*sigh* I seem to find myself writing the same blog over and over. I've already stood up for remakes and sequels, so I think my "live and let live" attitude here is going to be pretty obvious. Anyway...
A few weeks ago the news broke that Jurassic Park was going to get a 3D re-release. My brother and my cousin both immediately responded with the standard "OMG-Why?-Has-Hollywood-run-out-of-ideas-and-do-they-only-care-about-money" knee jerk reactions. These are both very intelligent people and I usually respect their opinions, but come on guys. Different people go to the movies for different reasons. Heck, the same person goes to different movies for different reasons. Sometimes you want to appreciate the film for the piece of art it is. Other times you want to go on a roller coaster ride.
Now my brother lives in the magical land of Xanth, where he's never more than twenty minutes from the nearest roller coaster. He doesn't appreciate what it's like for those of us who no longer have access to a theme park. If I want to ride a roller coaster, I have two choices. I can drive a few hours, or I can see a 3D movie at my local IMAX. (...which is, coincidentally, located right in the vicinity of where a few roller coasters used to be, until they paved paradise and put up a shopping mall. But I'm not bitter... jerks.)
First off, you didn't see this coming? Converting old movies to 3D is a trend right now. You're going to see a lot more before it's over. Of course they're going to start by looking at a lot of the more popular movies with big special effects. Plus, 3D televisions are starting to get cheaper and more popular, so people are going to want a lot more 3D blu-rays for their collection, and if you're going to upconvert an old movie anyway, why not give it another run on the big screen?
They're not making you see them. Steven Spielberg is not going to throw handcuffs on you and drag you to the theater. Nor is George Lucas going to break into your house and convert all your Star Wars DVDs to 3D. Are you just complaining because Spielberg and Lucas are wasting time that could be spent doing other things? Maybe... but I doubt it. These guys have a lot of resources, and can afford to have teams working on several projects at once.
Or are you just mad because they're going to put something in the theater you don't like? Look, I appreciate the whole avant-garde film student schtick, but not the whole "everything sucks except for the stuff I find artsy" thing. It's old. The internet is full of jaded critics who think it makes them look cooler if they hate everything. It has been played out. It is time for people to start gushing about the stuff they like again, and ignore the stuff they hate. It's a simple fact - you are not the entertainment industry's only target audience. Sometimes people will release movies that aren't meant for you. Sometimes music is released that isn't in a genre you like. If something is released that isn't your style, don't say, "That looks awful." Just say, "That's not for me, but someone else will probably like it." It's what mature people do; come join us over at the grownups table.
I think people are confused by the word "converted". It's true, if you convert your canoe into a bathtub, you'll have a hard time getting it back again. But movies don't work that way. Converting a 2D movie into a 3D movie does not mean that the 2D version no longer exists. They're not "changing" your movie; they're releasing an additional version, one which you are free to ignore.
Now I will agree, upconverted 3D isn't great yet. Not long ago we saw Star Wars Episode I in 3D, and it really was a lukewarm experience at best. Some scenes were better than others, but even the best scenes were like watching it through a Viewmaster. Yes, people standing in the foreground looked closer to you than the stuff in the background, but really it was just a gimmick that didn't add anything to the movie.
More recently, I saw Wrath of the Titans in 3D. Now that was a cool experience. It was filmed in 3D, and it showed; I swear I had more fun at that movie than at any theme park ride I can remember. Wrath is the kind of movie 3D was made for, and I wouldn't want to see it any other way. It makes the 3D in Star Wars look pathetic. So yes, I see how upconversion seems like a waste of time when you could be filming new 3D movies.
But I don't begrudge George Lucas for making 3D Star Wars conversions. Frankly, I'm just glad they're doing them in numerical order - maybe by the time they get to the good ones, they'll have perfected the process. And that's the point, isn't it? Technology improves when we use it. If we just sit on this whole "upconverting" thing, it will never get any better. But I think it would be really cool if a few decades from now, we could have glasses-free Star Wars movies in 3D that blows Wrath of the Titans away. But we'll never get there if we don't practice now.
For now, I'll probably skip most 3D upconversions. I'm just not into it. It's enough for me to know that the technology is improving, and eventually might yield something worth seeing.
Anyway, the bottom line is the same as it was for the other blogs: If you don't like it, don't go see it. But please stop whining about it; it's extremely childish, and you're ruining the fun for those who do enjoy seeing them.
No comments:
Post a Comment