite pool cue throught the window was included... The ending was quite unexpected and bizarre. Luckily there was an added short "Experiments in Love" by 3D guru Dan Symmes (who co-wrote " Amazing 3-D " book) that featured a pair of women (seriously more attractive than the stewardesses!) preparing to do a 3D thesis on sex. Lots of 3D posters and talk of a stereoscopic nature including the mysterious stereo window~

THE MUMMY Three and a half stars - 2017 Univeral 110 minutes

Unexpected mashup that actually worked fairly well. Some scenes seemed inspired by Tom Cruises' Mission Impossible films... The Mummy was more of a Vampirella than Boris Karloff (which worked for me!). Plenty of killer zombies (are they still hot?) were liberally infused. But the oddest angle: How did Russell Crowe bring a Jekyll and Hyde character into the story? (Seems Universal was planning on doing a Marvel type mashup- called The Dark Universe- whereby various classic horror characters get thrown together to sell more tickets. I guess they did this back in the 40's with Frankenstein meets Wolfman... meets Abbott and Costello!? Was it as corny then as it is now?)

KING ARTHUR: Legend of the Sword Three and a half stars - 2017 Warner Bros 126 minutes

Right off the bat you're hit with giant mastodons wreaking havoc and you know this is not exactly a traditional retelling of the classic tale. Though it took some time to warm up, I found myself engaged throughout, and the final act was strong. Would have been nice to see a bit more camraderie with Arthur's seconds. Some good effects- especially memorable (but short): the women peeling from tree bark. Stereo well done.

FRIENDS FOR LIFE One star - 2010 Grizzly Adams 90 minutes

The blu-ray cover says both "Recipient of 30 Independent Awards" and "in 3D". Both of these claims leave me scratching my head... The movie was schmaltzy and so predictable. And the 3D was a bad joke... why would anyone distribute such an awful conversion? Really, I could only wonder how it happened... height of the 3D boom, so they shopped around for the cheapest conversion house? They saw a YouTube video on DIY convesion? The producer is blind in one eye? 2D is definitely better than poor 3D (there's already plenty of people who think 2D is better than ANY 3D).

ANIMALS UNITED Three stars - 2010 Constantin Films 93 minutes

Surprisingly good quality computer animation, lighting, rendering and characters (besides the lion who looked like a plush toy... turtles were beautiful). Unfortunately the story was rather dismal with the animals uniting against humans who are just destroying everything. I thought there might be a hint of clever when I saw the climate change interview, but it never went anywhere. Excellent stereo throughout.

TAD JONES 2: Secret of King Midas Two stars - 2017 4 Cats Pictures/Paramount 86 minutes

Too bad the zombie character had such an annoying, screeching vocalization... and the unfunny banter didn't help. The "rat squeeze" was somewhat amusing, but overall a pretty mediocre kid movie. Even the 3D had problems: somethimes it looked decent, but other times it seemed like a weak conversion. Even a "cel" animation segment, which should have had a nice layered treatment, went totally flat.

DESPICABLE ME 3 Four stars - 2016 Illumination/Universal 90 minutes

[No 3D release in the US! What's up with that?? Had to go through Europe to find a 3D copy...] It was great fun, but (unlike Toy Story) this franchise didn't quite make it a triumvirate (the first 2 were absolute perfection, 5 star/gold). Lots of laughs, but not quite as deep (hey, any comedies that actually produce laughs seem hard to come by). Villian was fun, but short of brilliant- spiced up by hit 80's dance music (like Michael Jackson and Madonna)... the "dance fights" are pretty hilarious. Plenty of well utilized stereo 3D (especially the army of Brats).Yes, I'm a big fan of this franchise... it never fails to deliver solid chuckles as well as top shelf character animation. Loved the sticky super costumes... The new brother's pig mansion reminded me of the Angry Bird's Piggy Island (which was much funnier). And who doesn't love those minions? One of the great animation icons of our time... crack me up! :)

THE LAST REEF: Cities Beneath the Sea Four stars - 2012 Liquid Pictures 40 minutes

There sure are a lot of these underwater 3D movies. This one gets a high grade due to a high number of stunning 3D shots of impossilbe creatures as well as some glorius views of the Cancun Underwater Museum sculptures. Plenty of fantastic fish swarms as well, but punctuated with lots of worry about acidification and other threats to this wonderful wonderland.

IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE Two stars - 1953/2016 Universal 81 minutes

Was this written by Ray Bradbury or some high school kids? The story is so dumb and poorly directed- I cannot understand the general accolades. The space ship creates a huge crater... the protagonist is able to see the ship and even the door open, but incredibly there's a sudden avalanche (?!) that completely covers the ship (proof of aliens gone!). He and his girlfriend see the alien while driving in his car, then wax poetic about it hiding in plain sight. Several people are "glommed" by the alien, and kidnapped while the clones do work to repair the ship... Spoiler: the scientist finds that he, too, has a clone (even though he was never "glommed" or kidnapped). The sheriff gets a mob to kill a clone even though it's hurt no one... Dialogue painfully moronic... At least the 3D was decent- except that most of the effects were pathetic (in 3D)! The glowing ship flying through the desert behind and in front of close trees... The laser firing at the scientist by the girlfriend clone isn't anywhere near correct in space. And the alien "glitter" which disappears from the floor was floating over it, not on it. Ok, the monster eye was cool coming at you... must have been pretty scary back then.

TRANSFORMERS: Age of Extinction Two and a half stars - 2014 Paramount 165 minutes

Hard to imagine that people can happily sit through close to 3 hours of relentless car chases and battles (the film grossed over $1billion). Little story, and what there was proved less than thought provoking. Again, hard to follow who are the bad bots, but one really doesn't care. The heroes manage get through insane situations again and again and again. Certainly the "transformations" are astonishing to watch, especially in 3D- but the newly made bots didn't even have that (instead there was a cheaper wave of cubes transform).

CEASE FIRE Two stars - 1953/2016 Paramount/Kino Lorber 75 minutes

Interesting concept to film a recreation of one of the final missions of the Korean war, right after it ended with actual soldiers on location in Korea. Unfortunately, it's not much of a movie- very little actually happens. The major drama is when they're digging in the dirt trying to avoid a land mine. The most memorable scene is in a Korean village with a bunch of kids carrying a sign for peace... The 3D is mostly very good (aside from the many 2D scenes... first I assumed they were actual documentary footage, but there were lots of flat scripted scenes later). Nice restoration (at least they didn't have to worry about color grading!)

THOSE REDHEADS FROM SEATTLE Three stars - 1953/2017 Paramount/Kino Lorber 90 minutes

Another coup for the 3D FILM ARCHIVE who managed to digitally restore this historic movie to a quality never before seen! It's colorful and the depth looks great, but (like many B movies of this period) the writing is corny and the story goofball. If you're going to watch it once, I suggest turning on the commentary which is much more interesting then the dialogue and music. There are some odd defects in the stereo (2nd unit flat shots as well as one pseudo: long shot of ship on ocean. Was that in original? Why not fix?). Some of the "coming at ya" shots were ok, but too many, and they even kept one that was really bad (poking a newspaper at us, then flailing it for good measure!?).

AMAZING OCEAN 3D Three and a half stars - 2012 Los Banditos 55 minutes

Yet another underwater sea adventure... This one had lots of clear and colorful scenes of swarms, coral and anemone that was just beautiful to look at, along with bright, clear music and pleasant banter. Often the water was so clear it appeared the fish were floating in air... There were murky scenes as well, but fortunately the stereo 3D was well done throughout.

APE (aka APE, HIDEOUS MUTANT) One star - 1976 Jack E. Harris 87 minutes

I guess I'm not the kind of guy who enjoys watching really bad movies... this certainly among the worst I've ever sat through... Cheapest special effects ever? 36' tall King Kong (ridiculous costume) wrestles a (giant?) dead shark... After swatting a toy helicopter the ape puts up his middle finger (what?? did I just see that??)... Never mind the horrible writing and editing (I actally heard the director yell cut at the end of a scene). Hair and even a fly (?) on the lens. I knew I was in trouble when the opening credits were in one eye only! Otherwise, the actual native stereo was generally decent if you can deal with the in your face gimmicks... (1976 was a very odd year to produce a 3D film... before the 1980's resurgence... where was it distributed?)

ASSASIN'S CREED Two 1/2 stars - 2016 20th Century Fox 115 minutes

Sorry, but the time machine (the "Animus") was too ridiculous.. I couldn't buy the premise so the movie was not all that enjoyable. Lots of good fighting, but I'm growing weary of movies based on the same long stretches of similar battles. It was difficult to discern who were the good guys? Who were allies? Maybe if I was familiar with the video game it would make more sense (why did the mother get killed by his dad?). The 3D was done well, but could have been better utilized.

RESIDENT EVIL: The Final Chapter Three 1/2 stars - 2016 Constantin Film 107 minutes

Is it really? The director's wife once again plays the seriously fomidable Alice (having recently had her second real life child!) in yet another hi-action violent monster mashed zombie fest. The rating was notched up a bit with the nasty villian and his army of voracious undead. Not knowing the game, I'm left with questions about the origins of the various monsters (spoiler: who remained even after the anti-virus was released... and Alice comes back, after she "dies"... pointing to a possible follow-up?)

RESIDENT EVIL: Retribution Three stars - 2012 Constantin Film 95 minutes

Alice is one badass babe! She could definitely take Wonder Woman~ (mashup!?) Certainly plenty of action with attractive people, zombies, and faceless (helmeted) soldiers battling it out. Odd that the cloned little girl was protected like she was a real human... Story moved along, but dragged in places. Decent 3D.

MONSTER HUNT Four stars - 201 5 Dreamsky 118 minutes

Those crazy Chinese! This was one of the most bizarre movies I've ever seen, with some scenes that defy description (I'll just say one in particular had to do with a baby born out of the lead guy's mouth not having any milk available). The integration of the cutish CG "monsters" (that sometimes reveal themselves by pulling off their human "skin") and live action was superb. Of course, they have lots of martial arts to spice things up and oddly placed some musical numbers here and there. Also odd that the subtitles (which I hate, especially in 3D... would have been better dubbed) were set into the scene, instead of out... making it harder to read! The stereo looked quite good, but toward the end I started to notice some cheap conversion (not sure if it was just there, or if I missed it throughout!). Denfinitely wacky fun. (Was highest grossing film ever in China at the time.)

JUSTIN Two and a half stars - 201 3 Kandor 96 minutes

Produced and voiced by Antonio Banderas, the animation and design was very good (though the stereo 3D was often rather thin) but the writing was juvenile. I'm pretty sure there was meant to be some comedy, but nary a smile was cracked. The characters were mediocre... the female protagonist was cute, but (as modern movies often show) she was able to defeat dozens of men twice her size because she had a lot of brothers... yawn.

WINGS 3D Two and a half stars - 2014 BBC 90 minutes

Had heard good things about this documentary, and indeed- there was some fantastic stereo footage. However, I was extremely disappointed to see both sync issues and some really bad conversions. The sync issues are worse, since they can cause brain discomfort! Otherwise beautiful shots, of white horses galloping for example, were seriously compromised by bad sync which put their quick moving legs at incorrect levels... What could be worse than thousands of flapping birds out of sync? Very sad... how could the producers have missed this? Being BBC produced, I'm really surprised. Conversions of bird POV aerial footage was miserable- really rounded wings stuck to the mountains... I won't mention the wildebeest/crocodile conversion. (Hadn't I see a proper version of this scene in an Attenborough vid?) I cringed, but my guests didn't seem to mind the errors... ??

WINGED PLANET 3D Three stars - 2014 BBC 95 minutes

Seems to be a slightly different version of "Wings 3D" (reviewed above) with a slightly longer running time, but it seems that the awful 3D conversions were left out. Not much they can do about the sync problems (some 2D footage as well).

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Three stars - 2017 Disney 129 minutes

Disney spared no expense on the sets, costumes, cinematography and computer graphics. The fantasy characters were exquisite, the "Be Our Guest" sequence was particularly spectacular (phenomenal stereo). However, the casting/characters were less than stellar (Gaston being the exception). I was not enchanted by Emma's "Belle" and Gaston's sidekick should have actually been amusing instead of flat (my friend Jim suggested Jack Black might have done better). The Beast was actually more handsome than hideous... Disney felt obligated to tuck in some gay themes as well. The official Disney website does not even offer the 3D Blu Ray. (Apparently standard definition 2D DVDs are a lot more popular.)

UNDERWORLD: Blood Wars Three stars - 2016 Screen Gems 91 minutes

Like Awakening, it's got decent characters and nasty villains with plenty of bloody action. Three stars instead of 3.5, since it felt like I'd seen it before (though scenes in the ice fortress were pretty engaging). Stereo is adequate, but seems only an afterthought rather than directed 3D in mind.

ZAMBEZIA Two and a half stars - 2012 20th Century Fox/Triggerfish Studios 83 minutes

Mediocre is the key word for this movie... not good, not terrible. A possible chuckle. Decent animation, design (the "Zambezia Tree" was certainly majestic). One voice sounded so familar... Leonard Nimoy! One of his last projects... did it ever actually make it to the theater?

TRANSFORMERS: The Last Knight Two and a half stars - 2017 Paramount 154 minutes

OK, the transforms are fun, especially in 3D. But are we taking these machines a bit too seriously? They're shown to be involved with knights of the round table, World War II, all of the major historical events it seems. Mark Wahlberg does a decent job considering his co-stars, but it's really hard to look at these talking automatrons with John Goodman and Steve Buscemi voices eminating... They must have paid Anthony Hopkins a pretty penny to be in this. The battle scenes seemed to go on and on and I was never sure who the "good" guys were...

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: Dead Men Tell No Tales Three stars - 2017 Walt Disney 129 minutes

As expected, the special effects/CG was quite the spectacle (especially in stereo 3D where you could more viscerally experience the dead ghost pirates) but the writing/dialogue was disappointing. The characters are certainly entertaining (though Depp seemed to be just walking through his iconic part) and there were only a few dead spots in the over two hour running time. It was fun to see a cameo by (Sir) Paul McCartney!

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES Two and a half stars - 2017 20th Century Fox 140 minutes

Stunning visuals, but a story with a lot of holes and overly long. Some apes can speak (just a few) but they all seem to understand English... and some can even read? Lots of communication from minimal sign and a few grunts... Not overly interested in seeing these intelligent animals being "crucified" by the bad humans... Some of the stereo 3D was particularly good- one scene was entering the abode of the "bad ape" (comic relief?). I couldn't help but wondering (aside from the human actors) what was real and what was CG...

STAR WARS: Rogue One Two and a half stars - 2016 Lucasfilm/Disney 133 minutes

Not terribly engaging or exciting (I have to be extra harsh with a huge franchise tentpole film). The lead female was ok, but I found myself more entertained by the tall droid. The movie moved along with the requisite battles and the stormtroopers going down like bowling pins. The heroine is able to easily wrest a stormtrooper's rifle and knock him down over the cliff... ok. And for the big finale (spoiler!): the antennae to transmit the critical data is out of alignment! Our woman hero has to go out in gunfire to fix, and she does! But almost gets killed when the antennae is blown away... yet she can somehow transmit the file even though the antennae in not just out of alignment, it's out! Really? Stereo conversion by Stereo D was good enough, but nothing memorable.

WATER: The Element of Life One and a half stars - KSM 2013 52 minutes

The Blur Ray cover looked interesting, but the movie was simply awful. The native stereo seemed mostly technically proficient, but the art and dialogue were miserable. Perhaps 5% of the many, many, many shots of every view of a pond or waterfall or shoreline was worth viewing... leaving a LOT of time looking at incredibly mundane photography, including a number of dead trees (for foreground?). Quite often the narrator would talk about something (bears and foxes?) while we're looking at something else (birds?). I lasted about 40 minutes, could not take any more...

THE SNOW QUEEN 3 Two and a half stars - 2016 Wizart Animation 80 minutes

Watched this right after SQ2... again, decent animation (including a really nicely done graphic/painterly sequence depicting: apocalypse?) but the story was drifting and the dialogue was puerile. Had to endure the ugly trolls but the new "charcoal" characters were actually kind of fun (reminded me of California Raisins, but much better designed).

THE SNOW QUEEN 2 Three stars - 2014 Wizart Animation 89 minutes

Russian animation (though my Blu Ray is from Germany). If you can get over the ugly troll characters, the cg animation/modelling is really quite good with excellent stereo 3D (featuring snow, ice and very clever mirror effects). Especially effective were the ice dogs who flash froze their victims... The story was a bit hard to follow (cause I missed the first in the series?) and the writing and dialogue were uninspired, but the visuals got me through (which would not be the case in 2D).

VALERIAN Three and a half stars - 2017 Fundamental Films 137 minutes

Certainly beautiful to look at (especially in 3D) but it was long and the story was only moderately engaging. The main fault for me was that the 2 lead characters were less than stellar- it might have been much better to use A list actors or utilize new talent that have some personality and humor. I still don't quite understand the virtual Big Market (it's not real, but you can buy real things?) The stereo was mostly OK, but several scenes showed very limited depth (apparently they didn't use an A list company for the conversion!). [Also no 3D release in US]

THE UNIVERSE- 7 Wonders of Solar System One star - 2010 A&E/History Channel 47 minutes

Not only was it poorly written and seriously padded, but the stereo 3D was generally atrocious. A few of the CG segments looked ok, but many had layering issues and the live action clips showed alignment as well as rotational errors. The highlight was seeing the sun in stereo from NASA's STEREO project (even though it was severely stretched) but the closeup shots were presented in pseudo! C'mon people!

GALAPAGOS 3D Three and a half stars - 2013 Colossus/Blue Sky 206 minutes

Of course, there were lots of incredible footage in spectacular stereo 3D, but there was unfortunately lots of filler (how many times do we need to see that the islands were built up from volcanoes?) mediocre conversions, flat footage and even pseudo (reverse 3D) scenes (very surprising to see in a high end documentary). As usual, the 2D behind-the-scenes bonus is well worth watching- they certainly had to overcome serious obstacles to get this historic imagery. We're lucky that David Attenborough actually likes 3D.

THE SEVENTH DWARF Two and a half stars - 2015 Shout! Factory 87 minutes

The computer graphics art design and overall animation and stereoscopy were actually pretty good. The big problem I found was in character design. The dwarves should have been endearing, funny, charming- instead they were bland and poorly written as were most of the characters. I'll say their Snow White was pretty hot and the ice monster near the end was cool, but script-wise the movie was juvenile and jokes were only the most obvious.

PAN Three stars - 2015 Warner Bros 111 minutes

Some nice imagery with decent (but underutilized) 3D conversion. Hugh Jackman's Blackbeard was less than memorable, and the supporting cast was merely adequate. Not much in the way of humor, and a far cry from the Peter Pan we grew up with. A short fantasy sequence which looked like animated wooden characters was the highlight of the film.

DOCTOR STRANGE Four and a half stars - 2016 Marvel/Disney 115 minutes

Though it's Marvel, this movie is more about mystics than superheroes... and it's not afraid to use the third dimension for all it's worth! Great acting, strong characters, solid writing with wit and humor... all taking a back seat to the incredible (stereoscopic) special effects. Wow! Buildings folding into each other, city streets breaking into layers, swirling fractal geometry and a jaw-dropping, mind tripping psychic flight. Not to mention the charismatic cape, outstanding sets and the automatic straightjacket... there's a lot of creativity in this one! Again, I feel bad for those who saw only 2D.

SING Three stars - 2016 Universal/Illumination 108 minutes

Hackneyed story relying on the music to carry (how about the totally destroyed theater being reconstructed to showtime condition with no money for a free show?). Most characters were amusing enough (I liked the mouse) with some sweet segments and high caliber animation, but compared to the Despicable franchise, it fell pretty flat. It is fun to see behind the scenes at a theater and the stereo was good (though well utilized only sporadically). My favorite part of the film was the opening credits where some letters in ILLUMINATION go dark (and son of a gun, they spell MINION! HA!). OK, the singing was good.

XXX: Return of Xander Cage Three stars - 2017 Paramount 110 minutes

The stunts were absolutely insane (motorcycle/water ski?)! Lots of action and pretty girls with compelling characters make for an enjoyable 3D movie experience. Vin Diesel is not as charismatic (or big!) as "the Rock" Dwayne Johnson, lucky he surrounds himself with interesting co-stars. Stereo D did a fine 3D conversion, as always.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 Three stars - 2017 Marvel/Disney 138 minutes

Trying to be funny is not the same as actual humor, which I didn't find here no matter how hard they tried. The characters are quirky but really not all that appealing (except for the little "Groot", who is impossible to dislike). Some of the scenes and action were spectacular and the stereo was often skillfully utilized (with a few sections of rocks, etc spilling outside the frame top and bottom (I wonder if that's why they used different aspect ratios? If the theaters set the screen for wide only, those effects would have been lost). The director seemed to love over the shoulder shots with characters on the edge, resulting in lots of floating windows (to avoid nasty stereo anomolies). Did I mention it's really long?

BOSS BABY Three and a half stars - 2017 Dreamworks 97 minutes

Always a plus when a comedy actually produces laughs instead of cringes... Yes, there were a few laughs and some very clever "fantasy" sequences, including one featuring a really nice animated pop-up book. Several good opportunities for fun stereo weren't missed... Story was charming and the writing sharp, but the characters maybe a bit too Keane "big eye" for me...

WONDER WOMAN Two and a half stars - 2017 Warner Bros 141 minutes

So disappointing after all the rave reviews and huge box office. Is it the perfect politically correct, female empowering movie? An island of warrior women (no men... our heroine was sculpted from clay!?) who were sent by Zeus to protect mankind (which Zeus apparently created? what have they been doing until now?). They can speak hundreds of languages! Somehow, suddenly a plane and German boats slip through some kind of force field (?) so that the "Amazons" are now fighting World War I... Somehow the rescued spy and Wonder Woman take a cruddy sailboat to London (the boat has never before left the island realm?) where the war is raging. The story is ridiculous, the pace is numbingly slow and dialog is seriously limited. I still have little idea what her powers actually are (except for looking good and coming through the battlefield without a bruise or dirt or mussed hair). OK, the stereo was good and a very short sequence at the beginning was fantastic (humans and Gods, like a painting come alive)... otherwise, pretty dull. (And the "Godkiller" wasn't??)

LEGO BATMAN MOVIE Three stars - 2017 Warner Bros 90 minutes

Initially leaning toward four starts since the stereo design worked really well and there were some good laughs... However, the initial humor seemed to fade as the movie dragged on with too many similar jokes and the story got a bit perplexing. The Joker could have been more psychotic and Robin was unfunny... Fun to see lots of kudos to the various Batman incarnations (but why no 3D treatment to the POW! words?).

FLIGHT OF THE BUTTERFLIES Four and a half stars - 2012 SK Films 44 minutes

One of the world's most amazing natural phenomena presented as both documentary and human drama. Perfect subject for stereo, the filmmakers utilized the format beautifully for exhibiting the skyfull of monarchs, macros of caterpillars and cg of a developing chrysalis. Stunning footage and nicely told story of the couple who discovered the flight pattern and the final Mexican destination. Included is a 2D backstory, well worth watching.

UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: DAY OF RECKONING Three stars - 2012 Magnolia Pictures 114 minutes

Pretty good movie with strong characters, fast moving action and interesting sci-fi story, but the ultra violence was really more than I'm comfortable with. Right off the bat is a horrendous attack which sets the tone for the movie... hard to imagine they could put more macho brutality in one movie (I normally enjoy martial arts). The plotline was a bit tricky to follow, but mostly made sense by the end. Native stereo 3D was good, save for a number of totally flat clips.

THE GREAT WALL Three and a half stars - 2016 Legendary Entertainment 103 minutes

Strange Chinese/American history/sci-fi mash up... it works once you get used to the novelty~ Matt Damon brings some personality to his character and the sort of real world sets ground the action fighting the swarms of nasty, very large beasts. Stereo 3D is used well, especially in the rows of flaming canon shells hurtling through the sky. Much is far beyond credulity (even for sci-fi) but it certainly isn't mundane.

GHOST IN THE SHELL Four stars - 2017 Dreamworks 120 minutes

Solid sci-fi story with stunning visuals with well executed stereo 3D (this is a conversion!? Mind boggling what they can do!). I found it sometimes a bit difficult to tell human from semi-human to robot, but questions were mostly answered as the film played out. Characters were well rounded, though I would have like to see a bit more humor. I don't think you can watch this without thinking of the futuristic cityscapes of Blade Runner, though this was far beyond (especially in 3D... we'll have to see what the new Blade Runner 2049 looks like... just 32 years ahead!)

KONG: SKULL ISLAND Three stars - 2017 Warner Bros. 118 minutes

Sure, great special effects- but where's the ape empathy? Surely they could have infused a bit more character to the lead star amid all the fighting. Mostly mean looking... hardly any connection with the new Fay Wray. The regurgitated skull complete with dog tags just put me over the edge of skepticism about the writing/direction. The 3D stereo was decent (first island glimpse w bird flock particularly sweet) but underutilized. Surprised to see a coda after the long credits (I was chating with a friend, or I'd have missed) pointing toward a possible sequel...

GUNS N' ROSES: Appetite for Democracy Two and a half stars - 2014 Rock Fuel

Decent stereo coverage of a large rock concert, with little additional graphics. Not a huge fan of this band... still, I thought the sound was a bit muddy. I started to jump through songs after I found no menu! I was ready to bail when I happened upon the keyboardist at a grand piano playing Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter". Of course, I stayed for that- found it interesting that the celebrated singer Axl Rose didn't attempt to sing it...

HIDDEN WORLDS 3D: Caves of the Dead Three stars - 2013 Blue Note Productions 93 minutes

Native shot stereo helps brings along to probe these very scary, tight (some previously unexplored) underwater caves where we find spectacular natural formations along with stone age bones and Mayan skulls. The narration was a bit hokey at times and it could have been a shorter, but this real life adventure was a fun trip to enjoy with well done 3D documentation. Certainly the Mayan dance and sports re-enactments were a nice touch.

WONDERS OF THE ARCTIC Two and a half stars- 2014 Science North 40 minutes

Some nice stereo footage, but somewhat disjointed with a fair amount of flat footage, and even some vertical misalignments. Much of the underwater segments were sadly blurred. Maybe 15 minutes of quality 3D video here.

FANTASTIC BEASTS Three and a half stars - 2016 Warner Bros. 133 minutes

Yes, the "beasts" were pretty fantastic, especially in 3D. Some wonderful effects, such as a billboard woman coming alive and emerging from her flatness. The opening newspapers sequence was fun... The drawback for me was that I found it a bit difficult to follow the magic vs nomagic worlds... the magic beasts are good, and evil, like the witches or the humans? Magic beasts go to the human's zoo? Witches can undo (obliterate?) any amount of carnage and even printed newspapers? Witches can transport themselves instantly but need to take a steamship? Confusing, but visually phenomenal.

THE LAST AIRBENDER Three stars - 2011 Paramount 103 minutes

Too bad the 3D was so poorly done- there's plenty of fun earth, air, fire and water effects which could have looked spectacular. I found the movie enjoyable- sort of a superhero/martial arts/fantasy mashup with a decent acting job from the very young protagonist. A little coda at the end portended a sequel, but this was apparently the first and last.

PASSENGERS Four stars - 2016 Columbia 116 minutes

Space is always a good environment for a movie that can show space (which is what 3D does)- luckily that ability was well utilized in this film. A simple, but strong plot with a few well played characters (and an entertaining android bartender reminiscent of "The Shining"). Nice mix of drama, romance and humor in some very futuristic settings, and some magnificent effects (not the least of which was a gravity-free swimming pool!).

BATTLE OF THE YEAR Three stars - 2013 Sony 109 minutes

It's surprising that a Hollywood 3D movie can be produced today with virtually no special (cg) effects... this one seems to rely strictly on in-camera shots. So it made sense to actually shoot the movie in 3D (which was well done) with a 3ality rig. The script/plot was a bit hackneyed, but the acting was decent (considering these guys are mostly dancers). It was amusing to see the ubiquitous product placement, especially a Sony HMZ-T1 sitting on the boss's desk for no apparent reason...

SHEEP AND WOLVES Three stars - 2016 Wizart Animation 85 minutes

Excellent design, characters and stereoscopic animation by this Russian production company. The fantasy sequences when the wolf took the magic potion were especially luscious in 3D. It's really too bad the story and dialogue were so witless!

TO THE ARCTIC Two and a half stars - 2012 IMAX 40 minutes

Not a fan of having movies proselytize about global warming when I'm here to see a documentary. Some decent footage, but the 3D was mostly negligible (except for some nice underwater shots) or even flat. Didn't know that desperate male polar bears will eat their young! I'd better start driving a hybrid right away...

BASELINE 3D One star - 2011 Global 96 minutes

The cover has the "3D" huge and impressive- however, this was another fakeout horrible nearly non-existent conversion. I had to abort after the second nasty beating (maybe 15 minutes in).

WILD AFRICA 3D: BIG FIVE One and a half stars - 2012 KSM GmbH 50 minutes

A sad attempt at a nature documentary. Some of the animals were in pretty rough shape, especially the young lion with a huge tumor on her leg (the size of a canteloupe). Lots of long shots, many lingering and very repetitive. They did manage to show an impala giving birth and cheetahs mating. The stereo was mostly ok, but several scenes were through heavy bush and even some sync issues. I don't think there was any live sound... just the narrator and some very canned music.

THE PRODIGIES Two stars - 2011 Studio 37 87 minutes

The cg is video game quality, which is tolerable- but the stereo was dialed way down... I don't know why. A lot of nice effects were missed, it seems they really didn't care about the 3D. The story seemed ok, but it took some very weird and ridiculous turns that were just dopey. No real character development or interesting dialogue. There were some nice looking scenes scattered throughout, however... so not a total loss.

SEA REX Three and a half stars - 2010 Universal

Some really nice computer graphics make this IMAX movie a fun look at the evolution of life on the planet (though I have to take it with a grain of salt when they claim to know most of this stuff- especially the detailed eating and mating habits of creatures who lived millions of years ago!). One memorable scene showed one of the scientists discussing the animal fossil skeleton is himself a skeleton. Good stereo, even a converted drawing at the opening.

THE HUNTSMAN: Winter's War Three and a half stars - 2016 Universal

Though there were a number of yawn-inducing stretches, overall there was enough action, effects, scenery and interesting characters to keep my interest. I found it odd that they kept referring to Snow White who we never got to see and that the lead icy villainess had to be seriously influenced by a recent Disney animated hit film. The dwarves provided plenty of sidekick humor and the stereo was well utilized.

THE LION OF JUDAH One and a half stars - 2011 Animated Family Films

Really hard to sit through this poor cg film... I can't say "low budget" since it appears the estimated cost was $15 million! Really hard to find positive commentary, though the 3D was mostly decent with at least a few nasty errors. The animal characters had these creepy human eyes and it seemed like the filmmakers did their best to avoid showing human faces (except from far away). Just about every element seemed quite amateurish, with the mediocre songs beigin randomly and inappropriately overlaid.

THE LION KING Three stars - 1994/2011 Walt Disney

Even though old school cel animation is an amazing artform (and this was among the best), I'm SO much more mesmerized by modern computer graphics- really makes cel work look quite primitive. Converting this to stereo 3D made it much more palatable to me (I'd never bothered to see it flat). The stereo was quite good... though I saw a lot of flaws I was amazed at the rain, smoke, sparks and reflections. A handful of scenes were just brilliant in stereo, but overall the story and songs were corny and I had a hard time holding interest. Noteworthy was that one of the origninal producers introduced the film, saying how the 3D will do a better job of immersing you in Africa... that was back when people were actually optimistic about 3D! Note: I also noticed that there was no motion blur on the frames... I wonder if all cel animation neglects this common effect (obviously it would only be added in the digital era).

THE RABBI'S CAT (Le Chat du Rabbin) One and a half stars - 2011 TF1 Video

Unusual cel/drawing animation with some graphically beautiful scenes, unfortunately the stereo was mostly extremely flat, with hints of quality separation only occassionally- which made it frustrating for 3D viewing. Also frustrating, for an animation especially, is having to read the English subtitles (no dub available?) since I would much rather be looking at the artwork. Too bad the story was so convoluded with rifts between Jew and Muslim and the talking cat wanting a Bar Mitzvah... Got most of the way through, but just could not hold out to the end.

THE MISSING LYNX No stars - 2008 DTP Entertainment

Surprised to see a CG film with the almost invisible stereo conversion applied... how CAN they sell this as 3D?? I couldn't watch more than a few minutes- they didn't even bother to give the star lynx fur... his "skin" was smooth! Looked pretty terrible (I expected better with Antonio Banderas as producer).

THE HUNGER GAMES MOCKINGJAY Part 2 Three stars - 2015 Lionsgate

Sprinkings of amazing (converted) stereoscopic scenes, but the movie was overly long- too many tedious stretches with little going on and lots of yappy dialogue. It wasn't until the "oil flood" that the film started to gain traction... later the attack by the "mutts" was really spectacular. The tagline was "Nothing can prepare you for the end"... really? I was just thinking it was never going to come...

TEENAGE NINJA MUTANT TURTLES: Out of the Shadows Three and a half stars - 2016 Paramount

I really didn't want to like this movie, but the CG/converted live hybrid 3D was really good, and the characters were fun. Definitely doesn't take itself too seriously! Set in NYC, we begin with a beautiful hyper stereo aerial of the city to find the brother mutants hopping off the Chrysler building... Lots of villians to enjoy from the deadpan Asian badass Shredder to the zany grotesque Krang inside a killer robot. Plenty of action, rocking soundtrack and good humor makes this an enjoyable, if oddball, superhero saga.

HELLBENDERS 3D Three stars - 2012 Ambush Entertainment

Sort of a Ghostbusters for Demons, the storyline centers on a group of "ministers" (still working for the church?) that commit lots of sins to insure that as a last resort during an excorcism they can bring the demon down to hell with them. Pretty far-fetched and blasphemous, but pretty good characters and wacky enough to be interesting. Calling it a comedy is a stretch, but at least the native 3D is decent.

INALIENABLE One star - 2008 Renegade Studios

Calling this a 3D Blu Ray is total bull! I've never seen a conversion this flat... hard to find any significant parallax. No doubt purely automated conversion with the slider set to 1. Nonetheless, I tried to get through the movie, but the story and writing was just so bad that I could not justify spending the time. I got through maybe 15 minutes and saw no hope for improvement.

VATICAN MUSEUM 3D Two and a half stars - 2015 Sky 3D

Certainly, the classic sculptures in the museum benefit from stereoscopic video, but the paintings? The producers decided to do conversions on these masterpieces- unfortunately most of them were poorly exectued. One could question whether paintings should be tampered with at all in this way... personally I love to see paintings well converted. Breathes new life into them! Of course, converting the Sistene Chapel to 3D would be a Herculean task in itself, but better to leave it alone than present this slipshod job. Mostly trite commentary and even an out of sync clip of the curator made for a less than stellar production.

FASCINATION CORAL REEF One and a half stars - 2013 Universal

A few shots that were quite beautiful, but overall the underwater footage was rather dingy and often the camera lingered on the same scene for way too long. The music was clear but tedious and the narration was uninspired. Very often the scene was too deep and far behind the window. Lots of underwater 3D out there and usually makes for great 3D... this was far from the best.

THE JUNGLE BOOK Three stars - 2016 Disney

Technically spectacular, but I didn't get drawn in to the story and most of the characters were less than engaging (I did like the boy and Bill Murray's bear). The visuals were enough to keep my interest with the first class animal renderings and locomotion with luscious sets, perfect for stereo. Took me a while to get over these super realistic animals chatting like Mr. Ed... Some of the violent tiger action made me jump, I'm guessing some kids were pretty shaken! Nice touch to add some (cg) splash drops on the "camera lens" (maybe not the first time I've seen it, but very clever). Topped off with some really nice "pop-up book" graphics at the initial end credits.

LEGENDS OF OZ Dorothy's Return Two and a half stars - 2012 Summertime Entertainment

It's always a roll of the dice with these independent cg films... I was hopeful when the opening credits were so creative, and with good 3D. Unfortunately, the design on these iconic character left much to be desired. Dumb dialog and new characters that were mildly engaging at best, with almost no laughs (I can't deny one chuckle). Decent 3D, especially in a few memorable scenes in the City of China and the Cave of Fireflies.

ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Four stars - 2016 Disney

A visual feast in stereo 3D! Too bad the film flopped, as the third dimension was spectacular... looked like the director really embraced it. Some scenes were particularly striking, such as the hall of watches and the ocena of time. Great characters, gorgeous costumes and lucious, fantastic sets with stellar integration of live action and cg. The story never lagged but failed to make an emotional connection. Nicely done intial end credits.

NOAH Three stars - 2014 Paramount

Spectacular cinematography with A list actors (Russell Crowe is excellent) but... where did that story come from? Already the Biblical Noah's ark story is pretty hard to swallow, but this version adds lots of strange accoutrements, not the least of which are "the Watchers"- huge multi-armed stone creatures (that apparently used to be angels). Magic dust to put the birds and animals into hibernation? Huge army of citizens trying to overtake the ark? And Noah first cites that it's not the end, but a new beginning- only to change his mind so only the animals should survive (to the point where he lets his son's fiancee get stomped to death and is ready to slaughter his newborn grandchildren)? Not to mention the ark, which is the size of the Queen Mary, hand built by Noah's small family (with the help of the talking stone monsters). A few scenes worked really well in stereo (underwater premonition, birds flying into ark) but lots of very slow sections.

MISS PEREGRIN'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN Three stars - 2016 20th Century Fox

First: the name is too long. The plot is convoluted and often ridiculous. The characters are weird, but not quite weird enough. Though there were some artfully designed scenes, I found the narrative dull- I was never drawn in to the story. Good stereo conversion, but not optimally utilized.

SHAOLIN BOOT CAMP 3D Three stars - 2012 Lighthouse

Even though the disc says "IMAX", it sure looks like it was made for TV, with the "Coming Up" commercial breaks every ten minutes! I do like martial arts, so it was interesting to visit this reknowned, secretive Buddhist temple. Unfortunately, the Hollywood actor (Jason Scott Lee) who came for a 2 week training "boot camp" made it like a reality show- with flashy effects which took away from the sanctity of this revered historic sanctuary. Still, there were some amazing physical feats, many in slow motion, all in decent 3D.

QUACKERZ Three stars - 2016 Rome Animation

Surprisingly high quality design and animation (though I generally didn't care for the character design) in this movie that no one's ever heard of . Sort of a steampunk sensibility and the stereo3D was good. A few scenes were quite visually entertaining, but the story/dialogue was dreary (the tagline is "they'll quack you up"... it's about ducks-get it?)... One actual point of humor was when the witch became beautiful again with sun power, her bustline was subtly enhanced as well!

FABRIC OF TIME Two and a half stars - 2007 Grizzly Adams

This should have been called "Shroud of Turin 3D", as that's really the only subject of this documentary. The idea is that there's not just a 2D image on the fabric, but some kind of holographic information that they were able to "re-create" (though I'm still not sure how they managed it). Of course they showed the "hologram" in 3D, but not how they went from the cloth to laser. The stereo was mostly OK, but there were segments in the interview scenes that went way out of sync! I did find this subject quite interesting as there's a lot of conflicting theories as to how the image appeared and when. Some was far-fetched, but if you believe in miracles...

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: The Ghost Dimension Three stars - 2015 Paramount

Interesting use of 3D, seen only when the ghost is viewed through the "spirit camera". Works especially well for an audience jump when the demon suddenly leaps toward the camera with a loud sound. Story and effects are decent in this "found footage" type film. There is a supposed exorcism, which doesn't turn out so well and an ending that is less than happy. Apparently there is an alternate ending, but I didn't see access to it on my 3D Blu Ray disc.

CANE TOADS: The Conquest Three and a half stars - 2010 Kaliedoscope

Had no idea what to expect from a movie billed as "a documentary horror film". Turned out to be a quirky documentary (with a "Best in Show/Christopher Guest" flavor) leaving the viewer wondering which of the zany vignettes are factual or not. Dogs having hallucinations? Purses and dioramas made of dead toads? Video footage of trucks trying to squash as many of them as possible on the roads, while the end credits claim "no animals were harmed during the making of this film". Unlike anything I've ever seen! Some instances of really bad conversions and some sync errors, but within this style of natively shot 3D, it actually added to the humor.

DEAD SPACE: AFTERMATH One half star - 2011 Starz Media

Could not sit through the whole movie... did maybe 20 minutes. Little to no 3D "conversion" (on a CG movie!?) and video game style animation, but low end. Zero lip sync and only basic, elementary design/animation. Didn't help that I watched this following viewing Moana. Space movie with no space.

MOANA Four stars - 2016 Disney

One of the most beautifully lit, designed and rendered cg animations I've seen... absolutely top notch. Loved the lead character and chicken designs. I was a bit disappointed in the story during the first act- another politically correct female empowerment fable with annoying songs (beautiful voices, but corny). But then we met "Maui" (Dwayne Johnson) and suddenly it was game on! Even his song ("You're Welcome") was total fun, introducing the (hand drawn) animated tattoo and including ingenious stereo 3D graphics. I found plenty of laugh out loud moments (especially "If you start singing now, I'll throw up")... Then come the coconut pirate ships and the monster crab- brilliant! Water effects- amazing! Georgeous stereo 3D throughout... Initial end credits showcased some of the spectacular models (objects) in close up high definition... nice. I'd recommend just starting at Chapter 7.

SUICIDE SQUAD Three stars - 2016 Warner Bros

Lots of interesting characters, but the group never really gelled. Joker and Harley Quinn stole the show while Amanda the intelligence officer was seriously dull... Story moved along well enough, but never really exciting or witty. The converted stereo3D worked well, especially on the Enchantress's flowing vestments and the attacking outstretched arms of her reanimated brother. The best 3D of the movie was saved for the initial end credits.

LICHTMOND: The JOURNEY Two stars - 2016 Blu Phase Media

There was potential: very surreal surround soundscape with fantastic spaced out visuals, but the 3D was WAY too deep! The cg design was fairly rudimentary and it looked like rendered with toed-in cameras... not comfortable to view. One song/poem flowed into the next, so it was like an 80 minute music video... a bit long (and really very similar themes... could have been a much better 10 minutes). I had to remove glasses for the final segments. Made me think that it would really be great if something like FANTASIA were today today in stereo 3D!

THE BFG Three stars - 2016 Disney

Another visually stunning but juvenile project from Disney (Spielberg!). The Queen of England blasting green farts? Yikes. However, the excellent stereo 3D and CG effects were perfectly synced with the live actors and the rendering of the giants was mesmerizing. The "dreams" looked great, but I didn't get what they were supposed to actually be... ? I think it would have been better named Big Friendly Giant (as BFG can be easily confused with BFD).

IMMORTAL Three stars - 2004/2008- First Look

(Not to be confused with "Immortals") Very interesting Bladerunner-esque future sci-fi/fantasy that mixes in some Egyptian myths. In addition, it's the first time I've seen live action (real) actors mixed in with cg (virtual) actors, which is really appropriate since the story involves humans and synthetic humans. The story is a bit hard to follow, but I found it quite engrossing and visually striking. Unfortunately, the stereo3D conversion was among the worst I've seen! Often the eyes were set way back in their sockets, and random stuff (often red?) stuck out... Looks like this was converted and re-released for the German 3D market, and it's a shame it wasn't well done as this could have looked spectacular.

ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE Three stars - 2016 Blue Sky

Excellent animation, stereo3D and (mostly) character design... too bad the writing fell short this time around. Normally laughs abound, but we managed just a few giggles... Scrat found himself in an unusual recurring role which may have stretched his obsession a bit far- but some of the space adventures were fun. Nice creative segment when Buck explains the stone prophecy and overall the visuals were as good as it gets in computer animation. Long live 3D!

GARFIELD'S PET FORCE Two stars - 2009 DigiArts

Aside from one minor chuckle ("can you open my jar?"), there wasn't much to laugh about in this weakly scripted animation. I'm not too familiar with the actual comic, but some of the characters were awkward or downright moronic. It's a tough transition from ink to modelling, and I'm not sure this was all that successful. There were flashes of nice design and thoughtful stereo, but I was looking forward to the end since it was mostly lacking in the entertainment dept.

JUNGLE SHUFFLE One and a half stars - 2013 Cinedigm

Unusual CG treatment... sort of an inconsistent blend of cel, paint and rendered animation. Some of the characters had decent design, but some were the most atrocious I've yet to see on the "big screen". The writing was often obnoxious and the music was crude. The stereo was ok (though pretty thin), except the opening credit sequence was completely flat... which had me fumbling with controls to see if I'd hit the wrong setting. The best art was at the final credits with (flat) oil paintings of several movie scenes.

ANTMAN Two and a half stars - 2015 Marvel

Some fun effects, but not enough to justify an entire movie. The story was stupid (mind control of ants?!), there was barely a villian, and I endured drawn out, dull, dialogue. Luckily the low level criminals were often amusing and the stereo was decent (especially the segment where Antman goes "sub-atomic"). Final scene opens the door for "Antwoman" sequel...

LEGEND OF TARZAN Four stars - 2016 Warner Bros.

My kind of down-to-earth "superhero" movie with great characters, story, cinematography and special effects. Our hero didn't need a costume padded with fake muscles! They might have gone a bit overboard with what a human can do, but overall the story regarding Congo slave trading was quite feasible. Well played love story, with Tarzan and Jane opposing two convincingly malicious villians (massive warrior leader and loathsome diamond trader). Spectacular mix of live action and cg animation, with the stereo scenes of Tarzan and the apes swinging through the trees being among the most compelling. Unfortunately the stereo conversion (by Prime Focus) was only decent at best... otherwise quite enjoyable.

GREEN LANTERN Two and a half stars - 2011 Warner Bros.

Juvenile attempt at expanding the DC superhero film universe. Good 3D could have helped, but it was mostly poor and often non-existant (which is ironic since the nasty CG villian is named "Parallax"!) The 2 hour movie dragged quite often, and the action scenes seemed run of the mill. The best sequence featured our hero making a huge green floating racetrack with giant racecar to save the people from the helicopter skidding through the party crowd- a perfect opportunity for some amazing stereo squandered.

VALHALLA RISING Two and a half stars - 2010 IFC Films/One Eye Productions

Oddly appropriatly named protagonist "One Eye", since this was a pathetic excuse for a 3D conversion. Which was unfortunate, since it was quite an intense, engaging film... sort of a Fight Club meets Medeival Mad Max. Very dark and brutal, but poetic and timeless- in that European kind of way- with the occasional strange flash cuts to monochrome milieus. Some beautiful cinematography offset sacred quests and ruthless savagery. Still unclear as to who it was we were following... saviour or satan?

47 RONIN Three stars - 2013 Universal

Supposed to be a native 3D movie, but most of the film looked like a poor conversion... I don't know how this happened. Certainly the scene in the bamboo jungle should have had great stereo, but it was quite flat. Did they have the setting at near zero? Some scenes, and of course the cg, often looked good... but even some of the cg was poor (such as when the witch dropped the spider). Otherwise, a decent samuri movie with spectacular sets and good fantasy sequences.

NUTCRACKER 3D Two stars - 2010 G2 Pictures

One of the worst conversions I've seen on a modern big budget movie. Mostly very minimal "emboss" effect, much of which was just wrong. There were CG sections (especially the fantasy snow angels) which were delightful, and very brief moments where it looked like the live action was properly done, but really disconcerting overall that they gave the green light to this horror. The sets and characters (rats with faces!) had potential, but the direction and script were poor, unfortunately.

ULTIMATE WAVE TAHITI Two and a half stars - 2009 Perfect Wave

A stretch to make an entire film from some decent shots of surfing (particularly with cameras on surfboard) mixed with underwater fish and coral footage (ok, some indigenous dancing adds interest). Many of the non-surf people shots are a bit too hyper... The highlights include several very nicely done computer graphics explaining tides and waves, as well as the "Sandee" stereo drawings on top of carved stone faces which lift away.

STAR TREK: BEYOND Two and a half stars - 2016 Paramount

While I do like the cast as replacements for originals, I found the movie a bit tedious and improbable. Great effects with the enemy swarms of attacks of the Enterprise, but that the ship could continue to operate and save all the key players? Their old ship coincidentally found on this distant planet could fire up and fly back home? And it's always troubling (in this "day and age") when aliens are almost exactly like humans except for some makeup and prosthetics. Conversion by Stereo D was decent, but stereo effects weren't well implemented.

ZOOTOPIA Two and a half stars - 2016 Disney

Goofball attempt at a fable of diversity/inclusion epitomized by the line: "a bunny can call another bunny 'cute', but when other animals do it, that's a little... " Really? Painful. How about: "We may be evolved, but deep down we are still animals." (um, these are animals). Ridiculous. Luckily there was some beautiful stereoscopic art: the train into town, the mini-city, and others... The characters were mostly rather forgettable (the DMV sloths were tiresome) but the Godfather (Mr. Big) character was amusing. No doubt I'll have to endure a Zootopia 2. No stereo stills.

GHOSTBUSTERS Answer the Call Two and a half stars - 2016 Sony

Exceedingly unfunny, with female comedy lines like the slime got into "every crack". Both Bill Murray and Dan Ackyroyd (producer) appear- I'd think they be embarrassed... However, the effects were quite good- I have to admit to flinching at the first ghostly 3D vomit in my face. One highlight is that many of the CG effects break the bottom and top edges of the screen- way more than any other movie I've seen. This is always a treat and they really had fun with it here (I rented the 2D version and they did break the frame here as well).

KUNG FU PANDA 3 Three stars - 2016 Dreamworks

Some wonderful art direction and splendid stereo, but the key elements (the characters) are just terribly bland- especially the lead (Jack Black). It doesn't help that the writing is not funny, or witty, or interesting. The villian and the female dancing Panda were marginally engaging and the overall animation excellent, but if I'm barely able crack a smile during a purported comedy, it's not worthy of a high grade... sorry! (Couldn't help but compare this to the Madagascar franchise, whose characters are hilarious and uniquely designed.)

ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE Five stars - 2016 Sony/Columbia/Rovio

All set to dislike this movie (exploiting a fad video game) when I found myself drawn in: beautiful design, great animation, ample sounds and solid characters set in supurb stereoscopic spaces... After I got to like the birds, we're introduced to some very comical pigs, then more and more pigs... Soon we're up at the Lake of Wizdom and I'm laughing out loud, crying at the eagle's mountain abode antics. The stereo was simply stunning, especially when we find ourselves at the pig city. Non-stop shenanegans with layers of subtle humor woven through... references from other movies (when the Shining came onscreen I freaked!). I especially liked the yellow bird (Chuck) doing a Quicksilver take. Just elated to discover another excellent 3D animation after a lot of uninspired bits. (note: on 2nd viewing, I upgraded from 4.5 to a full 5 star rating. I could not imagine this movie being any better! Loved it just as much again.)

BATMAN vs SUPERMAN: Dawn of Justice Three stars - 2016 Warner Bros.

A DC fan as a kid, I'm just not thrilled about many of the modern touches for these iconic characters. Superman just floats up and down... and takes off like a rocket. His cape drags along the ground. Much of this movie went unexplained and left this viewer scratching his head. Luckily the stereo conversion was well done and some scenes worked well (most memorable was Superman amongs the Day of the Dead revelers and young Bruce with the colony of bats). The villian was well played but the character design was certainly minimal. Wonder Woman seemed to be included for no real reason than political correctness (girl power!)?

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Four stars- 2016 20th Century Fox

Maybe the best "super-hero" movie I've seen... Excellent use of 3D, very strong villain and characters that have personality. The story was solid, moved along and kept my interest throughout the 143 minutes... There were a number of scenes that were just so amazing they elicited actual "wow"s: the opening "time tunnel" sequence is classic for 3D and they did it beautifully; the scene where Quicksilver does his superspeed thing and the world comes to a stop is phenomenal; then there's the "Cerebro" environments that were just made to for stereo. Great sound and filmed in 3D! Thank you, Bryan Singer.

FLIRTING WITH FLAMENCO One half star - 2006/2011 Isis Films

Yikes! No doubt the WORST conversion ever! I'm pretty sure they used one of those automatic 2D-3D converters when this 2006 movie was re-released in 3D in 2011. How did people think this was 3D?? We had to switch to 2D, and even then it was just a really bad movie... couldn't watch more than a half hour or so.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Civil War Three stars - 2016 Marvel

This movie was like being at a giant amusement park... seemed like a long wait between rides, but they're really good rides! The battle scenes were amazing (especially in this well-converted 3D) but the story was a bit confusing and overall way too long. Somehow I don't get involved with these characters... perhaps there's too many? Long dialogue between the action was just not engaging or interesting...

MONSTER IN PARIS Three stars - 2013 Shout Factory

Beautifully rendered scenes with artistic sensibility... the female lead was among the most beautiful cg ladies I've seen. Unfortunately the premise was really tough to swallow (flea turns into a multi-talented humanoid via scientific potion) and the stereo was terribly flat. Otherwise the story moves along well and is enjoyable.

POMPEII Three and a half stars - 2014 Tri-Star/Constantin

Solid characters with a cross class romance and striking special effects. Stereoscopic imagery certainly worked well to float the flaming rocks spewing toward the audience... Very violent opening scenes might turn some off, but overall the blood and guts in the numerous battles were tolerable. Of course, no humans could actually withstand the amount of abuse shown, but these films are generally built from the popular superhero framework.

MAYA THE BEE Three stars - 2015 Shout Factory

Exceedingly cute, with good, simple, nicely designed CG. The characters were fun, especially the "twin" soldier ants. Very good stereoscopic implementation... Unfortunately the writing was mostly quite juvenile, apparently for a very young audience. It's not easy to keep both adults and kids interested, but this was better than some. Was it mere coincidence that the lead grasshopper's name was "Flip", while the lead grasshopper in Pixar's "A Bug's Life" was named "Flik"?

POLTERGEIST Two and a half stars - 2015 MGM

The stereo 3D (conversion) was very good, otherwise the movie missed most marks. Mainly the characters were unconvincing: the litte girl was good but the brother needed to be much more engaging. Not really scary and too many story holes: did the ghosts design and build the clown dolls, and hide them? They can turn a car over but not pull the girl from mom's arms? Some nice underworld design but it was too little to save this botched remake.

OUT OF INFERNO Four stars - 2013 Universe (China)

Excellent native 3D disaster film shot in China. A burning skyscraper's rescue efforts with plenty of spectacular fire effects. Good acting and characters, with engaging storylines and action that kept me on the edge of my seat- and even emotional at the end. English subtitles and a "Making Of" segment featuring the caucasian Stereoscopic Specialist (though I could not directly acess the segment through the menu on 2D or 3D disc... had to "rip" the disc (I use DVDFab ... also Chinese?) and went directly to the .mts file (10).

GODS OF EGYPT Four stars - 2016 Lionsgate

Seems I almost never agree with critics (who panned this film). Aside from being a bit long, this was an action-packed super fantasy film with all the fixins... Spectacular effects (emphasized by excellent 3D conversion by Legend 3D) with compelling "real" and cg characters (featuring the stunningly beautiful Courtney Eaton) and exhilarating soundtrack which kept me very awake from start to finish. Nice size difference between humans and gods which I don't remember seeing before... Lots of luscious fantasy sequences- one particular short scene of swirling through a nightmare was extremely effective 3D. Of course, I was intrigued that the god Horus was supposed to be weaker with only one eye!

FINEST HOURS Three stars - 2016 Walt Disney

Pretty amazing that a tanker can keep going after it's broken in half! A Hollywood version of a fact-based story about a near impossible rescue... there's not really a lot of plot: little boat rescues many men. It's really the effects that star in this film, and they're good. The main protagonist is fairly one-dimensional, and the stereo dimensions are good enough. Another Blu Ray that Disney decided not to release in 3D here in the US (this was Russian disk)..

TAD The Lost Explorer Three stars - 2012 El Toro Pictures

Decent cg animation from Spain, but English voices seemed to be first class. Enjoyable characters, with possibly the sexiest female I've seen in a computer animated cartoon (apparently they can do that in Europe!). Directly taken from Indiana Jones, with comic relief from the assistant Freddy (Cheech Marin). Interesting that the text in the movie was in English (since it's all in Spanish in that version). Stereo was well done, though not utilized to maximum benefit.

POSTMAN PAT The Movie Two and a half stars - 2014 Lionsgate

Movie from cg series from the UK, aimed at pre-school. Very sweet, with simple doll-like characters. Decent overall design with a nice story (though even little kids likely find it hard to swallow the town believing the robot version of Postman Pat is real!). Stereo was well done, especially effective with the robot army.

SPACE CHIMPS Two stars - 2008 20th Century Fox

How could a major production company, using quality Hollywood voice talent, create such a lame piece of animation? OK, the alien Zartog was mildly entertaining, and I liked the clown that had about 10 seconds of screen time... Otherwise the story, dialogue, design and animation were rather pathetic. I was astonished to see the ground plane, perfectly flat, with stones or clover mapped on... NO texture! I guess this is a lot more apparent in 3D? Speaking of which, the stereo went from decent to non-existent. Seems this disc was not released in 3D in the US (this one was Russian... took a bit to figure out how to get the English dialogue. Maybe Russian would have been better.)

DEEP PURPLE Wacken 3D Three stars - 2013 Ear Music

The band is ancient, but managed to give a decent performance aside from the strained vocals. 3D coverage was good, but really seemed to be lacking a variety of shots... possibly more limited due to being an outdoor venue. The music was well recorded, with a nice booming bass drum. Some audience members were wearing anaglyph glasses (on TOP of their heads)... turns out there was an anaglyph trailer (for the full Wacken 3D ?) which was purported to be the single largest 3D screening in film history: 75,000 viewers.

ENCHANTED KINGDOM 3D Four stars - 2015 BBC

Another excellent 3D nature study, but it seems they've converted some of the footage from 2D. This is probably better than just leaving it flat if it's done well (in this case it was, by Legend 3D). Not sure why the opening water/city shots are not stereo, but there's a great deal of spectacular vignettes to enjoy. Among my favorites were the "pat" of flamingoes, the time lapse ice and the wildebeest crocodile attack. Must see "Behind the Scenes" with 3D camera rigs included on DVD.

MISS SADIE THOMPSON Two and a half stars - 1953/2016 Columbia

A 1953 B movie that I'm giving a B minus. Can these movies be any more contrived? Was the bar really that low back then? Centered around the "sassy" Rita Hayworth, I thought she was more vexing than sexing. But the marines swarmed around her like a queen bee as she sang various campy songs (is this a musical?). The final "twist" was abrupt and far-fetched and disappointing. The 3D was good, though there were a number of flat scenes and even one that was quite a few frames out of sync.

SHREK 1, 2, 3 Four stars - 2001, 2004, 2007- Dreamworks

Dreamworks decided to convert their first 3 Shrek movies to 3D when they released the 4th (Shrek Forever After)- but instead of rendering two camera views from the original files, they had Legend 3D convert from the 2D! Odd marketing to sell all four in one package, and strange they did "manual" conversions instead of re-renders... was it more cost effective? Apparently itt took 8 weeks per title for conversion (which is quicker than the preferred 12-16 weeks!) and they look very good, indeed. There are some tell-tale effects (transparencies especially) but even those might have been addressed had they had more time (how, I can't imagine!). Barry Sandrew says in this 2011 online interview that they were given a lot of the original "assets", but not all. Many shots look like they were made for 3D! This is an hilarious franchise with lots of sharp wit, solid laughs, and brilliant characters utlizing absolute top notch comedic voice actors. Design and animation are magnificent, and these hold up well years later. I did deduct a half star for non native CG 3D... but I'm so glad they went 3D with these.

PEANUTS MOVIE Three stars - 2016 Fox/Blue Sky

The opening "PUT ON YOUR 3D GLASSES" segment was brilliant! Lucy bad-mouthing the 3D glasses while Charlie Brown says how things will pop right out of the screen, then (of course) stuff pops out- even breaking the top and bottom of the frame! Love that! Thought they did a great job with bringing the 2D characters into the fully rounded world... even adding the action lines in 3D as well as a few segments with 2D elements (in 3D layers). Unfortunately the writing was pretty mundane, and it was only the clean visuals with Shultz's classic characters providing interest. Nice to see non "cookie-cutter" CG characters.

THE HOLE Three and a half stars - 2009 Bold Films

3D adds an important element in this native 3D film, which is an odd mixture of freaky/scary and cute- with little if any gore. Several scenes are particulary good in stereo, including Bruce Dern's light bulb room. Too bad several clever elements were upstaged by the mundane scenes, like the "fight" between the boy (memories of Danny from the Shining) and the evil doll.

THE LEGEND OF SARILA Three stars - 2013 CarpeDiem

Nicely desiged CG tale of Eskimos (Inuits) and their evil/good spirits. After a long and arduous trek, the entrance to Sarila was not unlike discovering Oz... suddenly the drab white snowy landscape burst into a colorful utopia.

PRIEST 3D Three and a half stars - 2011 Sony Pictures

Better than expected, and opening with a spectacular stereo graphic novel animation that I'd like to see more of! Lots of action, fighting some very nasty creatures, with one underground scene particularly macabre... and the train sequence was also impressive. 3D conversion was surprisingly good.

BOXTROLLS 3D Three stars - 2014 Laika

Some beautiful scenes and extraordinary voice characterizations by Ben Kingsley, but otherwise a goofball story with very thin stereo 3D. The 3 henchmen were fairly amusing, but the other star characters were less than engaging. Never mind the giant question of how the little boy, who grew up with these grunting trolls, learned to speak perfect English (which the trolls apparently understand). The very end shows a stereo time-lapse ghost of the human tech animating the figures... utterly amazing.

PENGUIN KING Two and a half stars - 2012 NWave

The lowest tier so far in any David Attenborough 3D I've seen. Some good stereo, but the entire movie is almost the same overcast scenes over and over of the "Penguin City"... along with some "flatulent" seals and hungry birds. Quite a few 2D shots, and they even added 3D snow layers over 2D footage...There were supposed to be some behind the scenes clips, but I could not access them. Apparently this was released in the US with Tim Allen trying to spice things up with some "funny" commentary replacing Attenborough's narration... but it only made things worse.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: ALIVE Three stars - 2014 Sky 3D

Possibly my least favorite of the David Attenborough 3D series, it was entirely shot at the London Natural History Museum and consisted of prehistoric birds and animals coming "alive" through computer graphics. It was certainly well done, with both animated skeletons and fully fleshed animals roaming through the museum with beautfully matched shadows and reflections in the live environments. However, compared to shooting real live nature, it was only marginally interesting to see artist's renditions of how these creatures may have looked... and it seemed to go on for a very long time.

SCORPIONS Live in 3D Three and a half stars - 2011 Sony Music

Not a huge fan of this German power chord band, but the 3D was well done and the signature song "Rock You Like A Hurricane" does rock pretty well! Musicians and singer are competent, but I find the music mostly sophomoric. Sound quality was good, however, especially in the accoustic numbers. The best part was the behind the scenes extra, which was not only in 3D but had lots of talk about 3D production and plenty of equipment shots! Turns out after band member Rudolf saw "Avatar" he decided 3D would be a great way for people to really experience a live concert... duh! It was great to see his enthusiasm for the medium via English subtitles (which were glitchy on my Sony Playstation but played fine on the Samsung Blu-Ray player).

POINT BREAK Four and a half stars - 2015 Alcon Entertainment

Wow! Thought this was a surfer movie from the cover, and had otherwise not heard much about it. Possibly low expectations led to a high grade, but this movie was action-packed from start to finish, with good characters and great 3D (by StereoD). Around the world for the most extreme sports, wrapped in an FBI detective story that questions good vs. evil. Solid male comraderie is fearlessly embraced, and the depicted real world athletics outplays the super hero antics currently popular. Why this movie got bad to mediocre reviews is as mysterious as why many people are turned off by 3D. (Note: After viewing reviews like "useless remake", I ordered a DVD of the 1991 original with Keanu Reeves. Yikes! Slow and insipid, my wife and I got through about 15 minutes before we had to bail. The big surf scene looked like a wading pool! The remake is so much better in every respect, and of course being in 3D doesn't hurt.)

CONQUEST OF THE SKIES Four and a half stars- 2014 Sky3D

Discovered a second 3 Disc Collection which includes this David Attenborough 3D documentary with spectacular stereoscopic footage of the natural world. These productions are absolutely precious and no one has (or may never!) done anything like them. There were a number of 2D segments and long stretches of structural analysis, but several brilliant clips including a prehistoric bird emerging from his fossil and flying around the room, with the 88 year old Sir David chasing him around. Much of the extraordinary filming is documented in the Behind the Scenes segment, which shows the Red stereo camera rig and the 3D Octocopter.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 Two and a half stars - 2015 Columbia/Sony

The scariest part is how bad the writing is! Apparently this was mostly an ad for the Sony smartphone, which was prominently featured (also saw a Sony Vaio laptop!). Lots of monster-y characters, but only a handful were creatively designed (and those were strictly peripherals). Not a hint of anything actually funny, though there was one visual gag I found mildly amusing (abstract art related). There were some nicely designed scenes, but the stereo was a bit thin throughout and it really could have been utilized better.

STALINGRAD Four stars - 2013 Art Pictures

Epic war film with some unforgettable scenes, in stunning 3D. The humanity of several love stories woven in to the inhumanity of war- without the usual graphic gruesomeness. A bit long, and war is not an easy thing to watch, no matter how well done. Little US distribution, and none for the 3D Blu Ray. Interestingly the German soldiers had English subtitles, but the Russian soldiers spoke dubbed American English... it was hard to remember they weren't Americans!

RESCUE 3D Three stars - 2011 Imax

Interesting views of rescue equipment in action (particularly a helicopter that lands on water) but with lots of jumping around from firefighter to plane to helicopter back to firefighter to navy ship... lots of footage in 2D. Surprisingly some of the most compelling footage was 2D: the last part of the movie was about the rescue efforts after the earthquake in Haiti, and we saw arial shots of the devastation. During the flyover of a huge, semi-demolished church, the structure collapsed like dominoes- right in front of the camera! Unlike much of the movie, this was no recreation... I would have preferred concentration primarily on Haiti (certainly the most interesting segment), but there was likely just not enough coverage.

GOOSEBUMPS Two and a half stars - 2013 Warner Bros.

Took a long stretch of juvenile dialog to get to the effects- the very first one of type rising up and peeling away from book pages was great! Then the nasty "abominable snowman" emerges, followed by long chase scenes where he always seems to just miss mangling or killing the teens. More and more "monsters" are set free, including the ringleader ventriloquist dummy who is not exactly scary. I guess this really is for pretty little kids... There are some engaging scenes, like the abandoned amusement park in the woods... should we be surprised that the electricity still works? Apparently this is supposed to be a combination of laughs and scares, but there wasn't much of either. Perhaps having read the books helps? At least the 3D conversion was decent and the lead end credits were nice 3D illustrations.

CLOUDY with a Chance of MEATBALLS 2 Four stars - 2013 Sony Pictures

The character design grew on me, as did the art design in what turned out to be a surrealistic tour de force of stereoscopic imaging. The villian character reminded me of the professor from the 1953 3D animation SAM SPACE and his multiple holograms made for some of the fun 3D effects. I did, in fact, laugh several times, but the star of this movie was the eye candy: I paused many times to admire the gorgeous stereo design (luckily Sony didn't cause a paused frame to flatten). I did see some flat backgrounds where multiple camera interaxials might have helped... some 3D was weak. One gag was a bit odd: the main character tries to run down an alley, but he runs into some kind of flat sign... it WAS 3D when he ran into it (so it looked like a dimensional space) but when the camera pulled away a flat (2D) billboard about an Alley maker is revealed . It's a 2D gag that they tried to pull off in 3D! Very strange. Also strange that the very creative main end credits were only 2D; then a movie coda in 3D; and finally the rolling credits in simple 3D.

THE MARTIAN Three stars - 2015 20th Century Fox

First of all, he's not a Martian. That and a multitude of extremely far-fetched situations in this film left me less than enthusiastic. Yes, the production was top-notch, acting was quite good and the (partly) native stereo was excellent (especially the flying in space w tether scene). But there were just too many convenient circumstances- and after a real-life survival film (Everest) this one just seemed too hard to believe. Full-on space fiction is one thing, but this was being portrayed as a pseudo documentary. Never mind that I'm not at all a fan of space exploration- we've got plenty of issues to deal with here on good ol' planet Earth.

THE NUT JOB Two stars - 2014 Toonbox

So disappointing, especially having seen the brilliant short "Nuts and Robbers" on the BEST OF 3D Blu Ray. The cop and robbers in the short were beautifully designed and clever... 3D was perfectly utilized... the squirrel was brown and cute... zero dialogue (except for the crime alert on the radio) so it was nicely pantomimed. The full film made the lead squirrel character purple instead of brown, and not cute, indeed he now has a nasty selfish edge (possibly to match the voice actor?). Only two characters I thought had good design (Buddy the rat who was in the short- but gray instead of green, and the evil cardinal bird) but the writing was just pathetic! Not one of the characters was funny at all... or even likeable. The stereo 3D was minimal for the most part... many backgrounds were painted, so totally flat! How could the "teaser" be so good, and the full film be so awful... from the same crew? And to top it off, the Blu-Ray included the short, but only in 2D ! You've GOT to be kidding me!

GALACTIC ADVENTURES: 3D SUN /MARS 3D Three stars / One star - 2013 Image Entertainment

Two short documentaries, very different. 3D Sun was a very interesting look at the NASA STEREO project that set two satellites in space for stereoscopic imaging and measurements of the sun. Mind boggling that they can do this, and the resulting imagery is phenomenal (though the scene was set farther behind the window than necessary, exacerbating the high contrast, high parallax ghosting on my polarized projection). Mostly high quality 3D with lots of good CG. Unfortunately, the Mars short was mostly 2D... for the first half I was wondering what was wrong with the Blu Ray and went back and forth trying to fix it. But then it's time to "put on the glasses" (!?) and we were shown a number of poorly aligned and way too deep stereo images of the dead planet. Many of the shots were flat in this section as well. I can understand going to study the lifegiving fireball whose activity directly affects us; but I consider it a terrible waste of billions of dollars to venture to and land on Mars just to see if maybe there was water there at some point...

HARLOCK: Space Pirate Three and a half stars - 2013 Toei Animation

Video-game style animation with excellent use of stereo 3D... plenty of soldiers, spaceships, light rays and explosions. Well designed sets and costumes with great sound effects and the characters were well rendered. The biggest complaint is the lip-sync: awful! Not sure if it was because the film was Japanese (though on this Blu Ray, it was English-only) but sometimes it seemed their mouths hardly moved at all! Very disconcerting. The face animation was a bit stiff, otherwise quite realistic. The story was a bit difficult to follow, but the imagery and action made it enjoyable. Beautifully designed end credits, as well as one of the longest "Stereoscopic 3D" credit rolls I've seen. (Blu Ray not released in the US! Odd, since the audio is English.)

EVEREST Four stars - 2015 Universal

True to life adventure up (and down) the world's tallest mountain, in spectacular 3D! There really should be an academy award for stereo conversions, the process is insane and the people who do it well should be recognized (as is often the case, this was by StereoD). Snow, mist, lens flares... was it all cg post? How was the breathtaking cinematography done? Luckily there was extensive behind the scenes bonus features (as well as director's commentary) which was enlightening... even being shot in 2D, the task was monumental. Based on a true story, it was a bit difficult to sort out all the characters and groups, so the second time around with the director was helpful (what happens when physical media goes away??). Very dramatic story, well presented.

SPACE JUNK 3D Three stars - 2011 Imax/Melrae

Decent documentary about the tons of satellite remnants orbiting around the earth, threatening the space station and working satellites. Computer imaging utilizes stereo really well to show the circling objects and crashes that have occurred. Nice title sequence as well! Includes beautiful nighttime hyperstereo footage of some large cities (Shanghai? Singapore?).

AMAZON 3D One half star - 2013 3D Media

These guys are seriously low budget... four people listed in credits. Mostly shot after mundane shot of random jungle scenes and unclear shots from the boat on the river. Many close ups were WAY too close for the interaxial, and I had to pull my glasses off quite often to avoid having my eyeballs pulled apart. Footage of turtles underwater included stereo reflections, totally obscuring the animals... I'd be surprised if you could find 3 decent minutes of cinematagraphy in this 50 minute offering. Horrendous editing- often the shot the narrator is talking about shows up seconds later. The Blu Ray cover shows a jaguar menacingly heading right for the viewer- the movie actually shows the animal only from overhead walking along and sitting in the grass. Good luck sitting through this one.

The GOOD DINOSAUR Two stars - 2015 Disney/Pixar

It's sad that the once mighty Pixar is releasing pablum this mindless. Yes, their rendering of the natural world is spectacular! But there was almost zero actual story, and the character design/development was uninspired (with the possible exception of the lead Rex dino)... looks like they recycled those decal eyes from the "Cars" franchise, which I've never liked. Apparently these dinosaurs have evolved into talking farmers, but the humans are mute and crawling on all fours... ?? Not a hint of a laugh throughout, but some great 3D in the firefly flourishes and a very short psychedelic trip. Comes with the Oscar nominated short "Sanjay's Super Team" and I also noticed a "Maximizer" option that helps to set gamma, contrast and 3D settings.

KINGDOM OF PLANTS 3D Five stars - 2012 Sky 3D

This is one of three Blu-Rays in the outstanding David Attenborough series. These sequences unveiling the otherwise hidden natural world are amazing enough, but the addition of stereo 3D is unprecedented. Plants may seem like a dull, academic subject, but the good-natured Sir David (who is like your wise grandfather) leads you through discoveries that are anything but ordinary. Highlights include fruit bats shot in 3D at 2000 frames per second, a carniverous pitcher plant and the sculptural beauty of seemingly simple seeds. A few shots seemed to be less than perfect conversions or even flat, but the stereo overall was just stunning. In the still photo world, flower and insect shots often win the top prizes in 3D competitions... here are some of the best you'll ever see- and often brought to life in fantastic time-lapse stereo. Comes with a 2D "Making Of" disc that is also well worth watching.

GOG One and a half stars - 1954/2015 United Artists/Kino Lorber

I guess I'm glad that this 3D movie was brought back from the dead... or am I? Was it really worth all that time and money? The "Frankenstein" robots were about as scary as a 3rd graders Halloween costume and the story was just silly. It's hard to believe a theatrical feature could be so godawful. Other than the cool "Airstream" helicopter, the sets and costumes were dime store quality. The 3D was pretty good (albeit with some extreme parallax scenes), though the titles and credits were apparently originally flat. Nicely done (in 3D!) restoration bonus which recounts finding the one L eye print, which needed extensive restoration. Was it worth it? You won't find me recommending anyone waste 85 minutes on this clunker... it's for hardcore 3D fans only.

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS One and a half stars - 2010 20th Century Fox

The giant Jack Black becomes a Lilliputian hero by pissing on a burning castle. Sure hope I didn't spoil the movie for you, but that's about the level of "comedy" you can expect in this loser. I can only think it was a vehicle for Mr. Black (also a producer) to become a very big man that the entire city idolizes, with their "Times Square" displaying him on every billboard. Not a glimmer of actual funnyness anywhere to be found- any actor should be ashamed to be in it. On top of that, the stereo conversion was among the worst I've seen. Some scenes had marginally ok 3D, but most were nearly flat. It was a shock to see that (usually perfect) Stereo D did the work... and that credits were listed as "Stereostopic Artists". Pathetic!

MAD MAX: Fury Road Five stars - 2015 Warner Bros.

Having been a fan of the Mel Gibson films I had to wonder how director George Miller, 37 years later (with a new Max), would hold his edge. WOW! Far beyond expectations! From beginning to end it was an intense ride with hardcore villians and heroes pushing life and death to the bloodbag edge. Yes, there was ultra-violence, but maturely presented without relying on gross-out gore. It was a visual tour de force, with many unforgettable scenes that just nailed it in 3D. Not natively shot, but certainly with an eye toward the stereo version- with a few through the window eye-poppers. So glad Miller embraced 3D for this epic work, after the mediocre 2011 3D animation Happy Feet 2.

SAN ANDREAS Four stars - 2015 Warner Bros.

From the start there was an incredible accident rescue which foreshadowed the absolutely astonishing devastation and rescues to come! Turns out I'm much more engaged in "real-life" dramas than most of the fantasy super-hero fare we see so much these days.... The Hoover Dam breaking apart! So realistic, just astounding... then the cities of LA and San Fransisco succumbing to a record earthquakes and tsunami! The rendering so compelling and unnerving I actually shuddered at one point when the helipcopter was evading disaster! When did I last shudder at a movie? The plot and acting were good enough to keep the momentum flowing... The 3D absolutely elevated the alarm (another excellent Stereo D conversion). Is it that I was in just the right mood for this movie and I might not have liked it as much another night? It's likely, but reviews are by humans.

AVENGERS: Age of Ultron Three stars - 2015 Marvel

Perhaps I was distracted with hosting the 3D movie night, but I'm just confused about the characters, and it impedes my enjoyment. I really don't quite understand what the character's powers are (and aren't), how they're together, who are these new guys (enemies, now friends)? Can they actually be killed? All that bombardment (there's a LOT of it) and they're hardly scratched (well, one does get a body reconstruction of some sort- that wasn't real clear either). There was an attempt to make the super-heroes more individual and approachable, but I just didn't connect. Certainly there's amazing action and the villian was pretty formidable... but I may be getting oversaturated with these "ultra battles". Flawless, very effective 3D (conversion by StereoD and Prime Focus). At 2 hours 20 minutes it felt long, and it was apparently cut from 3.5!

TERMINATOR GENISYS Three and a half stars - 2015 Paramount

Solidly entertaining follow up action film, featuring one of the most eye-pleasing stars in Hollywood (and I don't mean Arnold!). A bit hard to follow the logic in the back and forth of time travel, but the plot works, the effects are a blast and the (converted) stereo 3D works great. Amazing how they recreated a young Arnold for a fight with himself!

MINIONS Three and a half stars - 2015 Illumination Entertainment

After the brilliance of the first two (Despicable Me 1 and 2, 5 stars each ) there was certainly a high expectation! Personally, as a huge fan, I was really looking forward to this movie... There were lots of chuckles and even some real laughs, but overall I was disappointed. Computer animation lives through it's characters- unfortunately this supporting cast was less well developed/designed than the previous films... I thought the most entertaining was the Queen of England! As I was a kid in the 60's, it was fun to see the retro designs and enjoy the classic tunes (especially the Minions performing the Monkees theme song in their own funny voices). Excellent 3D, and I appreciate the nice bonus at the very end, after all the credits.

THE MASK Two stars - 1961/2015 Warner/Kino Lorber

Excellent digital restoration of this classic (which was originally released in anaglyph) provides a crisp BW showing. However, the movie is muddled with cheap sets, immature script, mediocre acting and inappropriate music. The "dream sequence" 3D sections are short, and they all look similar- amateur, low budget effects that are about as scary as a cub scout Halloween house. I have to wonder if audiences in 1961 were actually frightened or laughing... The good news is this disc includes "One Night in Hell", the short produced by Brian May and consists of the classic "Diablerie" 1850's stereo tissues brought to life through clever CG animation. This alone is worth the price!

SPIDERS Three stars - 2013 Millenium

With very low expectations, I was surprised that the movie had a decent story, great special effects and native 3D! Reminded me of a good old fashioned monster movie... shot in New York City with lots of underground subway and sub-subway scenes. Enjoyed many hyper stereo scenes of the cityscape as well... With so many space and super-hero movies out there, it's enjoyable and more relatable to see regular people and family battling the mutant creatures.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD in TWO HOURS One and a half stars - 2011 A&E History Channel

So many things wrong, where to begin? First, it's less than 90 minutes, not 2 hours (oh, 2 hours with commercials! I get it). 2nd, they repeat SO MUCH footage and dialogue, I'd be surprised if there was actually one hour of material (it's SO annoying when cable programs do that!). Everything is presented as fact instead of theory (I'm not sure how "the big bang created all the energy in the universe" correlates with the first law of thermodynamics : energy cannot be created ). Besides the factual disputes, the 3D was all over the place. The cg was decent, but I saw some conversions that were horrendous. And plenty of flat footage, just set behind the window.

JUPITER ASCENDING Three and a half stars - 2015 Warner Bros.

Seems a coincidence that I watched this the day after Thor The Dark World... it was a very similar movie! Back and forth between Earth and alien worlds, a script that's a bit difficult to follow, battle scenes galore. I did like this movie better overall, as I thought it was visually spectacular from front to back and the action was just more fun (how about those flying shoes?). The aliens and villians were more interesting and the character development a bit more engaging. However, I thought the lead actress (the main character in the story) was a bit weak. Fantastic 3D conversion.

THOR The Dark World Three stars - 2013 Marvel/Disney

A bit hard to figure out what's going on... eventually it becomes sort of clear. Lots and lots of battle scenes can get tedious, even when done well. Characters were ok, nothing great. There were some stunning visuals and the 3D was done well (apparently a StereoD conversion). Beautiful graphic novel type graphics in 3D during the credits, possibly my favorite part of the movie.

DRAGON NEST Two stars - 2014 Universal

First time I've seen a 3D Blu-Ray that doesn't say 3D on the front... it's listed as a "Bonus Feature"! And I'm guessing that's because it's a conversion (which is really odd since CG can be RENDERED in stereo, rather than applying it in post). The quality was all over the place, from ok to flat to just plain wrong. Characters are very video-game-ish, likely since it's based on a game. One of those movies that I was looking forward to the end... not a good sign. Little story, bland characters and no humor. The wife (who says she was awake for most of it) said it was "cute for kids".

THE PROTECTOR 2 Three and a half stars - 2014 Magnolia

I have to say that these martial arts movies are just amazing! A bit over the top, maybe... but you can't ask for more action! The motorcycle attack scene was insane, and the ultimate fighting room with the flaming walls! Tony Jaa steps on the wall so his feet are on fire as he's kicking the bad guys! Cute female fighters in long flowing dresses... just wild and crazy stuff. Decent 3D, though it seems the stereo base left a lot of the close ups pretty flat. One sequence of a past memory (a previous 2D film of the young elephant) was converted to 3D... really poorly!

TRANSCENDANCE Two stars - 2014 Warner Bros.

First I have to talk about the 3D... about HALF (more?) of the movie was FLAT! The actual 3D was passable, but huge swaths of footage was totally 2D (except maybe pushed back into the window a bit). How does a real Hollywood big star movie have the gumption to release a 3D version like this? OK, so it was only theatrically released in China in 3D, but still- this is ridiculous! Menu is French, it came from a Greek eBay seller (region free)- very strange. The movie itself was flat as well... slow, with a story that didn't quite add up: was Depp good or evil?

I, ROBOT Three stars - 2004/2012 20th Century Fox

Decent science fiction movie, certainly ripe for a good 3D conversion with the armies of robots... Unfortunately the 3D was apparently done semi-automatically (and it shows!) by an experimental JVC conversion technology . The stereo just looked "cheap", foregrounds separated, but backgrounds pretty flat. What should have been layers of robots were barely separated. Some of the shattering explosions worked pretty well, so I would still rather see this poor 3D version than flat (I actually find it entertaining to still frame for clues to conversion techniques!).

SECTOR 7 Two and a half stars - 2011 Shout Factory (Korea)

Really nice 3D opening credits, but the film itself was a poor to adequate conversion. From the huge list of stereo 3D credits at the end, it's no wonder the quality varied so much. I watched the dubbed version, though subtitles were available. Much of the dialogue and story was pretty senseless- however there was enough action to keep interest throughout. This is one monster that just would not die! A few good 3D underwater scenes, including a jellyfish dream.

PIXELS Two and a half stars - 2015 Columbia/Sony

Extremely goofy story, but what do you expect? At least the 3D conversion was well done with extra points for breaking the stereo frame a few times... that is SO much fun! Of course, the CG (pixels, or VOXels in the 3D world) is stereoscopic, with lots of opportunity for playing with space in these 3D versions of old 2D games. I think there was a mild chuckle or two, especially the final Lincoln bedroom twist (oops!).

INSIDE OUT Two and a half stars - 2014 Pixar/Disney

I'm very sad. Pixar has once again embraced a non-sensical premise and produced another ridiculous movie. I'm disgusted that there's no real story, the characters aren't engaging and I found there to be no laughs... not even close. I'm confused because the happy character is crying. I'm fearful that Pixar has lost it's way... I am happy that there were some beautifully rendered human world interiors/exteriors. I'm joyful that there was a moment of imaginative fun when some characters were suddenly abstract (cubist?) versions of themselves, then turned "two dimensional", and finally non-representational! Almost as fun as the SpongeBob 3D movie. (BTW, I'm once again in the minority on rating this Pixar film.)

EXODUS: Gods and Kings Three and a half stars - 2014 Fox

Spectacular stereoscopic cinematography highlights this epic Biblical film from Ridley Scott. If not for the overly long (2.5 hour!) running time and often slow pace, it certainly would have a higher rating. It is a thrill to watch such a monumental work presented by a top director who thoroughly embraces 3D. Soundtrack was also well played- and acting, sets, lighting, cg all superb. Especially stunning were the plague and Red Sea sequences...

JOURNEY 2: The Mysterious Island Three stars - 2012 Warner Bros.

Didn't think I was going to like this one, but it turned out to be a fun (if cornball) film with good native 3D. It was really a fantasy island, with lots of freaky creatures like the tiny elephants! Characters were enjoyable, though often the humor was pretty goofy (pec pop of love?). I have to admit the young lady is one of the prettiest I've seen, which doesn't hurt. Strangely, there were a couple of flat scenes and even one I noticed with mismatched zooms (luckily I'm able to freeze frame in stereo). Nice cg end credits.

BAIT 3D Three stars - 2012 Anchor Bay

It was surprising to find there was actually a movie here! Instead of just another gorefest (though it was not lacking in loose body parts) there was a decent story with some real acting and direction. Interesting take having a flooded supermarket with sharks in the water making an escape even more difficult. The extreme 3D shots were well used for the target audience (my wife calls it a "teen drive-in movie").

DOCTOR WHO Dark Water / Death in Heaven Three stars - 2015 BBC

Best thing about the movie was the opening credits... WOW! Great 3D graphics. The movie, however, was decent but certainly not compelling. I'd never watched any of the Dr. Who series, so I came into it completely cold... a bit confusing figuring out the characters. The stereo was also decent- good conversion. The bland villian was a dark Mary Poppins, even floating down with an umbrella... I did like the robots, though I was unclear that they were humans with armor?

DOCTOR WHO Day of the Doctor Three and a half stars - 2013 BBC 75 minutes

Good science fiction and native 3D stereo with a great dimensional museum painting make this an enjoyable episode. 3D was well utilized throughout... A bit tricky to follow, if you don't know the characters (which I don't- but Jenna Coleman was extremely easy on the eyes).

INSURGENT Three stars - 2015 Lionsgate

I'd not seen the (2D) original movie, "Divergent" , so that may have contributed to the difficulty following the story... It seemed a bit slow until the "SIM" fantasy sequences toward the end, which took advantage of the 3D quite well (though apparently a late choice for conversion). The acting and characters were decent, but nothing memorable (the lead villian looked like a female high school teacher... just not as scary!).

TITANIC: 100 YEARS in 3D One and a half stars - 2011 History Channel

Not sure why this movie was made, with James Cameron having done "Ghosts of the Abyss" (2003) in 3D much better. For some reason they kept saying (over and over) that this was the first 3D of the wreckage... maybe it was the first at these particular angles? In any case, I find shots of the rusted remains quite tiresome, and the talking heads in between were only mildly diverting.

WILD OCEAN Two and a half stars - 2008 IMAX/Image Entertainment

This film is built around some jaw-dropping footage of "bait balls"- shoals of sardines moving as a giant organism, reacting to attacking seals and diving gannets... stunning in stereo. There's also a lot of dolphins "coming at ya" and similar scenes, but it seemed we saw the same shots over and over. There is a nice opening showing some history via sepia toned converted 3D stills (some may have been original stereo?) that looked quite good.

POPPEA One star - 2013 EuroArts

It's rare that I don't sit through an entire 3D Blu-Ray, but for this I had to make an exception. I'm a fan of the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance", so I thought I could handle it... I'm guessing a dance production like this is geared to an extremely narrow audience- for me 10 or 15 minutes was plenty. Looked like a projected flower on the back wall was in 3D? Very odd, as performers seemed to dance "into" it... Not much to say about stereo for a filmed stage show... it was adequate! Note: Nokia opens with a nicely done stereo cartoon which is not reflected in the rating.

KHUMBA Two and a half stars - 2013 Triggerfish

Small animation house managed to get some big name voice actors but delivered a tired, pointless story with forgetable dialogue. The characters, scene design and animation were quite good, though a key element (the eyes) looked flat and lifeless. No laughs, though there was one slightly amusing sequence involving the ostrich and "Swan Lake". Stereo was well done.

HOME Three stars - 2015 Dreamworks

The stereo3D was the star of this movie! Unfortunately the character design was uninspired, the story/dialog just stupid and the humor cringeworthy. Yes, Dreamworks actually stooped to jokes about eating the "blue mint" in the gas station men's room urinal, and washing it down with the "lemonade". Other than the sheer absurdity of the car running on Slurpee juice, it looked fantastic in 3D flying around with the bubble trail. The little alien characters reminded me of Dreamwork's successful Dragon character, which I thought was bland. However, the young lady protagonit's hair and the villain's design were awesome.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD Four and a half stars - 2013 National Geographic

Always hard to compare documentaries with mainstream film-making, but this 39 minute short is quite stunning. Chock full of beautifully rendered and photographed 3D sequences, broken up into sections that lead from live action scenes to worlds that only modern technology allows us to view. Time-lapse, hi-speed, colored SEM... That we're able to enjoy these explorations of nature in all it's stereoscopic glory is truly a great privilege of the time we live in. Bonus 2D "making of" video is worth watching as well.

PREDATOR 3D One and a half stars - 1987/2012 20th Century Fox

Apparently Fox developed some kind of semi-automated 3D conversion technology, and they re-released this relic using it... why?? Sometimes it's very hard to tell if a movie has been converted, but this sure wasn't one of those! It's almost enjoyable (when available) to freeze frames to study how badly conversions were botched... this would certainly be the ultimate test case, where the entire movie is filmed in the jungle! Very often only the foreground would have stereo, and the jungle background seems like a painted backdrop. Bad 3D is terribly distracting, and the movie itself was pretty lame... such a preposterous ending!

CONAN THE BARBARIAN Two and a half stars - 2011 Lionsgate

A good action/adventure/superhero flick, which should have gotten 3.5 stars, but the 3D conversion was just awful! I think the worst I've seen in a big budget film. The amount of depth was minimal, and I saw little to no occlusion. Occasionally there might be almost ok stereo, but other scenes might look totally flat. The credits showed quite a few different companies involved in the conversion, including Legend3D- which may account for the different stereo treatments. Otherwise, there were enough interesting heroes and villians, beautiful women and richly designed scenes to make it an enjoyable film.

FREE BIRDS Three stars - 2013 ReelFX/20th Century Fox

The opening ReelFX logo sequence was spectacular stereo and design, unfortunately the actual film was mediocre at best. Nothing noteworthy about the characters, though the leader rivalry was mildly amusing... The story was cornball and the jokes were mostly flat (though I'll admit a few chuckles). The flight through time could have been a lot better, but they did a nice job with the anthropomorphism of the turkeys (feathers into hands, etc).

FRANKENWEENIE Three stars - 2012 Disney

I was hooked from the beginning seeing the family wearing 3D glasses to watch Victor's homemade movie.Very much liked the black and white atmosphere which pays homage to the original... the characters were edgy and varied. The story moved well and the conversion was decent (one does have to wonder why a conversion was preferable to actual stereo for stop motion- you don't even need 2 cameras!) but somewhere about the middle of the film it all seemed predictable and stretched. Oddly enough, in researching the movie I found this was a remake of a 1984 live action short, also directed by Tim Burton and produced by Disney, but only 29 minutes long instead of 87! Start the video at 6:00.

GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE NO Stars- 2014 Kino Lorber

Someone once said "Rules are made to be broken". Unfortunately, when you break some basic 3D rules you cause pain to people's eyes and brain. It seems that was the exact intent of Jean-Luc Godard, the famous French director. I was warned about the movie, but it's really hard to imagine a movie this bad, both in terms of 3D and in content, could actually be released. Well, at least I know about the 3D part: almost every nasty thing that could be done was done. I have to say, he broke new ground by moving one camera while the other stayed on subject- several times. No one can watch that without eyestrain! There was plenty of incredibly extreme parallax, vertical error and even a (post) rotation where the horizontal parallax became vertical. I won't even mention the disjointed sound and picture- one expects that from the arthouse god. But one doesn't expect such critical acclaim (though after Cave of Forgotten Dreams I shouldn't be surprised)... Critics J. Hoberman, James Quanndt and Amy Taubin all list it the number ONE film of 2014 . There's plenty of other accolades as well... On Rotten Tomatoes: Critics Consensus: As visually thrilling as it is inscrutable, Goodbye to Language 3D offers a late-period masterpiece from a legendary director still very much in control of his craft. Apparently, art school taught me nothing (I should be grateful)! And finailly, from Ty Burr, in the Boston Globe: When all is said and done, Goodbye to Language may simply be about Jean-Luc Godard exploring 3-D filmmaking, in the same way “The Shining” is really just about Stanley Kubrick wanting to fart around with a Steadicam . (!!??) And here I was foolishly thinking "The Shining" (one of my favorite films of all time) was a masterpiece. Thankfully critics like Mr. Burr are able to set me straight. Goodbye to Lucidity.

THUNDER and the HOUSE OF MAGIC Three and a half stars - 2012 nWave Pictures

Aside from the confusing title (Thunder is the cat's name), this cg animation was surprisingly enjoyable. nWave is known for supplying content for lower end theme parks and they've been doing 3D longer than almost any studio. The cg I've seen is usually fair to decent, but House of Magic is a new level of quality. Nicely designed sets (a magician's mansion!) with good character work and and interesting story. Slightly borrowing from Toy Story with the assembly of animated automatons, but well done and unique enough.

TINY GIANTS Four and a half stars - 2014 BBC-earth

Was expecting a cute baby squirrel tale, but was amazed by a well scripted story illustrated by phenomenal stereo camera footage! Back and forth stories of squirrel life contrasted between the woodlands and the desert, the storylines brought this non-fiction documentary to extraordinary filmmaking status. Totally captivating from beginning to end of this short production.

TURTLES TALE 2 Two stars - 2012 nWave Pictures

I also got the first Turtles Tale, but it was Region B (duh) and unplayable... neither is available in the US. First reaction was overly cute kindergarten fodder, but the characters grew on me somewhat. I was surprised that so much of the stereo was way too deep- Ben Stassen has been doing 3D for a very long time. There were some nicely designed stereo scenes but overall unengaging and certainly not funny.

SEVENTH SON Three and a half stars - 2014 Universal Studios

Don't remember this being in the theaters, and it's not available on Blu Ray in the US! Very odd, since it's really a pretty good 3D medieval action fantasy movie. Jeff Bridges plays a great wizard, and there's lots of nicely designed and animated cg monster villians. Good use of stereo throughout.

CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON One and a half stars 1954/2013 Universal

Such an iconic 3D movie... how could it be so bad? It's been a long time since I'd viewed it... it's just so much worse than I remember! The "monster" reaches a claw up over the dock edge and the loud dramatic music swells to convince us that this is really scary (amazing how the creature knew her leg was there from under the surface). The dialogue and story in these B movies is just really hard to sit through- apparently modern audiences (even myself) expect (and usually get) a lot better writing quality. I won't even mention the pseudo scenes the Blu-Ray producers didn't bother to (easily) fix...

MAN IN THE DARK Two stars - 1953/2014 Columbia

First time seeing this 1950's 3D movie... it's no wonder 3D didn't last long! The very opening had 3D clouds over the city graphic... pseudo (reversed 3D)! And if you turn the glasses around (for proper 3D) the titles are inside the cloud. The 3D in general was otherwise good, except for the ridiculous over-the-top "in your face" stunts... awful. One in particular, a lit cigar coming at you, about to go into the protagonist's eye! (and he doesn't flinch!). Several scenes went flat (I wonder if they were originally, or if they just didn't have both eyes for the digital transfer?). The script/story was witless with lines almost laughably bad. Scenes that should have been intriguing (arcade!) were tedious.The ending was stunningly anti clamactic.

BIG HERO 6 Two and a half stars - 2014 Walt Disney

Looks like another movie that shows how out of line I am with the mainstream... The story was totally ridiculous, and just kept getting more and more far-fetched. It's not even worth it to go to details, but let's just mention that the super robotic genius little brother had never been to see his super robotic genius's big brother's work at the university. Story black holes... And the bouncy health robot star? Cute? The giant marshmallow man in Ghostbusters was cuter. Not one laugh, but a lot of groans... Disney, the biggest entertainment company in the world? (What do I know, the movie generally got good reviews.) There's a short called "Feast"... won an Academy Award: Interesting style, goofy "story". Argh. No US 3D Blu Ray.

TARZAN 3D Three and a half stars - 2013 Constantin Films

At first I thought it looked like Saturday morning cartoon quality, but the animation definitely grew on me... especially when we got to the Silverback gorilla group. The animal locomotion animation was quite good, as was the human Tarzan. It's really unusual to see an animated cg human without the usual cloth covering (just loincloth in this case, and one wonders how he learned that?). I have to say I was impressed with the animated anatomy, especially since the Tarzan character had to do quite a bit of unusual athletic actions. The jungle was also nicely designed and rendered, with a magical terrain that reminded me of the Avatar forest. Stereo was very well done throughout... I don't remember this film being distributed in US theaters: made in Germany, the 3D Blu Ray was Spanish with no distribution here. Lucky there was an English soundtrack, though the story and dialogue were less than stellar.

TURBO Two and a half stars - 2013 20th Century Fox

Aside from the fact that it's not funny, and the character design is about as primitive as you can get, my main gripe about this movie is that the storyline is so ridiculous! A garden snail dreams of being a racer (yes, we should all reach for our dreams, no matter how crazy) and just happens to fall off a bridge in such a way to be sucked into a race car engine... Instead of being liquidated, he magically acquires racing car abilities (including having a radio, which I kind of doubt race cars have). Now that you've bought this premise, how about the snail (and his pal) get captured by (who else?) a guy who races snails! If you're on board with that, how about the president of the Indianapolis 500 gets convinced that a snail should compete in one of the world's biggest car races? Whoever came up with this implausible fiction managed to sell it to Dreamworks, and apparently the result was actually successful (as in, made money). No one should bother reading my reviews, as I am hardly inline (it seems) with the general population's movie tastes (I will admit to a chuckle at the "White Shadow", otherwise, I don't understand the appeal).

SPONGEBOB MOVIE: Sponge Out of Water Five stars - 2015 Nickelodeon

What a great suprise that this was such a fun, wacky and innovative 3D movie! I'd seen the tv animation a few times, thought it was a bit quirky... this was far beyond. Right off the bat I was taken by the goofball pirate (Antonio Banderas) and the cartoony CG ship and seagulls. His storybook line drawings turn to stereo and then to stereo color cel animation, which eventuanlly blossoms into full CG merged with live action. Very surreal scenes, especially during time travel sequences with spectacular 3D action. Crazy characters, silly situations, plenty of laughs- I really enjoyed it. Very disappointed that there were, however, no stereo still frames . (Note: After re-watching the movie, I upped the rating from 4 to 5 stars. So chock full of fun insanity, full-blown stereo and outstanding design... like nothing else I've seen.)

MALEFICENT Three and a half stars - 2014 Walt Disney

A convoluded retelling of Sleeping Beauty, beautiful to look at, but pathetic storyline and dialogue. Is the protagonist a hero or villian? Is love's true kiss from your grandmother? Do you wake up if someone cuts off part of your body? I wondered if I would enjoy it more if I'd chosen another language besides English. There were several languages available, since this was not a domestic disc... Disney decides not to release 3D Blu Rays in the US. That's just wonderful, isn't it?

3D RARITIES Two and a half stars - 2015 Flicker Alley

Love to see an homage to the history of 3D such as this. The work to find and restore these clips is nothing short of heroic. Unfortunately most of the clips, even with good 3D, are terribly boring. Most I've seen before, like the Lloyd Nolan piece, which is an elementary explanation of stereo with a painfully unfunny Beany and Cecil and tedious questions from the gowned beauty queen. Luckily we do get to see great shots of the Natural Vision stereo rig. Too bad the clip was a frame out of sync (turns out this error was uncorrectible due to out of phase cameras). Didn't mind seeing "New Dimensions" (Motor Rhythm) again- looked great and is pretty impressive in 1940 full color. Clips I'd not seen before included the famed Norman McLaren stereo animations- they turned out to be little more than animated squiggly lines... ok for a high school experiment, but hardly worth genius status. The other Film Board of Canada clips were no better. The Rocky Marciano fight was decent BW 3D (which padded the 1.5 minute fight with some training scenes)... I think boxing is one of the most senseless of sports, but I found it amusing enough. "Stardust in Your Eyes" was nothing more than an overlong medium shot of a 2-bit comedian doing half-baked impressions of film stars singing a song he wrote. Almost not worth saving! Same for "I'll Sell My Shirt", featuring two abrasive burlesque "comedians" and a stripper with the worst fake cry I've ever heard. The Casper animated color 1953 3D short had decent 3D for the time, but the writing and characters were typically vanilla. One highlight was "Thrills for You", a 1940 BW 3D look at the modern Pennsylvania Railroad; also "The Bellboy and the Playgirls" an eye-candy exploit which it seems Francis Ford Coppola had some part in. In the bonus section were some great selections from 1950's 3D comics converted from anaglyph to BW polarized 3D as well as nicely presented View-Master stills.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Two and a half stars - 2014 Nickelodeon/Paramount

Too bad the script was so juvenile, as the character animation and stereo (by StereoD) were quite good. I was really impressed with the graphic novel type opening, just a few minutes long but very intense and bold. Then came the actual movie and lame it was... "He doesn't look like a turtle because he is a turtle" was one of many gems of dialogue. I perked up when I saw for a brief moment a fighting stick break the top and bottom frame! And the final battle over Times Square was kind of fun, but overall: eech.

KISS ME KATE Two and a half stars - 1953 MGM

It just so happened that I saw a stage production of this days before screening. This gave me the opportunity to see how shallow and lifeless the movie version is! Camerawork was awkward (due to giant rig?) and edits were odd. Direction I found to be humorless, especially the mob guys who were hilarious in the live version I saw. The few bright spots were an unexpected dissolve from a 2D painting to a live scene and a brilliant dance segment with Bob Fosse and partner. Overall the 3D was good, but I saw one flat scene of the audience and stage from back of house, then at the end the same scene was badly (pre-digitally) composited with a flat stage area floating way inside (over the orchestra), then a masked layer of the main stars floating from behind the scene on through to the front.

BOOK OF LIFE Three and a half stars - 2014 Reel FX/20th Century Fox

First animation I've seen by this company, and was very impressed with the character work, lighting and general art direction. Beautiful stereo 3D as well! Unfortunately the writing had little real humor or pathos, the story felt quite flat, and the movie was overlong. Otherwise I was anxious to give it a higher rating based on the rich visuals, especially the inital entrance to the world of the (remembered) dead.

HERCULES Three and a half stars - 2014 Paramount

Two 3D Hercules movies in one year... both get the same rating! Dwayne Johnson's arms were quite dimensional, and the conversion by stereoD was phenomenal. Plenty of fun with the stereo action, but not over the top. Dialogue was less than stellar, but action films set in these times, with horses and chariots, armies and monsters and beautiful women are entertaining when as well produced as this was. Nicely done stereo graphics for the end credits.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER Four stars - 2012 20th Century Fox

History, vampires, marital arts... what's not to like? Certainly I went in with trepidation, but was surprisingly entertained by this brazenly incompatible mashup. Abe Lincoln, superhero of the Civil War~!? Production quality was higher than expected- excellent Stereo D conversion (with subtle retinal rivalry added to vampire eyes), dramatic action scenes (notably the wild horses and the burning bridge) and well formed/acted characters made this improbable non-fiction fiction work. Turns out Tim Burton produced.

THE SNOW QUEEN No stars - 2013 iDiC Entertainment

Not to be confused with a cg movie of the same name, I was snookered into buying this Blu-Ray with the title in German "Die Schneekonigin". It had the usual "Blu-Ray 3D" banner, but underneath was a "SPECIAL EDITION" subtitle I didn't pay any attention to. I was able the play the "B" Region disc with the help of DVDFab on my desktop, only to discover that the 3D was merely the flat scene being pushed back into the monitor a bit. Yikes!

GREEN HORNET 3D Two and a half stars - 2011 Columbia/Sony

Seth Rogen is not funny, and I think he's supposed to be. Unfortunately, he is the lead actor, co-writer and producer of this clunker. With some imaginative stereo graphics and fight effects, as well as the cool car, it might have had some potential... Kato was ok and the fake 3D decent, but the writing was dopey and Seth was annoying. Michel Gondry is supposed to be a hot director... ?

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR Three stars - 2014 Dreamworks

Yes, there were some laughs and wonderful stereo scenes, but overall this was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of minor characters in the great Madagascar franchise. A new group of characters comprised the "North Wind" were colorless both literally and figuratively. The villian was moderately fun, mostly when squeeaing his head in and out of the cage cells. After seeing this, I worry that the Minions movie will be similarly underperforming- though I'm really hoping it will be great as I'm such a fan of the Despicable Me series.

ICE AGE A Mammoth Christmas Two stars - 2011 Blue Sky/20th Century Fox

Apparently this was a TV special that aired in 2D and was quickly released on 3D Blu Ray (and DVD). Definitely lacked the sparkle and wit of the movie versions, and left me with zero laughs... even Scrat's antics seemed a bit mundane. The new character of Prancer was good, and well animated (seems Rudolph must be copyrighted, not a red nose in the reindeer bunch). Did not like their version of Santa, but such an iconic character is going to be a challenge to re-imagine.

STATIC Three stars - 2012 New Alliance

Looked like it might be a slasher movie, but reviews seemed to indicate otherwise. Worries were unfounded as it did indeed, turn out to be more of a Twilight Zone kind of story that was pretty good. The native 3D was decent, but in addition to some usual issues (beamsplitter rivalry, flat scenes) there was actually one short clip in the opening sequence that was pseudo! Not sure how they missed that- definitely a first.

LEGEND OF HERCULES Three and a half stars - 2014 Summit Entertainment

Don't know why this movie was panned so harshly, I found it entertaining in the style of the popular movie "300". The 3D was done quite well, natively shot (must have also been some conversion, saw ViewD in credits). Lots of confetti and dust floating around (ok, maybe too much) with plenty of arrows, spears and flaming rocks flying everywhere from the get-go. Good characters, some fantastic scenes and action as good as most superhero films.

THE DARKEST HOUR Two stars - 2011 20th Century Fox

Really no story here, just some young adults running from the invisable alien. There were some nice effects, such as the oblitheration of the unfortunate victims into sparkling particles, and the electric filter alien point of view. To say the acting was mediocre would be generous... Some weird Blu Ray glitches... went flat during a few subtitles, and the pause button gave a pseudo (inside out) 3D. Interesting that this was native 3D- I would have to say that some of the converted films I've seen look better.

GI JOE Retaliation Three and a half stars - 2013 Skydance/Paramount

Not knowing what to expect I was pleasantly surprised by this (second) attempt by Hasbro to market their toy doll into a movie franchise (even though I cringed each time they mentioned the "GI Joes"). The characters were at least as good or better than other super hero movies I've seen... the plot worked and the action was well done (awesome fighting on wires in the mountains!). Really nice stereo effects in the "video game" style graphics opening with character bios, and the scene of London being oblitherated was amazing. Once again Stereo D works it's conversion magic... I am in awe of this process. Unfortunately, no stereo still frame .

THE BUBBLE One and a half stars 1966/2014 Kino/3D Film Archive/Arch Oboler

Major kudos to Bob Furmanek's 3D Film Archive for rescuing this important piece of 3D history from obscurity and allowing us to see it better than anyone ever has. Unfortunately the movie itself was non-sensical and poorly acted. The scenes of town were eerie enough, but the script and direction horrendous. Lots of goofy in your face cutaways, including the ludicrous beer tray on wires floating "over your head" scene. I was impressed with the stereo, except for a few CU shots with way too deep backgrounds.

CAPTAIN AMERICA The Winter Soldier Three stars - 2014 Marvel

Lots of exciting martial arts and chase scene action... The lead actor was good, the Falcon looked great in 3D, but the Black Widow female superhero added little aside from moderate eye candy. The villian was disappointing: very little character or design... his metal arm was sorta cool but otherwise bland. Certainly overly long, a lot of unnecessary banter between the action scenes. Stereo conversion very well done.

DEEPSEA CHALLENGE Four and a half stars - 2014 National Geographic

James Cameron is one phenomenal human being. He's an explorer and adventurer, both in real life and in his filmmaking. In addition to his legacy of ground-breaking, record setting films, he puts his very life on the line in following his passion- venturing to the deepest part of the ocean, where no man has gone before and brings us along for the ride in spectacular 3D. Real life adventure is so much more exhilarating than science fiction, especially when presented so well! From fire dancers on Papua New Guinea to incredible new underwater species Cameron continues to inspire wonder. All real 3D camera, no cg here!

X-MEN Days of Future Past Three stars - 2014 Marvel

So many characters, so little character. In a convoluted plot like this, the heroes need to be interesting- I didn't find them to be. The action and effects were fun, especially the "bullet-time" sequence that was fantastic in 3D... the super speed kid (Quicksilver) was amusing.

JONAS BROTHERS 3D Concert Experience No stars - 2009 Disney

I never got the memo that this 3D Blu Ray was released in ANAGLYPH! It was bad enough that I was settling down to watch a Jonas Brothers concert (maybe they did some interesting effects, like the U2 film?) but when I got no 3D "flag", and then it came up anaglyph, I was dumbfounded... ??? I didn't know they even released 3D Blu-Rays as anaglyphs~!? This led me to discover (on wikipedia ) that the first real 3D Blu-Ray wasn't until June 2010 (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). In any case, I watched 5 or 10 minutes in anaglyph... worked ok, but the real circular polarized is just about perfection. Even on the amazing Sony 4K the anaglyph was ghosty (concert footage tends to have a lot of high contrast!). What I saw was the opening sequence with 3D titles floating over 2D background footage, then the 3D concert. Couldn't hold out long...

STAR TREK: Into Darkness Three stars - 2013 Paramount

Outer space is fun, especially the flight through space into a tiny opening in the enemy spaceship... awesome in 3D! I just couldn't determine whether this was native 3D, there were clues either way. Amazed to find out it actually was a conversion by Stereo D! A hybrid for sure, but the attention to detail was phenomenal (unfortunately, the movie went flat on pause! Such a stupid, unnecessary format). There was more lens flare than I've ever noticed in any movie... they even treated the flares as 3D elements, nice!

I, FRANKENSTEIN Three stars - 2014 Lionsgate

Didn't know what to expect: turned out to be a liberal interpretation of the famous tale, with the protagonist as a scarred up super hero fighting demon villians with the help of gargoyle angels. Had the feel of a video game, where your enemies disintegrate into a ball of flame as you rack up their "deaths". Adam (Frankenstein) didn't have much personality, but the action, story and art direction were interesting enough- the final battle scene was entertaining. Thought the stereo was quite good... there were just a few clues that it had been converted- Prime Focus/View-D did an amazing job.

SANCTUM 3D Four stars - 2011 Universal

Nice change of pace to see a "down-to-earth" live action, life or death, father-son action adventure without obvious cg effects or superheroes. Unlike Gravity, this heart-pounding thriller is based on a real story which made it so much more believable and nerve-wracking! No punches were pulled as these explorers get caught in the dangers of the earth's depths. Solid acting, amazing sets and a good story (to say nothing of the excellent James Cameron produced stereo camerawork) kept me engaged.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Three and a half stars - 2014 20th Century Fox

The imagery was mind-boggling! Totally realistic looking/moving apes with convincing eyes (though some looked more human than animal). In fact, the human actors were rather mundane compared to the apes! Just amazing how nuanced the animal action/acting can be with modern motion capture... they really pulled it off. Crowds scenes, battles, interaction- all just uncanny. Great cinematography and VFX... and the stereo was gorgeous! Unfortunately the dialogue and direction seemed a bit flat.

SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR Three and a half stars - 2014 Dimension Films

Stunning 3D, great visual styling- certainly a treat for the eyes. The story, however, was hard to follow with multiple disjointed threads following the various characters. Mostly black and white, some characters or objects were in full color for no explicable reason. Are some people bullet-proof but vulnerable superheroes? Fantasy style martial arts experts? Perhaps it's purposely ambiguous- luckily the extreme graphic novel imagery brought to life kept my interest throughout.

LEGENDS OF FLIGHT Three and a half stars - 2010 IMAX

Really nice compositing of beautifully rendered cg aircraft in live action shots in addition to shots of the actual planes. Great to see some of the largest airplanes ever being built- and in excellent 3D. A few really nice effects utilizing the "Sandee" Imax 3D drawing system, also integrated, such as the designer sketching a dimensional model in space. A must see for anyone interested in aviation.

THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 Three and a half stars - 2014 Marvel/Sony

Scenes of Spiderman's flying acrobatics through the city of New York are breathtaking. There are some decent villians and even some humor. The stereo is really well done (at least partially converted- stereo still frame worked well with no anyone timeline... could not find any anomolies except at the opening MARVEL title sequence). One scene inside a clock tower seems to be an homage to Scorsese's HUGO. Another memorable scene is Spiderman standing amongst a panorama of the many Times Square characters (looking for tourist to pay for having a picture with them). However, the movie was way overlong and rather tedious during the non-action scenes (which were great).

DRAGONFLY SQUADRON One and a half stars - 1954/2014 Monogram Picturess

While I applaud the 3-D Film Archive for restoring this BW film in it's stereoscopic glory (was only released in 2D since the fad had died quickly) I have to say it's among the worst movies I've ever seen. Plot was negligible, acting adequate, drama non-existant. A dog in one guy's coat was the lame attempt at comedy relief, but the only relief was "The End" which came right after the "surprise" rescue. The stereo was decent, though some closeups included high parallax distance and at least one segment was a frame off sync.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 Three stars - 2014 Dreamworks

Slightly better than the first version- character development is decent on the humans (though the main villian was disappointing) but the dragons as flying pets just didn't interest me (they did it better in Avatar). Great costumes, especially the (spoiler?) protagonist's mom... I liked the lead character's flying suit! The big battle ends with an exceedingly unlikely resolution and I was disappointed to see flat credits (often a bonus in 3D). Overall, the stereo 3D was excellent, which highlighted the incredibly detailed ancient world.

MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN One and a half stars - 2014 Dreamworks

With relatively postive reviews, I hoped for a decent movie. Unfortunately, I found it painfully unfunny and uninspired! Perhaps one slight glimmer of a smile on one joke, otherwise the comedy was severly lacking. Other than the Trojan Horse guys, the characters were bland in design and dialogue. As a kid I was not a fan, but this version didn't even have the charm of the original. I'll say the stereo 3D and music was enjoyable.

NURSE 3D Two stars - 2014 Lionsgate

Had high hopes since the lead actress was quite good in Boardwalk Empire, but it was a slash/gore movie with quite a lot of unsteamy gratuitous sex thrown in. She didn't look all that great, and it wasn't very scary- but lots of blood and T&A. The stereo was well done, however and included some aerial hypers of NYC. At least on the (2D) "making of" extra, there were lots of shots of the 3D camera rig (I've also noticed that on this, and other native 3D films, there are the occassional 2D scenes- apparently one camera was out of whack, and it's too expensive to reshoot or convert!).

RIO 2 Two and a half stars - 2014 Blue Sky

Sadly this version was not nearly as good as the first... the writing was mundane, and the laughs were non-existent. The variety of scenes in the first movie became pretty much all jungle. The visuals, however, were spectacular and there was lots of wonderful stereo eye candy, including some interesting geometric renderings within the movie and at the credits.

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE Four stars - 2014 Warner Bros

I'm a huge fan of this visual style, and to see it in 3D is stunning. A lot of care went into the stereo imaging, even the atmosphere usually has light/fog effects, particulates, embers... The opening minutes (including the Warner Bros title) are graphically spectacular and they rendered the final credits as more drawing styled versions of many scenes, which is a great bonus. A bit heavy on the violence, but the styled blood splatters helps to make it more palatable. The lead actors were good, but should have been great.

JOE SATRIANI - Satchurated One star - 2012 Sony/Epic

Looks like the average local bar band, maybe a shade better music, but not good enough they can do without any vocals! I could barely get through a small bit of each song... incredibly repetitive/boring/same. After recently seeing Metallica's Blu-Ray concert (or just about any other) this show looks pathetically bush league. The 3D was hardly worth it: long and medium shots were stereo, but tight shots (normally key for good 3D) were totally flat.

GAMER 3D Three stars - 2009 Lionsgate

The story of humans using death row inmates as remote human first person shooters (via brain implants) was actually pretty good, with Michael C. Hall and other good actors, with a decent pace and effects. Unfortunately, the 3D conversion was awful! Apparently not distributed in 3D originally, the conversion was done strictly for the Blu-Ray release. In much of the fast moving action you can't quite tell (though often you see that something is just not right) but that's what the pause button if for! All the slipshod work is seen clearly in the stills, with some almost laughable... too bad.

METALLICA - Through the Never Three and a half stars - 2013 Picturehouse

Sure would help to be a fan, but in the world of heavy metal these guys are quite good... with a killer drummer. Native 3D was excellent- the stage show was extremely theatrical with mega sets and props. In between songs was a narrative of a roadie on a violent apocalyptic voyage on some kind of mission through the city... some nice 3D FX but with very disturbing imagery. Death certainly was a theme throughout. Strange marketing- 3D version only available in expensive Deluxe edition or a special release from Best Buy .

SADAKO 3D Two and a half stars - 2012 3D Kadokawa

Luckily the lead actress is a stunning beauty, otherwise this "horror" movie would be hard to sit through. Not gory, but mostly reliant on sudden loud noises or 3D effects to invoke a jump from the viewer. Other than good 3D in said effects, most of the footage was exceedingly flat, I would say even 2D at times. I'm still trying to figure out the ending...

Watched DESPICABLE ME 2 on 3D Blu Ray and loved it as much as in the theater. Brilliant on every level... Animation is character driven, and these are the most iconic and clever characters since TOY STORY. It's also just JAM packed with funny, gut laughs- which is true gold. I'm HAPPY to be one of the minions :)

HOLOTRONICA 3D One and a half stars - 2014 Holotronica Ltd

"See the music in 3D". If it was music that one really enjoys, that's one thing- but this electronic potpourri likely has a very limited fan base. Some of the animated/synced cg graphics are ok, but I'm not sure anyone could sit through the whole disc. It would be great if there was an app that generated interesting stereo graphics from your own music source (many music players already have 2D visualization).

STORM SURFERS 3D Two stars - 2013 Vitagraph Films

Unless you're a hard-core surf enthusiast, wading through these 95 minutes for the sake of the few spectacular "in the tube" and POV sequences is ill-advised. A lot of chat from the guys, weather reports, yada yada... Watched with a number of friends, some snoozed, one walked out. Others, however, seemed to enjoy the whole thing...

R.I.P.D. Two stars - 2013 Universal

Two stars is generous, and only because the 3D bullet time effect was great. Otherwise, what a poor excuse of a movie for Jeff Bridges to star in. His character was pathetic, the story imbecilic and the dialogue moronic. One of those movies which I felt guilty for wasting the time watching it to the very end.

LITTLE MERMAID 3D Two and a half stars - 1989/2013 Disney

Since I'd never seen it, I thought I would enjoy this Disney classic now that it's 3D. They did a great job with the 3D (HOW do they separate the bubbles? the rain??) as was the art direction and the character design. But the story was just lame! Dopey dialogue, and the "comic relief" seagull (Buddy Hackett) was pitiful.

UPSIDE DOWN Two and a half stars - 2012 Millenium Entertainment

Convoluted sci-fi yarn with no real story and a wacky premise which serves to provide some interesting visuals. Otherwise dull with shallow 3D.

EPIC Three and a half stars - 2013 Blue Sky

Worth viewing for the stunning stereo visuals alone: the queen walking on converging lily pads, flying armies of good and evil creatures, dandilion haired ladies- beautiful. The star characters were the slug and snail team... amusing (though not laugh out loud funny) with stellar design and animation. Myriad good and evil tiny inhabitants of the woodland world kept my interest (surprisingly fun character voiced by Steven Tyler), but the story and dialogue were hardly engaging.

PAINTED SKIN 2 (Resurrection) Four stars - 2012 Chinese import

Visual feast in this Chinese fairy tale fantasy. The 3D and visual effects work spectacularly in this array of imagined images. The pace is not consistent, but the characters and scenes carry the movie. Martial arts, beautiful women and nasty villians.

SECRET OF THE WINGS Two and a half stars - 2012 Disneytoons Studio

The first Disney "direct to disc" 3D Blu-Ray I've seen... no wonder it's more suitable for Saturday morning TV! Although the story and dialogue was juvenile, there were some cute scenes (like the spring to summer bridge or the journey of the snow-making machine). (Did I say "cute"?) The characters were quite vanilla and there wasn't even a villian... I thought I noticed some mismatched shadings for right and left?

SHARKBOY AND LAVAGIRL Three and a half stars - 2005 Columbia

Lavagirl's smile lights up the screen, and the scenes shine with imagination gone wild. The 3D was lots of fun, but matching live action to the computer sets proved to be more than the production folks could handle (likely due to constrained time/budget), though it was mostly pretty good. Loved the Mr. Electric villain character as well as the Ice Men. Sure was as a lot better seeing it in 3D Blu Ray than the original anaglyph! Several inexplicable 2D sequences... ?? Obviously a movie for kids, but dialogue was more juvenile than necessary... still, quite enjoyable.

PAT METHENY - ORCHESTRATION PROJECT Two stars - 2012 Metheny Group

In the early days I was a huge fan of the Pat Metheny Group, but not so much his later/solo projects. Of course I was willing to check out this 3D effort... unfortunately, the 3D was extremely thin and the concept interesting but ultimately monotonous. Metheny goes on and on, his guitar on each piece sounding so much the same, so repetitious- and soloing to mechanical musical devices he's programmed. Some nice sounds did evolve, but overall seemed tedious and self-indulgent. Sorry, Pat.

TOP GUN Three stars - 1986/2013 Paramount

Some classic movies hold up better than others... Top Gun not so well. The pacing seemed pretty slow for an action movie, and the romance, family, macho rivalry sappy (though refreshing to see guys being guys). Pretty predictable plot, but at least Legend3D did a really good 2D to 3D conversion. I am beginning to accept fake 3D as an art unto itself... it's getting beyond acceptable, becoming actually enjoyable. Though I can't watch without wondering how in the world they do it. No stereo still frame .

FINDING NEMO 3D Three stars - 2003 Pixar

Watched this on my Sony HMZ-T1 3D headset which was great. Certainly the stereo version is more enjoyable than the 2D version. But having just seen the Rainmaker 3D movie ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH earlier in the day, I could compare this Pixar offering. Seems to be one of their "classics", but for me it's not all that entertaining. Some pretty scenes and Ellen is drole in her way, but I wouldn't say this movie was funny. Not one real laugh, maybe a chuckle here or there. Certainly there is no story to speak of! This is one of Pixar's sugar-coated cute (blasé) family films... not so clever or engaging.

SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD One and a half stars - 2011 Dimension Films

Ouch! After hailing Rodriguez as a hero on Spy Kids 3, I wasn't expecting something this horrible as a follow up! Missed it at the theater when I heard it was a conversion, but little did I know how BAD a conversion... many of the scenes were absolutely the worst I've ever seen! Nice thing about Blu-Ray is that a still can really see how bad the botchjob actually is: many heads glued to backgrounds... a small head in the far background sitting on a closeup shoulder... I actually had a laugh when I saw one guy's arm, supposed to be behind his body, sticking out from his chest. How could he let this happen? The marvelous huge clock could have rivalled Hugo's... very sad. A few clips with decent 3D must have utilized cg compositing, but overall, ecch! And the movie had no heart, no charm- but plenty of farts and dirty diapers. I'll say that Ricky Gervais's talking dog was mildly amusing, otherwise an unworthy effort, and a study guide for careless conversion.

SPY KIDS 3D: GAME OVER Four stars - 2003 Miramax

Saw this in the theater when it first came out, in anaglyph! Robert Rodriguez became an instant hero, having jumped into this incredibly ambitious 3D venture so early in the game- two years before the first digital 3D feature "Chicken Little"! He not only wrote, produced and directed, but also scored the entire soundtrack (which was great), shot and edited! His budget was "only" $39m, but it made almost $200m. (Compare to the 2012 lame Disney video game movie "Wreck It Ralph" with a $165m budget). Unfortunatly, Robert was in a bit over his head as a lot of the live action/cgi compositing was horrendous. Nonetheless, the movie was so much fun and family positive that I have to cut him some slack- the software support for stereoscopic production had to be virtually non-existant at the time! You could certainly see the anomolies much better in the full color Blu Ray version, but the star-studded cast and Robert otherwise made a really creative and fun movie that really toys with 3D.

FLYING SWORDS OF DRAGONS GATE Three and a half stars - 2011 China Film Group

First thing you notice is that the captions are in various places OVER the image (very distracting and disrespectful of the cinematography)! Seems they tried to set it either in an unimportant area, or over the actors speaking. Apparently for deaf people as well, since music and animal sounds are also noted! Interestingly, they did set the captions in the appropriate Z plane(s). The imagery and action was mesmerizing, but the plot was a bit difficult to follow... The stereo was excellent, with the expected full-blown martial arts effects totally enhanced by the 3D.

THREE STOOGES One star - 2012 3D Classics

Legend3D did the color and 3D conversions, neither worthwhile. The 3D was mild and with lots of artifacts (which may go unnoticed by most, so why work so much harder to get it "right"?) and the color garish. Also, there are 3 Stooges episodes that are actually funny, but these aren't they...

Best of the LITTLE RASCALS One star - 2012 3D Classics

This is in no way the best, or my memory is worse than I thought. You might expect some racism, but this was extreme, and really not the best choice for potential new and young audiences. And, the same mediocre conversion quality as the 3 Stooges DVD. A waste.

FLYING MONSTERS 3D Four stars - 2011 National Geographic

Outstanding computer graphics, mixed with some excellent live action 3D made for an interesting and visually exciting science show by David Attenborough on the pterosaurs which roamed our prehistoric skies. Most impressive was some really creative uses of 3D, including a fully dimensional "painting" (which the camera panned across) and a simply beautiful wireframe pterosaur model that crawls out of the computer monitor onto the table and into the room. Very well done! Bones emereged from fossil stones in 3D to create the full skeleton, and macro stereo really showed incredible detail in one of the well preserved fossils.

STREAMING 3D

First discovered streaming 3D on my Playstation 3 Oct 13, 2013 via Netflix. I sampled a few titles: a few played fine, one played pseudo and one was seriously messed up (bad sync, jumpy, static). I also downloaded a 3D video from the Playstation store. Of course, Netflix has stopped streaming 3D but VUDU now does.

CINDERELLA Three stars - 2012 Delacave Studio (Vudu) 81 minutes

[Free streaming on Vudu with commercials... no way to skip through these, so you're really forced to watch 2-3 minutes every 15 minutes or so. On my setup you have to reset into 3D mode after the 2D commercials, rather annoying] French animation, originally titled (translated) "Cinderella of the West" (which they should have kept for this English version). Hard to get used to the (mostly) very weird looking animal heads on human bodies... the lead deer (Cinderella) and the pirate monkeys weren't too bad, but the stepmom and daughters... yikes! And the son of the turkey duchess was a dog prince!? Overall this revised version of Cinderella was interesting enough, and the 3D was good.

BOSS BABY 2: Family Business Three stars - 2021 Dreamworks (Vudu) 117 minutes

A liar's autobiography one and a half stars - 2013 brainstorm media (playstation download).

As a huge fan of Monty Python films I was looking forward to this foray into 3D by the group, but this overlong story of Graham Chapman's alcoholism and graphic homosexuality was scarcely funny. Liked seeing the various animation styles, some better than others, as was the stereo.

THE LITTLE PRINCE One and a half stars - DQ Entertainment (Netflix)

I could only watch maybe 5 minutes, but the animation quality was low as was the stereoscopic rendering. For the night sky, it was a just a few layers of flat stars.

CHAPLIN Three stars - DQ Entertainment (Netflix)

Saw one of the shorts available... low end simple cg animation, decent work. Stereo was shallow.

Turns out IMAX is putting small screens into some multiplex theaters and not alerting patrons that they aren't getting full size projection. Standard IMAX screen is 52Hx72'W. In NYC, the IMAX (some are calling "Liemax" or "IMAX-lite") screen at the Empire 25 is a paltry 28Hx58'W. The real IMAX screen in Lincoln Square is 76Hx97'W . Originally the small Imax theater projectors were 2k digital, while real IMAX screens used dual 70mm projectors. Real IMAX theaters are phasing in 4k digital, as film is totally phased out of the industry.

NEWS! October 7, 2015 went to IMAX Theater in Reading, MA which recently installed a new 4K LASER 3D System. Was surprised to see they are using dichroic filter glasses in place of the polarized. The good news is bright stereo images with zero ghosting and no retinal rivalry. The bad news is that there's a nasty rainbow noise/grain that's quite noticable throughout the screen, especially in the center. Hope they can fix that issue! (Note: on the next visit in December 2015 the noise problem was hardly noticable... almost worthwhile paying the ticket price and driving out to the theater!)

Local IMAX theaters shut down all during Covid, reopening in Dec 2022 for Avatar 2. VERY happy to have it back!

AQUAMAN and the Lost Kingdom Three stars - 2023 Warner Bros 124 minutes

The marvels two and a half stars - 2023 disney/marvel 105 minutes, transformers: rise of the beasts two and a half stars - 2023 paramount 136 minutes, guardians of the galaxy vol 3 three and a half stars - 2023 marvel/disney 150 minutes, ant-man and the wasp: quantumania four stars - 2023 marvel/disney 125 minutes, avatar: the way of water three and a half stars - 2022 20th century studios 192 minutes, the lion king four stars - 2019 disney 118 minutes.

The story is now cliche, but the visuals in laser 4K IMAX 3D are astounding! The natural world CG animation is beyond anything I've ever seen. I'm not sure it can get any better as even the extreme animal close-ups boggle the mind with such extreme clarity and realism. I especially liked the mandrill and hyenas visually; the warthog and meerkat were excellent comic relief. The stereo 3D seemed a bit dialed down overall, but that was likely to keep it from being too distracting (a few scenes with lightning bugs and other floaters made good use of space). All the scenes looked like they filled the enormous screen, but online specs say only certain scenes were 1.43:1, over 1.9:1.

VENOM Two and a half stars - 2018 Columbia/Marvel 112 minutes

[Reading MA Laser IMAX... Seems 3D showings are becoming infrequent, so I'm motivated to go.] I shouldn't expect much more than junenile writing/story from these comic book/super hero movies. The "hero" character was pretty good, but the villain was weak (and the show a potentially strong villian at the end as a sequel tease!). Certainly many strong effects, especially the final fight sequence, with decent stereo conversion. Memorable 3D scenes were sparse, however.

READY PLAYER ONE Three stars - 2018 Warner Bros 140 minutes

[First time visiting the IMAX in Providence, RI... HUGE screen and stunning sound system! Doesn't seem to be Dolby Atmos, but I could really sense the surround sound more than any movie experience thus far..] Spectacular visuals with a mediocre story... the key actor was merely adequate, and the villians were less than menacing. It seemed many of the high speed scenes were too fast for 3D (frame rate issue?) and the usual great conversion by Stereo D was compromised in the "real world" scenes to so flat as to be unrealistic. It was great fun to re-visit The Shining in 3D but the long film didn't exactly fly by, despite the high action.

STAR WARS- The Force Awaken s Three and a half stars - 2015 Disney

One would be hard-pressed not to enjoy the film- though it really wasn't all that exciting, the characters are iconic, well-played and amiable. The villian (Darth Vader's grandson?) wasn't a particularly strong character, but I enjoyed the new female protagonist Rey. Certainly the space chases/battles are lots of fun... There's loads of suspension of disbelief (the Millenium Falcon hasn't flown in years, yet seems to be in tip top flying shape- the "keys" are in it ready to fly- shakes off lots and lots of crashes before finally escaping the planet?) (Rey had "the Force" her whole life yet didn't know it?)... The 3D (conversion) was well done, I only noticed one "in-your-face" moment which I have to wonder if it was a purposeful 3D nod (when Rey shoves a weapon in the "camel" pack).

THE WALK Four stars - 2015/Sony

[It's been a while since I've seen a 3D movie in the theater, generally opting for the Blu-Ray release. In this case I had to go see the new 4K Laser projection system (see IMAX heading)]. Robert Zemekis is an excellent storyteller, and certainly embraces stereo to that end in this film... I feel bad for anyone seeing this in 2D! (Which reminds me: at one point several clips were shown in 2D~! Late release error?) At one point our entire group flinched when the balancing pole fell from up on the wire! It's too bad that some nasty publicity came out cautioning that the movie "heights" made some people nauseous... none of us felt that at all. Amazing how the Twin Towers were re-created... the live action and cg blended seamlessly.. Great cast, especially the lead: not sure how close he played the real Phillipe Petit, but the film persona was very believable.

JERUSALEM Three stars - 2013 National Geographic

Certainly some stunning scenes of life in this spiritually central city, but surprised to see that quite a few clips were flat (I can only imagine the difficulty in obtaining much of the footage, but was conversion an option? Too costly?). Many of the aerial/hyper views worked beautifully, but would like to have seen more stereo cg modelling.

GRAVITY 3D Four stars - 2013 Warner Bros

More like an adventure ride than a movie, GRAVITY 3D was as close to a trip in space as I'm likely to get. If ever 3D was an essential experiential element, this was it! After all, what is 3D, but the illusion of space? The director was so intent on getting us the ultimate POV, he brought the camera slowly up to the floating astronaut- then actually into the helment, looking out into the void of space. Wow. Inside the space station objects floated, and the tunnels were extremely deep. I've heard complaints about lack of plot, but this was not a story movie. This was an immersive geospace expedition- especially if ridden in a giant IMAX theater (this one had "butt-kicker" seats, which vibrate at low the lower frequencies, adding to the virtual experience). I just can't imagine trying to appreciate these 91 minutes on a 2D smartphone...

WIZARD OF OZ Five stars - MGM/Warner Brothers

My favorite film of all time. Not only beautifully converted to 3D, but digitally restored from the original Technicolor negatives with enhanced sound. All on the huge IMAX screen! A fresh look at old friends. WOW. OK, I may have noticed a few stereo anomolies, maybe StereoD would have done an even better conversion, but no real complaints. Tears of joy, nostalgia, reverence... loved it.

PACIFIC RIM Three and a half stars - 2013 Warner Bros.

AKA Transformers meets Godzilla. Good sci-fi visual effects action flick, even some martial arts. Unfortunately the epic fighting just goes on and on... The scientist characters were amusing, and of course Ron Perlman was good, with a hilarious coda. Stereo conversion, mostly well done.

BORN TO BE WILD Four stars - 2011 Imax/Warner Bros

You can't go too far wrong with a movie that features baby elepants and orangutans! Some of the footage is incredible, and precious- from baby elephants playing together (and kicking a soccer ball right at the audience) to an orangutan, fresh from captivity emerging from his transfer cage to the wild for the first time. Shooting this must have been incredibly difficult... there are some 3D problems that at times made the film hard to view. A number of scenes had just too much depth, and there were some painful cuts between close and far. Also, I was reminded how much film judder there is at 24fps, especially in 3D (Peter Jackson is said to be shooting The Hobbit at 48fps!). There was an interesting 3D shot of a plane over the landscape: it seems to have been done with a temporal delay (a la "Pulfrich") which put the shadow of the plane above the ground! Technical issues aside, there was some stunning stereo scenes that I may never forget (if I'm lucky). Note: Watched it again on Blu-Ray, upgraded from 3.5 to 4 stars. Nature in 3D, well done, is hard to beat.

TRON LEGACY Three and a half stars - 2010 Disney

Firstly, this movie was certainly the ultimate test for projection crosstalk (ghosting). Unfortunately, IMAX failed in this regard: the very high contrast lines ghosted badly throughout. (I did view several scenes in a RealD theater, and the crosstalk was about non-existent. Is this due to RealD's "ghostbusting" algorithm? Superior polarization? Both?) The film was enjoyable, but my friends and I agreed that the stereo was dialed way down, disappointingly so. Faces appeared quite flat, there seemed to be compression and subsequent layering. Were they worried about the high contrast ghosting? About appearing too "gimmicky"? I don't think there was a single scene that gave me a chill with an inspired use of 3D. Tron should have been this year's Avatar; suprisingly, Vince Pace (Cameron's 3D partner) is listed as "Stereoscopic Producer".

LEGENDS OF THE GUARDIANS Three and a half stars - 2010 Warner Bros.

NOTE: Interesting that my IMAX theater has decided sell glasses ($1.50) instead of handing them out (included in ticket price). They come in a resealable bag, and if you bring them next time there's no surcharge! This is brilliant: it's cheaper for the patron and they don't have to collect, collate and clean them. I've said this is what RealD should do, but they'd lose that revenue (they don't have to clean them, just keep selling more! Very green (for them!) It's always fun to see a cartoon short... this was the classic Warner Bros. Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote, turned from cel animation to 3D models. Though nostalgiac, it just didn't seem all that funny or clever... just kind of ... old. The 3D was good! The 3D in the feature was absolutely stunning! Stereo is really able to show off the power of cg imaging, whereby every wisp of owl feather and down is detailed and distinct. Highlights in the eyes glisten. Even particulates in the atmosphere hover in the air. Thankfully the visuals were such a treat since the story, dialogue and characters didn't grab me (well, maybe the little owl). Seems a couple characters were supposed to offer some comic relief but the jokes fell pretty flat. Like many 3D movies, they got very creative with the ending credits, which offered some cut-outs and shadow play silently retelling the story.

SHREK FOREVER AFTER Four and a half stars - 2010 Dreamworks

Laugh out loud comedy is rare, and this movie had me rolling. Great writing, hilarious sight gags, classic characters, spectacular visual design... it's all there! And of course the stereo was perfection (or as close as it gets!). I was hooked at the very opening, when we went from the storybook to the horse drawn wagon coming toward the viewer in amazing 3D! There were just so many scenes of artistic wonder, I mean I just loved it. From the spectacular scenes in Rumpelstiltskin's castle, to the sight (less) gag of turning the blind mouse around because he was applauding in the wrong direction, this was what an animated family movie should be.

HUBBLE 3D Three and a half stars - 2010 IMAX/Warner Bros.

There are some simply mind-boggling shots in this film: seeing men floating in space above the Earth, working on the monstrous Hubble telescope, way bigger than life, was way worth the price of admission. A good chunk of the film, however, was lower res video and was certainly converted to 3D (which is fine, just not as compelling... obviously there was older footage that wasn't 3D, and maybe the interior shots were just too tight for the IMAX 3D camera). The cg scenes of going to the outer edges of space and seeing the web of galaxies in 3D were pretty awe-inspiring. This film should be a manditory field trip for all school kids!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Three and a half stars - 2010 Disney

Expectations were high, of course- Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and 3D! Then the bad reviews, and rumors that the entire film had been converted to 3D after the fact. I'm not a fan of fake 3D, so I was apprehensive... The beginning of the film, mostly live action, was not looking so good- very little parallax and a slow start. But once into the rabbit hole, things started picking up: Tweedle Dee and Dum were fantastic, as were most of the CG cast. When I saw the smoke from Absolem the Caterpillar, I was sure that the CG was rendered stereoscopically! The fur on the rabbits was much too detailed to have been converted, as opposed to the hair on the lead characters, including Depp's Mad Hatter. Probaby the most disappointing character was Alice herself- the actress just wasn't engaging enough, though adequate. That said, I enjoyed the film more than I expected to- I think if the live action had been shot in 3D it would have been much better... (But how difficult was that have been with all the digital post done on the characters? Really, really difficult, I think. Probably better to just go full motion capture? On the other hand, who but hard-core stereophiles even notices this stuff? Is it worth it?)

AVATAR Four and a half stars - 2009 Fox Entertainment

Of course, there was an immense anticipation for this film from the man who made the (5 star) TERMINATOR 3D in 1996 (not to mention the biggest selling movie of all time). James Cameron promised something special to his fans and his investors... and he delivered! I waited for the crowds to die down a bit, but the Tuesday evening IMAX show I attended was sold out, over 3 weeks and $1 billion after the official opening. This was a make it or break it 3D movie, and thankfully it's a winner. The 3D was not overused- some scenes actually appeared nearly flat. You don't want to overdo it in a 3D film that's almost 3 hours long (headaches aren't good)... I've not heard complaints. Though I liked the film very much, and was filled with wonder and awe at many of the fantastic places and incredibly human-like aliens, it didn't hit all five stars for me. Perhaps it was impossible to live up to the hype- perhaps I expected too much. I am thrilled that the movie that was destined to change the mind of the world about whether or not 3D is just a gimmick had done that very thing. Hallelujah!

UNDER THE SEA 3D Four stars - 2009 Warner Bros

My first thought was, "Not another underwater 3D film!" But this genre is not only perfect for stereoscopic cinematography, but the amazing variety seems to be endless! Howard (and Michele) Hall managed to get more mind-boggling footage in this follow-up to "Deep Sea 3D", proving again that the natural world is so much more spectacular than any fiction. Describing the creatures that were captured by the huge 1300 lb. camera system is an exercise in futility- this is a film that just has to be experienced. Parallax was often overly strong (even at the very back of the theater) and some of the cuts are rather jarring, but just about this entire film is priceless... we are lucky to have this technology and these filmmakers who are able to share this wonderful hidden world with us. And we're lucky to have Jim Carrey narrate!

MONSTERS vs. ALIENS Three stars - 2009 Dreamworks Pictures

I have no doubt that this was the most highly promoted 3D movie of all time, but was it worth the hype? Though the 3D was spectacular, overall the movie itself was a disappointment. There was a chuckle or two at most in this flat comedy... the writing was lame, and the character design mediocre. Visually it was a treat: several scenes, including Susan growing larger at her wedding, and the fight at Golden Gate Bridge, were lots of fun. The opening sequence of the flat 2D Dreamworks logo (as film) melting away to reveal the awesomeness of (3D!) space was brilliant. Unfortunately, this was a case of 3D saving an otherwise dull film... I wouldn't recommend it in 2D.

GRAND CANYON ADVENTURE River at Risk Three stars - 2008 MacGillivray Freeman Films

A respected 3D friend loved this film, but I had little to love about it. I thought I would be awed, but the cinematography was ok at best. The opening with CG splashes were fun! There was a guy shooting dual Hasselblad stills which was great to see, and a comparison of stereo images from 1873 and current times worked well. The aerial shots of the canyon, dams and cities were flat, I'd hoped for some hyper treatments. It looked like some of the rafting sequences were 2D! I thought overall the colors were muted and the lighting undramatic. Even putting the IMAX camera on a raft wasn't all that exciting, a bit too bouncy to enjoy on film. Add some jarring cuts and I left disappointed.

WILD OCEAN 3D Four and a half stars - 2008 Giant Screen Films

OK, I think underwater is a prime subject for stereography and there have certainly been a lot of 3D films done in the deep. This particular film, however, had such an incredible segment of "bait balls", shoals of sardines and the birds that dive into the water to feed on them along with the dolphins, sharks and whales. This was a spectacle of nature caught in IMAX 3D and edited to a symphonic soundtrack which had me weeping in awe... The schools of fish were mesmerizing in themselves, but the gannets darting into the water like cannonfire and the explosion of hungry sharks was just mind boggling. There were other nice touches- like kids in a sand castle shaped like a sardine can, the African villages and the boy who carved the fish from wood.

DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D Two and a half stars - 2008 3D Entertainment

More like a classroom treatment of these "cetaceans" than an entertaining documentary, Jean-Michel Cousteau simply presents the species- one at a time. Some nice closeup footage of these beautiful mammals, especially the manatee... unfortunately the parallax on much of that footage was way strong! Pretty straightforward film with no cg, but including the usual preaching about how these creatures may soon be history unless we all work together.

An incredible concert film on a huge screen showcasing one of the best bands in rock history... how can you go wrong? The producers did an amazingly seamless job weaving this film together from multiple nights of footage. This is the first live action 3D in quite a while, and it executed beautifully. The cameras moved well, with a great mix of closeups, long shots and mingling with the sea of the energized, crazed crowd (I'm glad I could fly over the entire arena from the comfort of my IMAX chair, without tiers of frenzied fans blocking my view!). Composite layering was used extensively to great effect, including 2D segments. The filmmakers only touched upon some cg effects... the first one that really worked was when Bono drew in mid-air... loved it! Later came some text, actually lots of text- too much text. One sequence of raining letters worked, but overall that segment was just too distracting. Unfortunately, in this IMAX showing (where the smallest 3D lenses I've seen were introduced! Just barely covered the screen) ghosting was quite prevalent due to high contrast. At the credits there was a nice scene: a quick fly-through a loose wireframe city. When one thinks of the creative music videos that have been done in 2D over the years, one can imagine the potential for music and 3D. Hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg.

SEA MONSTERS Three and a half stars - 2007 National Geographic

Computer stereo continues to push the boundaries of realism... many shots in Sea Monsters are just spectacular. For 3D, it's hard to beat the "monster" splashing out of the ocean with a fish in it's mouth toward the audience. The aerial shots viewing the fish through the water's surface were so realistic, I have to believe it was live footage cleverly composited with the fish swimming below. Unfortunately many of the shots seemed quite similar, and there really is no story- it's no more than a drawn out vision of what prehistoric fossils might have looked like back in the day.

BEOWULF Four stars - 2007 Paramount Pictures

I was incredibly psyched for this... Robert Zemeckis again directs, utilizing absolute state-of-the-art motion capture/computer animation in stunning stereo. The visuals were spectacular! While the human characters weren't quite perfect, it was often so close as to elicit total awe and sheer amazement. Closeups of faces revealed unprecedented detail and complexity... Anjelina Jolie was stunningly accurate, and the male leads superb. The bodies and hands were also exquisite- I'm just astonished at how far this marriage of art and technology has come. Mind-boggling! As close to recreating humans as humans have ever done. The stereoscopic aspects were handled well, with a few more "comin at you effects" than maybe were necessary (the exagerrated spear in my face was a bit much!). The story was ok, and as good as the human replication was, in some scenes it just didn't work. But the woman scrubbing the table, she was pretty convincing! (I'm pretty sure at least some of her was animated by hand!) Now that 3D films are coming out in multiple formats (this is the first!), shall I review the film in each??

DEEP SEA 3D Four stars - 2006 Warner Bros

There have been more underwater IMAX 3D than any other type, but this one is certainly the best. With the help of Warner Bros. backing, the production quality was top-notch, including a spectacular soundtrack. Not only was Danny Elfman's score wonderful, but the effects were sparkling and even funny! We meet some fantastic creatures and the moon jellyfish school is unearthly! The cleaning stations are wondrous... the sea turtles having their shells detailed by colorful fish is an unforgettable treat. Unfortunately the film suffers from excessive parallax in many scenes, which is nearly unavoidable in this environment... sit in the back. The last scene, with the right whale, was enlarged from a 16mm film and converted to 3D!

IMAX COUNTDOWN Five stars - IMAX

It's just a very short promo for IMAX 3D, but like nothing I've seen before! Starts with a standard "Academy" countdown (small), then goes to FULL SCREEN as the countdown continues sucking you completely into it's vortex of space! This is genius- if you're not convinced after this, you'll never be!

ANT BULLY Three stars - 2006 Warner Bros.

Yet another insect cg movie... too bad the story and characters weren't really worth it. The lead humans were tolerable, but the other "kids" were awful! The ants and other insects were nicely designed, but the story was so lame I can't imagine sitting through a 2D version. There were some really nice stereo scenes involving reflections (one in particular that was like a house of mirrors) but overall the parallax was a bit too strong (and we were sitting all the way in the back). I expected better from a film that got decent reviews.

OPEN SEASON Five Stars - 2006 Sony Imageworks

Another GREAT 3D movie from SONY Imageworks... they are blowing away Disney and Pixar! The CG is mind-boggling, and the stereo 3D makes the incredible hair and texture renderings so much more tangible! The anthropomorphic animal characters are extremely well done and likeable as are the cartoon humans. Check out Beth's hair! Never mind being laugh out loud funny! After having seen the lame attempt to convert 2D to 3D by ILM (Nightmare Before Christmas) the night before, it was a thrill to see how remarkable REAL stereo can be! I loved this film- actual tears of joy.

ALIENS OF THE DEEP Three and a half stars - 2005 Disney

The second Cameron IMAX 3D film was better than the first ("Ghosts of the Abyss") but again way too many bad 3D shots! Seriously nasty window violations that were painful and embarrassing! I kept wishing he just did those shots flat instead... Luckily there was enough amazing 3D footage of incredible creatures in beautiful 3D to keep my jaw dropped for a good chunk of the film. The underwater heat vents crawling with life was mind-blowing! Computer graphics of aliens of the deep space looked great in 3D of course.

MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION Walking on the Moon Three and a half stars - 2005 IMAX

The recreation of the lunar module and the astronauts bouncing around on the moon's surface was quite entertaining on the huge 3D Imax screen. I also enjoyed the amusing section where a roll down (silver?) projection screen appears with lots of 3D graphics (crude but fun) appear on the myths of the moon... kid's space drawings turn to 3D as well. A bit cutesy with the little kids who are going to be astronauts when they grow up...

WILD SAFARI Two stars - 2005 nWave

It's hard to believe nWave has the gumption to put the audience in the back of a bumpy jeep looking at the back of the driver's head for about half the movie! Not only that, but as a cute "effect", they decided to FLASH the audience with a bright white light when the jeep driver is "taking photos" of the elephants at the beginning of the film. Thankfully they didn't continue that painful device throughout the movie! Some of the graphics were way too far out... On the bright side, there was some nice footage of the animals, especially the leopards. Unfortunately, since the cameras cannot get close, long lenses are utilized which tends to compress depth... so the environments exhibit great 3D, but the animals are a bit flat.

POLAR EXPRESS 3D Four stars - 2004 SONY Imageworks

Another amazing CGI stereo film- I believe this is the best 3D feature ever made. The movie may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the 3D is awesome, incredible! And when is the last time you saw a 3D movie as a top box office draw? Granted, most people are only seeing the film in 2D- which means that the film holds up quite well even without that amazing third dimension! This film was chock full of spectacular 3D scenes, as well as the most imaginative 3D thrill rides I have ever enjoyed. This wasn't a movie, it was an experience! I was riveted throughout.... Yes, the not-quite-human aspect of the characters was a little hard for many, including myself (a huge cg fan), to digest... but so easily forgivable, considering the spectacular 3D effects! What I witnessed going on up there on that gargantuan silver screen was absolutely mind-boggling. It's hard to believe the film was done in 3D as an afterthought~!? A local radio personality here in Boston who never liked animation or Tom Hanks was raving about the film... the 2D version! And I have never heard so much positive word-of-mouth about a 3D movie... people are talking about it as a must see! Sold out shows! This has got to be a major turning point in the history of stereoscopic filmmaking... the public likes it! My wife really liked it! And I loved it. A MUST SEE! (note: apparently the IMAX version of The Polar Express grossed $45 million, meaning that 35% of the film's revenue came from only 2% of its screens!) NOTE : After seeing this film for the second time, I'm still amazed. For me, this is the most incredible marriage of art and technology EVER CREATED. Stunning. [ BLU RAY NOTE : Not sure if the original film had this problem, but on the Blu-Ray I noticed that a number of scenes were BAD CONVERSIONS! I was so surprised to see this... did I miss this in the original IMAX film version? Or did they lose the 2nd eye view when they made the Blu-Ray in 2011?? Since I don't know, I had to knock the rating down to 4 stars from the full 5. It's hard to imagine I missed the bad 3D in 2004, but... at the time it was such a huge breakthrough for cg 3D. 3 more years until digital 3D projection!]

NASCAR 3D Three and a half stars - 2004 Warner Bros

I didn't think I was going to like this film, not being much of a racing enthusiast (quite the opposite, really). But it actually turned out to be pretty good! Shots inside the car during a race, behind the scenes (including the incredible truck that takes the car on the second level with the service tools on the first level), and time-lapse photography all were pretty interesting. Quality of the stereography was quite good. My favorite part was the pit crew in 3D! Those are the guys that should be getting trophies!

SHARKS 3D Three stars - 2004 3D Entertainment

Another underwater adventure from the same French guys that did Ocean Wonderland. What is up with the talking sea turtle? Apparently they didn't figure out the first time around that it's really lame, the narration is awful. The music is pretty overdone classical. BUT, there is some absolutely spectacular footage of schools of fish! And jellyfish! And even hammerhead sharks! Though I found it odd that in the middle of the hammerhead sequence the movie reverted to 2D (2 same eye views) for about seven minutes. I talked to the supervisor who talked to the (weekend) projectionist- no one noticed or complained in 8 months. Guess I'm just a troublemaker! Oh, also some amazing shark "feeding frenzy" footage...

BUGS! Four stars - 2003 The Film Consortium

Incredible macro stereo makes these tiny creatures seem gargantuan! There is an incredible sequence showing hundreds of baby praying mantises being born... they come down little strings hanging from a huge leaf. Absolutely fascinating! Apparently the spider coming down the web at the audience is a little much for small kids... my 6 year old niece and nephew hardly wanted to put their glasses back on after that!

OCEAN WONDERLAND 3D Two and a half stars - 2003 3D Entertainment

More underwater 3D... normally you can't miss with swarming schools of fish in 3D- and there are some good clips in this film- but there were so many seriously bad parallax / alignment problems in many scenes that it took away from comfortable enjoyment. The "host" sea turtle was pretty corny! One memorable scene of golden fish within an anemone, but overall less than exciting.

GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS Three stars - 2003 Disney

Disappointment from James Cameron after the incredible Terminator 3D offering. There are some high points- they are all digitally enhanced or generated. Some of the cg room recreations are fantastic, as are the 3D conversions of the old black and white photos (apparently intricate depth maps were created from 3d models made to simulate each scene). Unfortunately, some of the interior scenes of the sub were hard on the eyeballs due to extreme window violations. I know there are some restrictions for a 3d camera in tight quarters, but this was too much.

SPACE STATION Three and a half stars - 2002 IMAX/NASA

Some extreme parallax, but it's amazing how much they were able to pull off in the IMAX format out in space! Shots of crew members floating in front of you in 3D made you really feel like you're inside the shuttle along with them. The closest we'll ever be to being up there.

HAUNTED CASTLE One and a half stars - 2001 nWave

Computer animation, but not nearly as evolved as what we might expect from Disney, Pixar, or PDI. There is very little semblance of a story- really an excuse for a ride-type 3D experience.

CIRQUE du SOLIEL Three and a half stars - 2000 Sony Classics

An excellent subject for 3d, this was not a documentary of regular performances but a narrative specifically written for the IMAX 3D vehicle. The narrative was a vague and somewhat corny story that provided an excuse for various scenes in which the troupe could show their costumes and aerobatics. Some highlights include a beatiful underwater sequence (a natural for through the window effects) and a scene of "living statues" that were floating on a giant leaf on a pond. One overhead shot was particularly effective, as the screen became the water surface and the statues jutted out into the room. I also liked the scene deep in the woods with very colorful characters in the misty rays of the sun. Unfortunately some scenes dragged, but it could be that European circus style~

CYBERWORLD Four and a half stars - 2000 Wireframe Films

This is what I want to see in 3D! The computer has allowed incredible freedom for fertile minds, and stereo is a natural by-product of 3d animation. Showcases of short films like this are the perfect outlet for creative pieces that might never otherwise be seen. In this grouping there is a wide variety of styles, highlighted by a sequence from the cg animation ANTS (by PDI, the same people who did SHREK) with Woody Allen and Sylvester Stallone re-rendered in 3D, and the absolute BEST 3D animated sequence ever (also by PDI): HOMER SIMPSON goes from the 2D cartoon world to the 3D cg world! It was originally done for the television show, but was re-rendered in high resolution and stunning stereo 3d! Not only is it one of the funniest Simpsons sequences ever, but the transition from 2D to 3D is a sight to behold. And when the 2D Professor Frink tries to explain what happended to Homer and speaks of "the hypothetical z-axis", it's the zenith of 3D hilarity. A MUST SEE.

GALAPAGOS Four stars - 1999 IMAX

Despite some heavy parallax in some land close-ups, we are treated to lots of great 3D footage on this lost island, as well as underwater scenes. The schools of fish work really well with this fish-eye underwater rig. Loved the shots of the submersible (how did the camera shoot it at the bottom of the ocean?), especially the "sucking up" of never before seen specimens. Film is dedicated to Noel Archambault, who died in a helicopter crash making this film. Noel was a great asset to the 3D community and a great guy. He is sorely missed.

ENCOUNTER IN THE THIRD DIMENSION Four stars - 1999 nWave

High rating mainly due to the 3D background and history... though there are some nice 3D effects and some pretty remarkable compositing effects, the storyteller is painfully unfunny. There is a particularly good effect where Elvira gets zapped and turns 2D (horrors!), falling down to the ground as a cardboard cutout.

SIEGFRIED and ROY Four and a half stars - 1999 IMAX

Excellent vehicle for stereo presentation, the film includes scenes from the stage show as well as home life with the tigers. But most impressive are the computer graphics which work incredibly well and are very creative.

T-REX! Back to the Cretaceous Two and a half stars - 1998 L-squared

Story is a bit goofy, and who isn't tired of dinosaurs? The computer graphics are fine, but this seems to have been made as a cash in on Jurassic Park. Now if only Spielberg had directed it...

L5 First City in Space Two stars - 1996 IMAX

Lame story with uninspired effects. Disappointing.

ACROSS THE SEA OF TIME Four and a half stars - 1995 Columbia/Sony

Stereo fans should really like this film, which features a boy looking for his roots through his grandfather's stereoscope! He travels to New York City and there are many old stereo views blown up to IMAX proportions that hold up incredibly well.

INTO THE DEEP Three and a half stars - 1995 3D Sea, Inc

Underwater is such a great venue for stereo! This one is done particularly well, highlights include beautifully lit schools of fish and a lobster shedding it's exoskeleton.

THEME PARK 3D

Marvel 4d super heroes two and a half stars.

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas - Digital Polarized

Not exactly a theme park, but... at the end of the museum walktrough is the entrance to the "4D" theater. Not a fan of the water in your face, seat vibrating and air neck blowing "immersive" 3D experience- it's just so juvenile and gimmicky. The appx. 20 minute movie was all cg, well done stereo, but the story was just excuses for the lame effects and fighting... pretty boring. The end shows references to Tussaud's, so this was made specifically for them. Seems to be a similar show at the New York museum.

TRANSFORMERS: THE RIDE Five stars

Universal Studios Hollywood - Digital Dolby

WOW. The Amazing Spiderman has to step aside: Universal has again set the GOLD standard for theme park rides! The rider is taken from one breathtaking 3D screen to another, each screen melting seamlessly into the surrounding infrastructure, in a non-stop flurry of action that is as close to being inside a movie as one could imagine. Lucky I had a VIP card, I went on at least 6 times in a row, and it's still way too much to take in. We are sucked into a giant spinning vortex, hurled in and out of a skyscraper office building and dropped off the edge. The length is perfect- not too long, not too short but definitely leaving you mesmerized and wondering how all that just happened to you! The design, timing, mechanics and audio were just brilliant. Going to be very hard to top!

TOY STORY MIDWAY MANIA! Three and a half stars

Disney California Adventure - Digital Polarized

Cute 3D ride, easy to have fun playing the interactive game of using the little "pop" cannons that shoot virtual ammunition at various targets in a number of screens. Not super exciting, but really quite clever in how well the games acutally work, then adding the total score on boards for you and the person next to you in the car (which makes for some competition! I thought I did pretty well until the high scores were shown on the final tally board!). Simple, but nicely designed for the whole family.

KING KONG 360 3D Four stars

Universal Studios - Digital Polarized

Didn't realize this was part of the "Studio Tour" until they handed out glasses on the tram... Certainly an unusual way to "enter" a ride: with glasses donned we roll into a building/tunnel which leads us to what looks like rear projected scenes of "Skull Island", a jungle scene that really seems to wrap entirely around the tram... dinosaurs are doing nasty things to each other and finally King Kong arrives, very perturbed, and starts Ultimate Fighting! He jumps "on" the tram (with the appropriate tram jostling) and the audience is truly immersed in the conflict- especially when it looks like one of the cars ahead has been abducted by a tRex. Lots of intense action, with air and water effects, but quite short (2.5 minutes)... projected on "the world's largest digital 3D screen" (2 @ 40' tall, 180' long).

STAR TOURS 3D Four stars

Disneyland - Dolby 3D

3D Star Wars ride simulation where you feel you're part of the action on screen... The feeling of riding the open "spaceship" right into the movie was very strong, with excellent 3D effects (especially the shattering glass bit at the end). The stereo 3D worked quite well in this new digital version, which utilized Dolby/Infitec glasses with Mylar lenses. (This is the first time I'd seen "soft" dichroic filter lenses- they worked suprisingly well. I didn't notice any ghosting even with contrasty space scenes.) My understanding is that there are many different versions of the ride, so one is unlikely to see the same scenes multiple times.

PHILHARMAGIC Four and a half stars

DisneyWorld Magic Kingdom - Dual 5p 70mm film 30x150 screen. 6k xenon lamp Projectors at 90 degrees.

The theatre features a beautiful gold procenium embossed with dimensional musical instruments. As we don our "opera glasses", the curtain opens. Shortly after the film begins, Donald Duck loses control of the musical instruments- suddenly all goes to black: Big eyes open and a 3D match lights, and we are treated to a Beauty and the Beast rendition of "Be Our Guest" in PANORAMIC 3D! (Actually, the wide center of the screen is stereo, the extreme sides are 2D... the film seams show, but not terribly). The procenium has discretely disappeared as have the side curtains. This clever format eliminates the stereo window problem (at least on the edges, where it really matters)! The entire film is computer-generated in flawless Disney fashion. When an apple pie flies into the audience, we also SMELL the pie! (This is the only olfactory effect I know of at any 3D film). There is a lovely underwater scene with Ariel, a Lion King sequence featuring some imaginative 3d animated design, and a flying carpet scene with Donald jettisoning through the villas. There are the usual spritzings, which people seem to like, but I can do without them! I was surprised that they went with film for this very new attraction... there were already several sections that exhibited extreme wear. I'm a sucker for good cg, and the 3D is used very effectively in this film.

HONEY I SHRUNK THE AUDIENCE Three and a half stars

DisneyWorld Epcot Center

This film tries to make it appear as though the 3D image is a real stage set up for an Inventor of the Year award presentation- everything appears as life size. They even go so far as to have a "video assist" tv monitor off to the left side for close ups (2D, of course) of the primary actors. The glasses are our "safety goggles"- we need them, since the crazy inventor (Rick Moranis) crashes his flying machine into the neon sign above and 3D shards fall into the audience. A ray gun that is supposed to shrink luggage inadvertently points at the audience- now suddenly we are looking at people on the stage as giants... all we see are their feet and ankles. The impression is that we, the audience, have become tiny! This notion is reinforced by what appears to be a child's fingers holding the edges of the screen, supposedly the exterior of the box that the audience is sitting in! The child gently puts us down, and the "giant" actors have to get down on the floor to speak to us. Finally, we are enlarged to "normal size', but the coup de gras is that the dog has also become enlarged- unfortunately the 3d composite is poorly done. Otherwise, a very clever idea for 3D. There are some cg effects used to good effect, but they do look old. I wonder how they shot the huge stage set- everything looked perfectly straight, no wide angle distortion was noticeable. Also starring Eric Idle.

SHREK 4D Four stars

Universal Studios CA and FL - Digital Projection

This is the first theme park digital stereo projection, and the format was extremely impressive! They call it 4D because of the special seat effects (wind and water) but it should be because they use four digital projectors! Apparently, the use of two projectors for each eye is not only brighter, but smoothes out pixelization (aliasing). The image was spectacular! Bright, crisp, clean, and rock steady! Without glasses it was clear that alignment was perfect throughout, something I don't think I have ever seen in film 3D. Of course, the animation was all digitally generated, and as such they are able to control 3d effects very well. However, at the CA park the water effect left big 3D droplets on my 3D glasses! The storyline wasn't particularly fun or funny, but the 3D was phenomenal. NOTE: The anaglyph DVD ( Shrek 3-D ) looked suprisingly good on a digital monitor.

IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BUG Three stars

DisneyWorld Animal Kingdom

The highlight of this 3D film is the opening: the curtain has a pattern of butterflies on it, and as the film begins they surprisingly spring to life and fly off the curtain! (Sorry if I spoiled it for you~). We meet all the regular computer generated characters from A Bug's Life, including a large animatronic model of the evil grasshopper. Cute enough, but nothing exrtaordinary (except for the bug shaped glasses).

THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN Five stars

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure

This is the only 3D ride film I've been on (I know there are others), but it absolutely HAS to be the best. We're talking about 13 different 3D screens and plenty of effects. Right off the bat the computer generated Spiderman hops out of the screen ONTO the front of the ride car- you see, hear and feel it. The screens are virtually invisible, as they so seamlessly mesh with the physical environment which appears to be New York City. A bridge along the wall merges with the screen bridge, we are later in a huge sewer pipe looking into the 3d sewer pipe with Spiderman as a giant water villian comes up behind him and reaches for us- naturally we get a little wet. A pipe is hurled at us and we are knocked along... Another villian tries to torch us with a heat gun, and we feel it! An awesome effect happens when we appear to be rising between skyscrapers, we see it in 3d in front of us, aided by the lit building windows on either side of us slinging quickly downward... it appears that we are tipped over the edge of a skyscraper- all the buildings are sideways! Suddenly we are in a freefall toward the ground- thank goodness Spiderman's web catches us just in time and all is well. Incredible 3d, great effects and total interaction makes this a MUST SEE. The engineering is a marvel... this is as good as it gets.

TERMINATOR 2 3D Five stars

Universal Studios

This is the only 3d film I know of to integrate live action and animatronics along with the 3d film... they did a spectacular job! The original cast is utilized, and James Cameron is co-director. Film production is top notch, and cg integration works seamlessly. The film starts out on the center screen, and later envelops us as two side screens open up for surround 3d! One of the highlights is when Arnold rides his motorcycle right through the screen and literally into the audience! Of course, it's now another actor playing the Terminator, but it works surprisingly well. Lots of live action sequences in the audience make this 3d attraction another MUST SEE. (note: on the Terminator Special Collector's DVD set, there is a whole chapter on the making of Terminator 3D. Highly recommended!)

HAUNTED LIGHTHOUSE 4D Two stars

Sea World CA

Mostly live action, with a few cg sequences when the ghost kids turn into wacky gremlins that spice up this otherwise fairly dull offering. In this showing there was even a section around five minutes long that reverted to 2D! No one at the venue could tell me whether this was a permanent or temporary phenomenon. The best part of the film is the opening sequence which effectively brings to 3d life the illustrations which I assume accompany the book by R L Stine.

MUPPETVISION 3D Four stars

DisneyWorld MGM

Early live action of the popular Jim Henson creations... some "in" 3D jokes makes it fun. The highlight of this presentation is a Miss Piggy sequence where she blows bubbles into the audience, and 3d bubbles mix with real bubbles in the audience space. Great effect! Otherwise, the usual cornball, cute Muppet hi-jinks. [NOTE: Originally pegged at 3.5 stars, I saw again in CA and there is a lot of good stuff going on, with live and automated interaction in the theater. Some 3D is a bit extreme, but mostly fun.]

Movies released in 3D with no 3D Blu-ray Release:

Movies with 3D segments exclusive to IMAX

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Superman Returns

3D Releases Outside of the U.S.

Movies that were supposed to be released in 3D but weren't

Luca, Turning Red, Mulan (Live-action), Soul, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Demystifying 4DX and RealD 3D: Inside Today‘s Most Immersive Theater Technologies

Hey folks, it‘s your pal Terry here. As you know, I‘m a huge tech nerd particularly when it comes to the latest innovations in home entertainment and movie theaters. Today, I want to provide an in-depth look at two of the most exciting new formats changing the cinema experience: 4DX and RealD 3D. These technologies take movies to the next level in terms of sound, visuals, and sensory immersion.

I‘ll examine how they work, their unique benefits, and why you may want to check them out for your next big screen adventure. Let‘s dive in!

Bringing Movies to Life with 4DX

4DX is a premium theater format developed by the South Korean company CJ 4DPLEX. It incorporates motion seats and environmental effects like wind, fog, rain, scents, and more, synchronized perfectly with the visuals up on the big screen. This creates one incredibly immersive experience!

Here‘s a quick breakdown of how the 4DX technology works its magic:

Multi-Sensory Seats – The seats can tilt, shake, and vibrate in synch with the action on screen. If a plane is banking left in the movie, your seat will actually bank left to match it. When an explosion happens, you‘ll feel the blast. This really makes you feel part of the action compared to just passively watching events unfold.

Targeted Effects – Small nozzles in the seat backs and theater ceiling allow for wind, mist, aromas, heat, snow and other environmental effects. These further enhance what‘s happening in the movie. Like when a helicopter flies overhead, you‘ll feel the downdraft. Or walking through a pine forest may be accompanied by a subtle pine scent.

Sound System – A Dolby Atmos surround sound system completes the sensory experience with three-dimensional audio including from speakers in the ceiling.

As of 2022, CJ 4DPLEX reports having over 776 4DX theaters operating in 69 countries around the world. That‘s some rapid growth since the first one opened in Seoul back in 2009!

China is currently the largest market with nearly 200 locations. The United States has around 91 screens, including at major chains like Regal Cinemas and Cinemark.

In terms of revenues, Variety reported 4DX accounted for $230 million global box office in 2019 before the pandemic. Compared to standard screenings, tickets for the 4DX experience generally cost $6-8 more per person in the US and other markets.

But for many moviegoers, it‘s worth the extra cost to truly be immersed in their favorite action flicks, horror thrillers, and adventure sagas. While critics are divided on whether 4DX enhances or distracts from the film itself, there‘s no doubt it makes the theater experience a more vivid, tactile sensory ride.

RealD 3D – New Digital Depth

RealD is another leading cinema innovation, this time focused on advanced 3D projection. Their digital stereoscopic technology has helped usher in a new generation of 3D movies using the latest digital projectors rather than old school red/blue anaglyph glasses.

So how does RealD create such immersive 3D effects on screen? Here are the key elements:

Circular Polarization – RealD glasses use circular polarization in the lenses so your left eye sees only the left image, and your right eye the right image. This allows for clear 3D depth even when you tilt your head.

Triple Flash – To reduce flickering, RealD projectors display each frame three times using different polarization. The glasses block all but one polarized image per eye per frame.

Silver Screens – High gain silver screens maintain polarization and reflect more light for better brightness.

Digital Projection – RealD studios now recommend 4K projectors. Combined with sharp 4K 3D movie masters, the image really pops off the screen.

Since their start in 2003, RealD has continued to refine the tech. They now have over 30,000 3D screens installed globally. RealD estimates around a 20-40% boost in revenue for movies released in RealD 3D vs standard 2D.

While not immune to the ups and downs of the 3D movie trend itself, RealD has helped make modern digital 3D projection more immersive and comfortable for audiences through advances in polarization, brightness, and image clarity. For 3D fans, it‘s absolutely my recommended way to experience new dimensional blockbusters, animation, and nature documentaries.

Comparing IMAX 3D and 4DX Experiences

IMAX 3D and 4DX both provide awesome premium movie experiences using different technological approaches. Here‘s a quick comparison:

Huge curved screens up to 120 feet tall
12 channel surround sound with subwoofer
4K laser projection for sharp 3D
Emphasis on visuals and audio
Motion seats with tactile effects
Wind, scents, water effects
3D optional based on movie
Focuses on physical immersion

While screen size and sound matter in IMAX 3D, the 4DX magic comes from making you feel part of the story through your seat‘s movement. My advice is to try both for some of today‘s biggest blockbusters. Seeing a pulse-pounding action sequence in 4DX, then again on IMAX‘s enormous screen, offers very cool and complementary experiences.

The Future of 4DX, RealD, and Immersive Cinema

Looking ahead, I think theaters will continue finding new ways to immerse audiences and give them experiences they can’t replicated at home.

Imax has their laser projection systems and rumored VR headset technologies in development. Dolby Cinema offers HDR, Dolby Vision and Atmos sound for super vivid visuals and audio. D-Box seats provide premium motion feedback.

On the 4DX side, I’m excited to see how they might incorporate virtual reality in the future. Combining a VR headset with 4DX motion seats could take immersion to the next level by putting you into the middle of VR movies and games. There are challenges to overcome, like avoiding motion sickness. But the potential is awesome!

RealD continues to refine their polarization and projection tech. I’m eager to see the continuing improvements as studios master 4K and even 8K 3D movie production. Increased brightness, better depth, and ultra clarity will make RealD experiences even more realistic.

While a great story and characters ultimately make a movie, new formats like 4DX and RealD 3D help today‘s cinemas transport us into the film like never before. The theater remains a magical place to be dazzled by the latest sights, sounds, and multi-sensory thrills. What exciting new experiences await in the future? I don‘t know about you, but I can‘t wait to see!

Let me know if you have any other questions about today‘s immersive theater technologies. Enjoy the movies!

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Dune Ticket

Are the sands of Timothée Chalamet's Arrakis worth the extra 3D Solaris?

Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet looking down with blue eyes in Dune.

Another world of epic storytelling, all-star casting and franchise potential has landed at a theater near you. Thanks to director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune , Frank Herbert’s sci-fi touchstone is on the big screen yet again, and in a stunning update. Which, of course, includes a 3D conversion released out into the wild. But is this third dimensional effort so good you feel like you could ruffle Timothée Chalamet’s hair? Well, that’s basically asking, “To 3D or Not To 3D?,” so let’s get to questioning, shall we?

The usual warning before we get too deep in the sand: if you want to see what we thought of Dune as a movie, you’re in the wrong place. Eric Eisenberg’s official review is available to answer your questions on that particular subject. But from this point on, we’re going to sift through the 3D conversion of Dune and see whether the spice is worth the hype.

FIT SCORE - 5/5

You know how they say throwing the first punch determines the course of a fight? 3D’s kind of like that, as if you don’t lay down some proper groundwork early on, the rest of the battle’s uphill. Dune gets this to a tee, as it shows just why it’s supposed to be in 3D, with a stunning prologue involving a quick action set piece establishing the Harkonnen hold on Arrakis. Everything from sweeping vistas to personal moments of conversation is framed in such a way that 3D absolutely works its magic on Denis Villeneuve ’s visual canvas. Though it also helps that Mr. Villeneuve is no stranger to the format, as his previous film Blade Runner 2049 was also an eye-popping knockout .

PLANNING & EFFORT - 4/5

DNeg has done it again, folks. After putting out an amazing 3D conversion of No Time To Die , the team returns to the field of play with Dune . There’s some really impressive factors at work here, particularly the preservation of visual clarity in the movie’s darker moments. A minor point deduction did crop up though, and it’s one we can discuss in more detail immediately, as the Before the Window section fell just slightly short of perfect.

BEFORE THE WINDOW - 4/5

While the Before the Window thrills of a movie like Dune should never be abused, as it would cheapen the entire product, there could have been more moments of screen-breaking during the massive action scenes. That being said, the one visual sequence that absolutely nails projecting an object into the audience, has to be when Paul is trying to evade the Hunter Killer. That object absolutely flies at the audience, inducing a bit of a flinch. Also, if you’re a fan of facial features projecting into the audience, Rebecca Fergusson and Oscar Isaac are fine examples of this feature at work. Isaac’s beard especially benefits, which only makes it a shame that Jason Momoa couldn’t keep his in tact for Dune .

BEYOND THE WINDOW - 5/5

I wasn’t just being cute before when I made that remark about being able to ruffle Timothée Chalamet’s hair. Dune has 3D depths so well drawn, even a person’s hair gets to be the star of the show. Again, right from the opening, the depth of picture packs a powerful punch, which absolutely matters in a film that has tons of troop formations and intimate discussions that require such depth. Characters and their environments are properly separated, and there’s even some really cool moments where floating spice particles, and even subtitles, serve as a fun buffer between objects and persons. Still, one of the most impressive elements of the Beyond the Window aspect is seeing Paul’s visions of Zendaya ’s Chani, and watching her windswept hair represent a perfect microcosm of just how deep these visuals are.

BRIGHTNESS SCORE - 5/5

I hope you’re sitting down for this, dear readers, because I’m surprised I’m even about to say it. For a movie that has as many dimly lit scenes as Dune does, the brightness is perfect. Daytime scenes are crisp and clear, even with the layer of darkness that’s added by merely putting on your 3D glasses. But when it comes to nighttime battle scenes or the darkness of Baron Harkonnen’s lair, the picture doesn’t quit. Exploding ships and burning trees during a crucial battle scene are not failed by this film’s 3D conversion, as the picture can be murky...but purely when it meant to be. Though to be fair, your mileage may vary, as the brightness factor depends on how well your theater of choice maintains its equipment. Which was firmly in mind during this screening of Dune, as things got off to a rocky start with un-calibrated 3D. However, the matter was corrected easily enough, and the film restarted in full 3D beauty.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

GLASSES OFF SCORE - 5/5

Taking your glasses off during a 3D movie is a moviegoing tradition, like buttered popcorn and timing your bathroom breaks. So when you remove your glasses during Dune , you want the screen to be as blurry as possible; and it definitely lives up to that requirement. You can trace the blur on the screen to specific points where it stops, leaving certain aspects of the picture looking 2D. That manipulation shows you just how much work was done to make that 3D image look as beautiful as it appears when you put your glasses back on.

AUDIENCE HEALTH - 5/5

The health of the audience is important when watching a 3D movie. Gone are the days where red and blue anaglyph would cause headaches, but even in the world of polarized lenses, the picture can still cause some visual strain. Dune absolutely does not strain your eyes, and yes, this is a movie that includes some impressive hand to hand combat action in its execution. Again, should you have a theater you absolutely trust with 3D presentations, this is a factor that you won’t have to worry about.

FINAL VERDICT: 33/35

A hearty round of applause to the folks at DNeg are yet again in order, as Dune lives up to the hype in 3D. For a movie that’s shot and enhanced for IMAX, it’s a true and proper shame that the premium format has turned its back on the format it once embraced so dearly. If Dune was shown in IMAX 3D, it could be the ultimate experience; but even in standard format 3D, it’s absolutely brilliant.

If you want to see Denis Villeneuve’s latest sci-fi masterpiece in the third dimension, check your local listings very carefully. And if you want to catch up on previous 3D evaluations, head over to our full To 3D Or Not To 3D Archive . We'll see you here for the next 3D adventure, which just might present itself in those messages from the deep: our dreams.

Mike Reyes is the Senior Movie Contributor at CinemaBlend, though that title’s more of a guideline really. Passionate about entertainment since grade school, the movies have always held a special place in his life, which explains his current occupation. Mike graduated from Drew University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, but swore off of running for public office a long time ago. Mike's expertise ranges from James Bond to everything Alita, making for a brilliantly eclectic resume. He fights for the user.

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right The Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Ticket

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right The Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom Ticket

3 Things I Really Loved About Season 1 Of X-Men '97... And 2 Things I Hope They Fix In Season 2

24 Best-Reviewed 3D Movies

TAGGED AS: 24 frames

James Cameron has coated Terminator 2: Judgment Day with a new 3D look like so much mimetic polyalloy, updating his 1991 sci-fi action epic with the technology of today. Cameron is no stranger to 3D ( Avatar for one, and his Titanic re-release a few years back) and neither are movie audiences, who expect those familiar goofy-looking glasses to accompany major studio releases now. This all inspires today’s gallery: the 24 best-reviewed 3D movies since 2003, when Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over became the first major 3D movie in decades and ushered in our current era.

Related News

All Harry Potter (and Fantastic Beasts ) Movies Ranked

All George Miller Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

All Emily Blunt Movies Ranked

More 24 Frames

24 Predictions For 2019 (According To The Movies)

24 Best Movie Posters of 2018

24 Great Monster Movie Posters

December 31, 2018

December 27, 2018

August 7, 2018

Related News & Interviews

June 4, 2024

June 3, 2024

Movie & TV News

Featured on rt.

Pride Month Programming Calendar 2024: TV and Streaming Shows and Movies Celebrating LGBTQ+ Voices

The Most Anticipated Movies of 2024

Weekend Box Office: Garfield Outlasts Furiosa to Take No. 1

Top Headlines

All Harry Potter (and Fantastic Beasts ) Movies Ranked –
All George Miller Movies Ranked by Tomatometer –
All Emily Blunt Movies Ranked –
Anya Taylor-Joy Movies and Series Ranked –
Netflix’s 100 Best Movies Right Now (June 2024) –
100 Best Anime Movies of All Time –

IMAX vs. RealD 3D: Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between IMAX And RealD 3D

IMAX vs. RealD 3D: 5 Key Differences, Pros & Cons, Similarities

When it comes to immersive cinema experiences, there are two major technologies that compete for the attention of movie-goers: IMAX and RealD 3D. Both systems aim to create the most realistic and captivating experience possible, but they differ considerably in their approach. IMAX is a motion picture projection format that uses large-screen theaters to create a larger-than-life view of the action. RealD 3D, on the other hand, uses polarized glasses to create the illusion of a three-dimensional world on a standard-sized screen. Choosing between these two options comes down to a matter of personal preferences and how one wants to experience their movies. In this post, we’ll be diving deep into the differences between IMAX and RealD 3D, exploring the technologies that power them, and ultimately helping you to make an informed decision about which option is right for you. We’ll compare and contrast the image quality, audio capabilities, cost, and other factors to provide a detailed understanding of each.

Table of Contents

What Is IMAX?

IMAX is a motion picture projection format that is renowned for its impressive large-screen theaters and incredibly immersive cinematic experience. This format uses specially-designed cameras and projectors to capture and display films on an immense scale, resulting in larger-than-life visuals and a truly immersive experience for audiences. The IMAX format is characterized by stunning picture clarity, crisp audio quality, and a seamless blend of widescreen cinematography with a wraparound cinema display. IMAX theaters are particularly well-suited for action-packed films, nature documentaries, and visually stunning works of art that deserve to be seen in a truly epic setting. As a global leader in large-format entertainment, IMAX continues to push the limits of cinematic excellence and redefine how people perceive the art of film.

What Is RealD 3D?

RealD 3D technology is an innovative approach to displaying movies in three dimensions using polarization and specialized glasses. It is used in theaters across the globe to offer viewers a thrilling and immersive experience. The technology works by projecting two images simultaneously, and then using polarization to split these images apart. When viewed through the special glasses, the left and right eye receive different images, resulting in the illusion of depth. Unlike other 3D technologies that require bulky glasses or complicated setups, RealD 3D glasses are lightweight and easy to use. This cutting-edge technology is ever-evolving, ensuring that viewers continue to enjoy a remarkable 3D experience.

Key Differences Between IMAX And RealD 3D

IMAX and RealD 3D are two different technologies used in movie theaters to enhance the viewing experience for audiences. The main difference between the two is that IMAX is a motion picture projection format that is distinguished for its large-screen theaters, while RealD 3D is a technology for 3D movie presentations that uses polarization and special glasses. Additionally, IMAX theaters are often equipped with state-of-the-art sound systems and high-resolution screens that are significantly larger than regular movie screens. On the other hand, RealD 3D enables audiences to experience 3D visuals through glasses that feature polarized lenses and alternating frame sequences. Overall, both technologies aim at providing an immersive and engaging viewing experience for moviegoers, albeit in different ways.

IMAX theaters often feature a specialized curved screen that fills the viewer’s peripheral vision.
RealD 3D is a digital stereoscopic projection technology that uses a single projector to display two slightly different images – one for the left eye and one for the right eye.
Some movies are specifically shot or converted to IMAX format, offering a more immersive experience for IMAX viewers.
Many movies are post-converted to RealD 3D during the production process, allowing them to be viewed in 3D in compatible theaters.

IMAX vs. RealD 3D Similarities

IMAX and RealD 3D are both popular and cutting-edge technologies used in the entertainment industry to enhance the movie-watching experience. Both technologies aim to create an immersive environment for the viewers by projecting high-quality visuals on large screens. IMAX uses a larger format than regular theater screens, which is ideal for films with a wider aspect ratio. RealD 3D uses specialized glasses that enable the audience to see images that are perceived to have depth and volume. Both technologies also require specialized equipment to fully appreciate the experience. Overall, both IMAX and RealD 3D technologies are changing the way people watch movies and are revolutionizing the film industry by providing a richer and more engaging viewing experience.

IMAX and RealD 3D are both popular and cutting-edge technologies used in the entertainment industry to enhance the movie-watching experience.
Both technologies aim to create an immersive environment for the viewers by projecting high-quality visuals on large screens.
Both technologies also require specialized equipment to fully appreciate the experience.

IMAX vs. RealD 3D Pros and Cons

Imax pros & cons.

The IMAX format is a truly unique and immersive cinematic experience that is unrivaled in the industry. Utilizing large-format film, advanced projection technology, and specially designed theaters with massive screens, IMAX transports viewers into the heart of the action, offering an unparalleled level of detail and realism. Some of the advantages and pros of the IMAX format include a significantly larger viewing area (up to eight stories tall!), enhanced audio quality, wider color gamut, and a more immersive 3D experience. Many blockbuster films are released in IMAX, and it’s no wonder why- the format adds a whole new level of excitement and spectacle to the movie-going experience.

IMAX is ten times bigger than standard movie theaters.
The viewing experience is more realistic with IMAX.
IMAX displays are much larger than standard cinemas.
The IMAX theater screen is curved, instead of flat, so a viewer is closer to the action.
IMAX theaters have good acoustic qualities.
IMAX theaters have better quality sound.

IMAX is a popular motion picture projection format that utilizes large-screen theaters for a more immersive viewing experience. However, as with any technology, there are disadvantages and cons associated with it. Firstly, IMAX technology comes with a hefty price tag, making it expensive to install and maintain. Additionally, the specialized equipment required for IMAX theaters often limits the movies that can be shown and restricts filmmakers’ creativity. The large screen size also requires viewers to sit farther back, resulting in a loss of detail for those sitting closer. Moreover, IMAX theaters often have limited seating capacity and may not be available in all areas, reducing accessibility for moviegoers.

IMAX technology comes with a hefty price tag, making it expensive to install and maintain.
The specialized equipment required for IMAX theaters often limits the movies that can be shown.
The large screen size also requires viewers to sit farther back, resulting in a loss of detail for those sitting closer.

RealD 3D Pros & Cons

RealD 3D Pros

The RealD 3D technology has revolutionized the movie-going experience with its advanced polarization and special glasses system. One of its most significant advantages is the advanced level of immersion it provides to audiences, allowing them to feel as though they are part of the movie. This technology also offers an unparalleled level of depth and realism, making movie scenes appear vividly lifelike. Additionally, audiences can enjoy higher quality and brighter images with minimal flicker, thanks to the superior polarization technology utilized in the RealD system. Overall, the RealD 3D technology enhances the movie experience, providing audiences with an unparalleled level of entertainment and excitement.

The advanced level of immersion it provides to audiences, allowing them to feel as though they are part of the movie.
This technology also offers an unparalleled level of depth and realism, making movie scenes appear vividly lifelike.
Viewers can perfectly see and perceive 3D images.
RealD 3D (technology for 3D movie presentations using polarization and special glasses).

RealD 3D Cons

RealD 3D technology is a patented format for 3D movie presentations which uses polarized light and special glasses to produce a stereoscopic image. However, this technology is not without its disadvantages. The first major drawback is its reliance on special glasses, which can be uncomfortable and distracting for viewers. Furthermore, the glasses can also be expensive and may need to be purchased separately from movie tickets. Moreover, the technology can be prone to ghosting, which is when images from one eye are faintly visible in the other eye’s view, causing visual discomfort for some viewers. Finally, some viewers may experience headaches and eye strain due to the technology’s use of polarized light.

The technology can be prone to ghosting, which is when images from one eye are faintly visible in the other eye’s view, causing visual discomfort for some viewers.
Its reliance on special glasses, which can be uncomfortable and distracting for viewers.
The glasses can also be expensive and may need to be purchased separately from movie tickets.

Comparison Table: 5 Key Differences Between IMAX And RealD 3D

Comparison chart.

Comparison Video

Conclusion: what is the difference between imax and reald 3d.

In conclusion, both IMAX and RealD 3D offer unique cinematic experiences, but they differ in terms of their technology and presentation. IMAX is known for its large-screen theaters and motion picture projection format, which creates a breathtakingly immersive experience for the audience. On the other hand, RealD 3D provides advanced 3D visual effects that use polarization and special glasses, giving the audience a depth perception and brightness not found in traditional 3D technology. Ultimately, the choice between IMAX and RealD 3D comes down to personal preference and the type of moviegoer’s experience one is looking for.

DDR3 vs. DDR3L: Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between DDR3 And DDR3L

Coming vs. Comming: Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between Coming And Comming

Tags: FAQ IMAX RealD 3D

Michael Dorns is a media researcher and investigator at Difference 101. He graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a B.A. in English literature. He enjoys American literature, technology, animals, and sports. Michael has lived in four different countries on three continents and has also visited forty-two states and thirty-three countries. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and two children.

Adh vs. Aldosterone: Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between Adh And Aldosterone

Chromebook vs. Laptop: Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between Chromebook And Laptop

Vampire vs. Werewolf: Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between Vampire And Werewolf

Transparent vs. Translucent: Everything You Need To Know About The Difference Between Transparent And Translucent

Add Difference 101 to your Homescreen!

RealD 3D is the new generation of entertainment, with crisp, bright, ultra-realistic images so lifelike you feel like you've stepped inside the movie. RealD 3D adds depth that puts you in the thick of the action, whether you're taking a voyage through an undiscovered land or dodging objects that seem to fly into the theatre.

RealD pioneered today's digital 3D and is the world's most widely used 3D cinema technology. RealD 3D is 100% digital so it delivers a stunningly realistic and fully immersive entertainment experience every time. And unlike the old days of paper glasses, RealD 3D glasses look like sunglasses, are recyclable and designed to comfortably fit on all moviegoers, and easily over prescription glasses.

RealD 3D is so advanced that you don't just see what's happening on the screen, you can really feel it. Don't just watch a movie, experience a new dimension of entertainment with RealD 3D.

Applicable Locations

Caledon, Bolton
Calgary Country Hills
Calgary Shawnessy
Campbell River
Drayton Valley
Edmonton City Centre
Fort McMurray Eagle Ridge
Fort St. John
Hamilton, Jackson Square
Kelowna, Grand 10
New Westminster
Port Alberni
St. Catharines, Pen Centre
Spruce Grove
Surrey, Guildford
Sylvan Lake
Tamarack Edmonton
West Kelowna, Xtreme
Winnipeg, Grant Park

Movie Deals

Wednesdays are made for Movie Twosomes!

The best reason to get up in the morning!

Defeat boring Sundays

Get more of the movies you love every Monday for less

Hot New Trailers

You are within 24HRS of the selected showtime, Shout Out is not available for purchase.

Unavailable
Recliner seat
Premiere seat
Wheelchair accessible

Sorry, we are unable to retrieve this sessions seating data, please try again later.

The preview of available seats feature is currently disabled.

What's your opinion on Real-D 3D?

Forum Posts

Wiki Points

User Lists: 5

If you have seen a movie in real-d 3d, you would know it looks leaps and bounds better then the old red and blue glasses 3d. But what is your opinion on it? In my opinion, it looks great.

User Lists: 0

If I'm seeing 3d, I want it to be in IMAX 3d, but reald looks pretty decent, I guess.

User Lists: 1

If I have the option, I will always see it in 2D. 3D always looks blurring and crap, no matter what.

User Lists: 6

until we have Ractives (Diamond age style) or holodecks i'm not interested.

Umm, what is Real D?

User Lists: 3

Maybe my theater just has crappy 3D, but I am unimpressed. Images look doubled, blurry or full of motion-trails. Nothing I've seen so far adds to the movie going experience and, with the exception of Avatar because of all the hoopla surrounding it, there is no movie I would specifically seek out in 3D. Now, if I am interesting in seeing the movie and it's offered in 3D, then that is how I'll see it, but I wouldn't travel beyond my regular theater for the 3D experience. For the record, my local theater is a REAL-D 3D theater according to their website . @DCFGS3: REAL-D 3D is a format of 3D among others like Disney Digital 3D, IMAX 3D and Dolby 3D.

User Lists: 4

" Umm, what is Real D? "

User Lists: 16

Not interested in any 3D technologies. The market base is still moving into the HD era, so I don't know why people are in a rush to introduce all sorts of 3D types, yet there's a bunch of them. Keep in mind though that I also thought that polygonal rendering would ruin videogames

It's pretty good 3D, but I don't feel that my experience with the film itself is enhanced by the 3D. I would enjoy it as much (or as little) whether or not I am wearing 3D glasses.

" It's pretty good 3D, but I don't feel that my experience with the film itself is enhanced by the 3D. I would enjoy it as much (or as little) whether or not I am wearing 3D glasses. "

3D it's the future man. Anyways I really don't care for 3D, but from what I have seen it looks nice.

I have had a few really good experiences with 3D, Avatar in IMAX 3D was sick, I mean shit I was looking at a 3 story screen with a ton of depth it looked amazing. The Real-D stuff isn't to bad I watched Coraline in 3D at home on a 52' and it was really impressive how far they have come with it. I don't want to watch Spies Like Us in 3D but something like Avatar and Coraline I think its the only way to watch it.

I'm still preferring 2D at the moment...I just don't like how with current 3D without glasses, if you are at an angle it can go blurry and distorted. I'm sure in a year or 2 they'll have it down to a tee but until then I'm sticking with my 2D.

User Lists: 12

I like it, but there is still a considerable difference between cinemas. I've seen a good deal of RealD material in DisneyWorld, Beowulf, Nightmare Before Christmas 3D, Coraline, Avatar and Alice; some looked magnificent, others meh, and some were completely blurry and messed-up.

@CL60: Avatar was boring with the 3D. At no point was I not aware that a pair of poorly fitting glasses were sitting on my nose. This kept pulling me out of what little story Avatar had to begin with. 3D is for chumps.

" @CL60: Avatar was boring with the 3D. At no point was I not aware that a pair of poorly fitting glasses were sitting on my nose. This kept pulling me out of what little story Avatar had to begin with. 3D is for chumps. "

@CL60: Then you were lucky. Even if I hadn't had the problems I had I'd still think 3D is just a way to charge people more for something that isn't worth the cheaper price to begin with.

" @CL60: Then you were lucky. Even if I hadn't had the problems I had I'd still think 3D is just a way to charge people more for something that isn't worth the cheaper price to begin with. "

Not as good as Imax3D but its good enough for the corner cinema. It halves the image resolution when projecting the 3D, so its never going to live up to imax.

@CL60: Having never seen a film with red and blue 3D glasses I can't be sure. And I did think that the 3D ad for Toy Story 3 before Avatar looked good, but I wont see that film in 3D, I won't buy a 3D TV, and I will continue to believe that 3D is not the holy grail of immersion unless it's the 3D of a holodeck.

User Lists: 9

I have not seen what the OP is talking about... But as long as there are any glasses involved I will stick with 2D.

" I have not seen what the OP is talking about... But as long as there are any glasses involved I will stick with 2D. "

Reviews: 17

User Lists: 13

I dont know really. Its okay.

I went to see Alice, and while I didn't think much of the movie I liked the 3D effects.. Rather subtle in this one and almost forgot I was even watching a movie in 3D. But it did add to the experience and was pretty cool in general. I prefer it to having things constantly flying out of the screen.

Anything that makes me wear stupid glasses to enjoy something is fucking stupid.

" I went to see Alice, and while I didn't think much of the movie I liked the 3D effects.. Rather subtle in this one and almost forgot I was even watching a movie in 3D. But it did add to the experience and was pretty cool in general. I prefer it to having things constantly flying out of the screen. "

" @WinterSnowblind said: " I went to see Alice, and while I didn't think much of the movie I liked the 3D effects.. Rather subtle in this one and almost forgot I was even watching a movie in 3D. But it did add to the experience and was pretty cool in general. I prefer it to having things constantly flying out of the screen. "

I don't like it, gives me headaches.

General Discussion
Bug Reporting
API Developers

Please Log In to post.

Move topic to another board

Pick a board and hit submit

Board Don't post to forums General Discussion Off-Topic Bombcast Bug Reporting Wiki Moderator Hangout API Developers Quests Bomb Squad Sarah Connors Premier Developers Anime Wrestling (Or search for a more specific forum)
Search for a Specific Forum (Bring back the main forum list)

Use your keyboard!

Secret History

5 Movies Before and After Special Effects!

Posted: June 5, 2024 | Last updated: June 5, 2024

5 Films Before and After Special Effects!Description:Super heroes, dinosaurs, apes and giant monsters all come to life on the big screen, but if it weren’t for the incredible special effects a lot of these movies wouldn’t be worth anything!Imagine Star Wars or Transformers without CGI, or Computer Generated Imaging. Now that would be tough to watch! Today we’re going to show you 5 Movies Before and After Special Effects. Before we get started with today’s video don’t forget to click the bell to get notified every single day with the BEST Tops you’ll ever see! Let’s get rollin!#5 The AvengersNot many genres of film rely on CGI and special effects more than one of the most popular super hero movies of all time – The Avengers. When Thor is battle The Hulk, there’s isn’t actually a very large, green, angry man running around – it’s just an average sized guy with a green costume! Or when buildings are burning and falling to the ground, that isn’t actually happening either. Green screens and computer generated graphics are absolutely necessary to create that drama filled scenery. It’s amazing to see how much of the scene is actually NOT around when the actors are putting together the fighting and other scenes that require a lot carnage on the big screen. Let’s just say that this film is a lot better off with those special effects!#4 AvatarNot many films required more special effects work than the 2009 super film Avatar. The 3D version was almost 60% computer generated, and reports suggest that the production of Avatar cost around $33M. Many people don’t know that the director of Avatar, James Cameron, actually started working on the film in the mid-90s. He originally wanted the movie to come out in 1999, but halted production because he felt as if technology hadn’t yet caught up to his vision, so he put everything on hold. The Avatar world is beautiful, however completely fiction. The huge trees and bright, blue indigenous people of the world are all computer generated. Currently, 3 more Avatar films are in the works. The first one is scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2020.#3 Planet of the Apes (series)One of the greatest uses of CGI and special effects in movies comes from the Planet of the Apes series. The original movies spanned between 1968 and 1973, and as you could probably guess the technology was a bit different back then!The reboot of the series came with Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011. The budget was just under $100, and it did quite well at the box office. The film received rave reviews for how real the apes looked. The CGI in this film was absolutely awesome. It made over $480M worldwide!#2 The Dark Knight RisesOne of the most iconic special effects scenes in modern day film happens in the Batman drama The Dark Knight Rises. There was a terrible attack on a football stadium full of on lookers DURING a game, and the visual effects are stunning!When you get a glimpse of all of the manual labor that goes into making scenes like this look amazing, it can be really astonishing! CGI, green screens and other special effects are never more impressive than in this epic Dark Knight scene!#1 The MatrixJust about every modern fight scene in film needs to pay homage to one of the pioneers in changing the way we view movies. The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves, came out 1999, but it’s still regarded as one of the most visually stunning films of all time.The super slow motion, seeing bullets as the fire out of guns, watching Neo stop everything with his mind. . . it was epic! It’s also been the source of inspiration for countless other fight scenes, that have all been used in movies in the 2 decades since The Matrix came out.As you can see, depending on what kind of film you are trying to watch, special effects are extremely important! They allow our imaginations to run wild, and truly visualize what the creator of the content was trying to convey. Without those special effects a lot of what we watch today would simply be, for a lack of a better way to say it, pretty bad tv. Background Music: Kevin MacLeod - DreamlikeEnding Song: Something New - Joakim Karud : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCWBuBQyYFQFor">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCWBuBQyYFQFor</a> Copyright Issues, Please Feel Free to E-mail me: [email protected]_________________________________________________________________Thank you SOOO Much for watching this video! Give it a like if you liked this video, share it with some of your friends and of course, do not forget to subscribe for the Best Lists!

More for You

18 Things to Never Do in the Shower

24 "Rich Person Activities" That Most "Normal" People Would Never Even Think About

c-2023-06-10T171654Z_1332306386_RC2AG1AS9WK2_RTRMADP_3_USA-TRUMP-DOCUMENTS-JUDGE.jpg

Judge Cannon expands hearing on Trump’s request to declare special counsel’s appointment invalid

‘I’ve sacrificed my career’: My husband and I may divorce soon, but he will inherit $1 million. How do I make sure I get half?

I thought my son loved our family trips. Now I see I was just being selfish

Soft Drinks Recall Update As FDA Sets Risk Level

Box Office: Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski's ‘IF' Makes $1.75 Million in Previews

‘IF' Climbs to Top Spot at U.K., Ireland Box Office as ‘Furiosa' Slips to Fourth

Austin Reaves takes a big shot at Darvin Ham

The 5 Best Cities To Visit in Spain

John Oliver recreates Red Lobster restaurant using auctioned-off furniture because 'any random idiot could run a Red Lobster better than these companies have'

What Is the Average Height for Women?

A price board at a gas station, showing $2.89 for regular, $3.45 for super, and $3.69 for premium.

The misleading, wasteful way we measure gas mileage, explained

Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid Reunite for New Christmas Comedy

My husband wants me to sign over 20% of my home. If not, he threatens to take half in a divorce. What should I do?

Command senior chief busted for secretly setting up Wi-Fi on US Navy combat ship

Jon Stewart Mocks Republican Response to Trump Verdict:

Jon Stewart on Republican Reaction to Trump Verdict: "What Planet Do You Live On?" | THR News Video

'The View' co-hosts defend flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark: 'This is basketball!'

Celebrity Edge Naming Ceremonies. Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA. November 2018

The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship

A Gen X mom of 3 who made $250,000 secretly working 2 remote jobs says it allowed her husband to leave a stressful job and boosted their college savings

A Wisconsin mom of 3 who made $250,000 secretly working 2 remote jobs said it allowed her husband to leave a stressful job and become a stay-at-home dad

Here are 7 of the best foods for high blood pressure

an image, when javascript is unavailable

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

Optional screen reader, capturing austin butler, tom hardy and jodie comer on the set of ‘the bikeriders’ (exclusive photos), michael rosenbaum says marvel “cut a lot out” from his ‘guardians of the galaxy’ role.

The actor played Martinex in the second and third installments of James Gunn’s sci-fi trilogy.

Marvel Eyes Shawn Levy to Direct Next ‘Avengers’ Movie

The project was once going to be 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,' but has been reconceived.

Chloë Sevigny Joins Julia Roberts in Luca Guadagnino Thriller ‘After the Hunt’ (Exclusive)

Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri and Michael Stuhlbarg are also set for the Amazon MGM Studios and Imagine project.

Latest Movies

‘bad boys: ride or die’ review: fourth time around, will smith and martin lawrence can’t hide the strain.

Returning directing team Adil & Bilall steer this latest installment of Jerry Bruckheimer's high-octane action-comedy franchise, which began nearly three decades ago.

Movie Reviews
9 hours ago
By Frank Scheck

‘Peaky Blinders’ Movie Set at Netflix with Cillian Murphy

Oscar winner Cillian Murphy is returning to the world of Peaky Blinders, saying in a statement: “This is one for the fans.” Netflix has greenlit a movie based on the beloved series that stars Murphy as Thomas Shelby, the war hero turned gangster who works his way up in the world of crime in 1900s […]

By Mia Galuppo

Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill Join Faith-Based Animated Movie ‘The King of Kings’ (Exclusive)

Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill and Ben Kingsley are set to bring Jesus Christ’s adversaries to life in an animated feature inspired by a posthumously published story from Charles Dickens. The three performers will portray villains as part of the star-studded voice cast for director Seong-ho “Jay” Jang’s The King of Kings. Hailing from South Korea-based […]

12 hours ago
By Ryan Gajewski

Neon Sets Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’ for Fall Release

Sean Baker’s screwball sex worker comedy Anora, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, will receive a fall theatrical release by distributor Neon. Baker’s film about a young sex worker’s romantic entanglement with the son of a Russian oligarch will get a theatrical release starting Oct. 18, The Hollywood Reporter has […]

By Etan Vlessing

Shondaland’s ‘Black Barbie’ Trailer Details the Creation of the Influential Dolls

The trailer for Shondaland’s Black Barbie details the creation of the influential dolls, featuring interviews with the women who brought them to Mattel and others. “If you go through life, and you’ve never seen anything made in your own image, there is damage done,” executive producer Shonda Rhimes says as she opens the trailer, later […]

13 hours ago
By Christy Piña

Edie Falco’s ‘I’ll Be Right There’ Comedy Goes to Brainstorm Media (Exclusive)

Brainstorm Media has nabbed the U.S. rights to the comedy I’ll Be Right There, which reteams Edie Falco with Nurse Jackie helmer Brendan Walsh. The indie also stars Jeannie Berlin, Charlie Tahan, Kayli Carter, Michael Rapaport, Michael Beach, Sepideh Moafi and Bradley Whitford. Brainstorm Media plans a fall 2024 theatrical release. I’ll Be Right There, […]

14 hours ago

Angel Studios Entices ‘Sound of Freedom’ Director with a 10-Year Deal… And a House

Alejandro Monteverde delivered Angel Studios its top hit ever with Sound of Freedom, one of 2023’s biggest theatrical success stories with more than $250 million at the global box office. Now, the faith-based outfit has signed the director to a rich overall deal with some curious terms, including the purchase of a multimillion-dollar home for him. […]

By Alex Weprin , Mia Galuppo

‘Mad Max’ Franchise Movies, Ranked

Welcome to George Miller’s Wasteland. It’s a post-apocalyptic world not too far removed from our own. A hellscape where resources have run dry, pushing humanity to barbarism, tribalism and a twisted sense of justice. The scarcity of supplies has made gasoline one of Earth’s most precious resources, as the only thing left to do for […]

Movie Features
15 hours ago
By Richard Newby

Andrea Arnold’s ‘Bird’ Takes Flight With Global Distribution Deals

Andrea Arnold’s Bird is soaring to new heights, securing distribution deals worldwide following its successful premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Cornerstone Films, which is handling international sales, confirmed the coming-of-age drama has been picked up across several major territories including Germany (MFA), Italy (Lucky Red), Spain (Avalon), Japan (New Select), and South Korea (Challan). […]

By Scott Roxborough

Locarno Film Festival Unveils Annie Leibovitz-Designed Poster

After a half-century of photographing the rich and tremendously famous, Annie Leibovitz has focused her lens on a majestic beast of a different sort, snapping photos of the Locarno Film Festival’s iconic leopard. Leibovitz designed the official poster for the 2024 Locarno Film Festival, which Locarno unveiled on Tuesday. The poster shows the feline mascot […]

21 hours ago

Matthew Vaughn Talks “Vitriolic” ‘Argylle’ Reviews: “My Guard Came Down”

Matthew Vaughn was not expecting the demise Argylle, the director said this week. “My guard came down on Argylle,” Vaughn told Empire. “We had done test screenings that had gone fantastically well. The premiere was a really fun night, and it was like going back to the Snatch days where there was such excitement. And I started drinking […]

By Zoe G Phillips

Everything We Know About ‘Knives Out 3’

Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is ready to solve another mystery. Craig will reprise his detective role in the third installment of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out films, Wake Up Dead Man, written and directed by Johnson. The original Knives Out film, which featured an ensemble cast that included Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ana de Armas, […]

By Lexy Perez

Cast & crew

Venom: The Last Dance

Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddi... Read all Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance.

Kelly Marcel
Juno Temple
Alanna Ubach
2 Critic reviews

Eddie Brock …

Donald The Security Guard
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

New and Upcoming Action Movies & Series

More like this

Did you know

Trivia Tom Holland said he and Amy Pascal had discussed him potentially reprising his role as Spider-Man in future Venom sequels.

Venom : Eddie... my home has found us.

Connections Follows Venom (2018)
When will Venom: The Last Dance be released? Powered by Alexa
October 25, 2024 (United States)
United States
United Kingdom
Venom: Kèo Cuối
Cartagena, Spain
Arad Productions
Columbia Pictures
Hutch Parker Entertainment
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Dolby Atmos
IMAX 6-Track

More to explore

‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer: Tom Hardy Ends Trilogy With More Brain-Eating Symbiote Action

By McKinley Franklin

McKinley Franklin

‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Trailer: Tom Hardy Ends Trilogy With More Brain-Eating Symbiote Action 2 days ago
‘Megalopolis’ Teaser Trailer: Adam Driver Is on the Edge in Francis Ford Coppola’s Long-Awaited Sci-Fi Epic 1 month ago
Harmony Korine and Travis Scott’s Infrared Film ‘Aggro Dr1ft’ Drops Trailer Ahead of Strip Club Screenings 4 months ago

They are Venom , and they are officially back — Sony Pictures has dropped the first trailer for “Venom: The Last Dance,” the final movie in the Spider-Man villain trilogy.

Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock, better known as the brain-eating, symbiote villain Venom from the Spider-Man comics. Sony is touting “The Last Dance” as “the final film in the trilogy.” According to the logline, “Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.”

More from Variety

Ian gelder, ‘game of thrones’ actor who played kevan lannister, dies at 74, 2024 streaming hits point way to post-peak tv ip strategy, sony vs. skydance: gaming implications of a paramount sale, more from our brands, roblox users can earn more working for ikea than some real-life employees, this new ultra-premium reposado mezcal was aged in bourbon barrels, ncaa’s billion dollar settlement faces google book deal hurdles, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, the acolyte recap: star wars prequel lays out a compelling mystery in double-episode premiere, verify it's you, please log in.

COMMENTS

Is Cinemark's RealD 3D any good? : r/movies
Can we watch Godzilla x Kong in Real 3d. Looking for non XD options as thier CG is not that good, but wanna know 3D version of it is good. ... Subreddit for all things 4K Blu-ray, reviews, tech and hardware. ... Imax 3D Movies; Best Free 3D Animation Software; Best 3D Modeling Software;
AMC Real 3D vs Digital: 5 Important Aspects
Audience perspective in RealD 3D. RealD 3D provides depth and realism, making viewers feel like they are part of the scene. Standard digital, while lacking the depth of IMAX 3D, offers a clear and consistent image quality that is suitable for a wide range of films.Each format (IMAX 3D and RealD 3D) offers a unique viewing experience, catering to different preferences and movie genres.
Jaws in 3D Review: Steven Spielberg Re-Release Is Excellent
The first. Maybe the best of the best. Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic, Jaws. Jaws on the big screen alone is quite the experience. John Williams' Oscar-winning score blankets you in fear ...
How RealD 3-D Works
If you imagine movie projection equipment as a room full of dusty film reels, you'd be taken aback by RealD. It's a system that's digital from the ground up and optimized for movies shot in digital formats instead of archaic film. RealD 3-D setups generally consist of a computer used to process the 3-D data, a digital projector, a proprietary ZScreen polarization switch, the projection screen ...
IMAX 3D and RealD 3D: Which Should You Choose?
Explore the ultimate face-off between IMAX 3D and RealD 3D in our latest video. Dive deep into the differences, pros, and cons of both 3D technologies. For a...
'Jaws' RealD 3D: The Real Deal
The original Jaws, which came out in 1975, is the gold standard for the summer blockbuster. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it set box office records and made the beach formidable instead of a fun-in-the-sun destination. The story is simple. A man-eating shark, a great white, preys on idyllic Amity Island during the height of summer.
Real D 3D Vs IMAX 3D: Comparison
IMAX 3D uses linear polarization, while Real D 3D uses circular polarization. When watching films in IMAX 3D it is recommended that you don't tilt your head too much because the 3D image can become fuzzy. Although this technology leads to a more in-depth image it can cause you a headache if you're moving your head too much.
3D Movie Reviews by Studio 3D
The most comprehensive 3D Movie review / 3D Movie Rating site on the internet. Over 500 3D movies reviewed. SEARCH page using FIND or Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) THEATER - 3D BLU-RAY - IMAX 3D - THEME PARK 3D - STREAMING ONE TO FIVE STARS . Until 2005 3D movies could only be seen (via film) in Theme Parks or at IMAX theaters.
RealD 3D
Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run. Coming Soon. Deadpool & Wolverine. Marvel Studios' "Deadpool & Wolverine" delivers the ultimate, iconic ...
Review of Jaws REALD 3-D (2022 Re-Release)
Spielberg knocked it out of the park when he re-released Jurassic Park in 3D for its 20th anniversary in 2013. I was pretty impressed with that conversion, but there's no way a movie nearly 20 years older than even JP (with a fraction of the budget and technology at its disposal) could top that feat, right? Wrong.
RealD 3D
RealD 3D is a digital stereoscopic projection technology made and sold by RealD. It is currently the most widely used technology for watching 3D films in theaters. Worldwide, RealD 3D is installed in more than 26,500 auditoriums by approximately 1,200 exhibitors in 72 countries as of June 2015.
Demystifying 4DX and RealD 3D: Inside Today's Most Immersive Theater
IMAX 3D and 4DX both provide awesome premium movie experiences using different technological approaches. Here's a quick comparison: IMAX 3D. Huge curved screens up to 120 feet tall. 12 channel surround sound with subwoofer. 4K laser projection for sharp 3D. Emphasis on visuals and audio.
To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Dune Ticket
PLANNING & EFFORT - 4/5. DNeg has done it again, folks. After putting out an amazing 3D conversion of No Time To Die, the team returns to the field of play with Dune.There's some really ...
24 Best-Reviewed 3D Movies
24 Best-Reviewed 3D Movies. TAGGED AS: 24 frames. James Cameron has coated Terminator 2: Judgment Day with a new 3D look like so much mimetic polyalloy, updating his 1991 sci-fi action epic with the technology of today. Cameron is no stranger to 3D ( Avatar for one, and his Titanic re-release a few years back) and neither are movie audiences ...
How good are the RealD3D movies? : r/AMCTheatres
How good are the RealD3D movies? I'm getting tickets for the new guardians and was planning to get IMAX tickets. My AMC theater for some reason though charges about $27.50 for two tickets, and only $20. I have no idea about this 3D stuff but I know it honestly depends on the setup and stuff, so generally, how's the audio and picture from where ...
RealD 3D Movies
The RealD XL Cinema System displays the ultimate 3D experience with ultra-bright, crisp, clear and stunningly realistic images— bringing films to life in the most vivid way possible. As the company that ignited the modern digital 3D revolution, RealD was entirely designed to enhance the consumer experience. RealD offers the lightest, most ...
IMAX vs. RealD 3D: 5 Key Differences, Pros & Cons
The main difference between the two is that IMAX is a motion picture projection format that is distinguished for its large-screen theaters, while RealD 3D is a technology for 3D movie presentations that uses polarization and special glasses. Additionally, IMAX theaters are often equipped with state-of-the-art sound systems and high-resolution ...
Real D 3D| Landmark Cinemas
RealD 3D. RealD 3D is the new generation of entertainment, with crisp, bright, ultra-realistic images so lifelike you feel like you've stepped inside the movie. RealD 3D adds depth that puts you in the thick of the action, whether you're taking a voyage through an undiscovered land or dodging objects that seem to fly into the theatre.
What's the difference between Real3D, IMAX 3D,and PRIME 3D ...
Real3D is the company the makes pretty much all the 3D equipment for theaters. It's just a brand and means traditional 3D. Prime is an AMC thing that includes deluxe surround sound, reclining seats, etc. Then the IMAX is the IMAX branded large format projection. It's typically more vibrant as a result.
What's your opinion on Real-D 3D?
Yeah, it seems that this 3d is more subtle, and isn't only there for random stuff jumping out at of the screen at you. It also has a lot to do with the stereo conversion process. Avatar was shot in 3D with a stereo camera rig where Alice was converted into stereo after filming with a mono lens camera.
RealD 3D
West Acres Cinema. 4101 17th Avenue SW. Fargo , ND 58103. Showtimes. (701) 282-6930. RealD and Marcus Theatres have partnered in select auditoriums to create the most powerful 3D experience audiences have ever seen.
5 Movies Before and After Special Effects!
The 3D version was almost 60% computer generated, and reports suggest that the production of Avatar cost around $33M. Many people don't know that the director of Avatar, James Cameron, actually ...
Movies
Stay up-to-date on the latest movie news. Read profiles, interviews and movie reviews, plus watch the latest trailers and more from THR.
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Venom: The Last Dance: Directed by Kelly Marcel. With Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Alanna Ubach, Rhys Ifans. Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance.
'Venom 3' Trailer: Tom Hardy's Final Spider-Man Movie Ends ...
Sony. They are Venom, and they are officially back — Sony Pictures has dropped the first trailer for "Venom: The Last Dance," the final movie in the Spider-Man villain trilogy. Joining Hardy ...