I don't think I've seen an entertainment issue as divisive as the issue of 3-D movies. Some think it's the future, some think it's just a fad. My opinion? ...Eh. Let me explain.
Thus far, I've only seen two movies that are truly made better in 3-D: "Avatar", and "Tron: Legacy". The respective worlds of Pandora and the Grid truly leap off the screen and draw you into what feels like a living breathing world. Arrows fly, Light Cycles zoom, and overall, these two movies are truly made better with 3-D, and I highly recommend you see these movies in this format.
But hold on, slick: I am by no means telling you to go spend your tax return on some huge 3-D display. 3-D, in my opinion, only belongs at the cinema. There's nothing quite like sitting in a comfy theater seat (okay, I guess comfort varies between theaters) and having your breath taken away. At home, you kind of get that feeling, but there are more distractions, such as when you need to hit the can, or hop on Blogger to do an amateur film review. In the theater, it's as simple as walking out, but at home, you have to fiddle with some switch to turn the 3-D off so that the glasses don't drain the batteries.
And speaking of glasses, if you want to share the 3-D experience with other people, like family members or random friends that come over to check out that new 3-D display, you'd best pony up some serious cash for extra pairs of glasses. And no, it's not like in the theaters where they just give you them, these glasses cost upwards of $100. Each.
So now you want to see Tron in fabulous 3-D, but you don't want to pay the dough for a new TV (plus glasses). But it's not like these theaters want to show these films in IMAX 3-D forever. Thankfully, that's where a few select theaters across the nation can help you out.
I don't know about you guys, but up here in Anchorage, we have this slick theater called the Bear Tooth. They specialize in showing classic movies and indie films, and they'll also take requests once in a while. I remember seeing "Gone with the Wind" on the huge Tooth screen (and trust me, I'll never forget it). They'll even show mainstream films about a month after their initial release. So if you missed "Thor" when it came out, you (or at least I) can check it out more than a month after it's release, even in 3-D in some cases. It's a handy theater to have around, and I'm sure more like it are scattered across the U.S.
But, as Wedge says, I have to stay on target. The moral of the story is, I think 3-D just looks best on the big screen. Don't bother with newer displays; they work O.K., but their not worth the hassle. Also, if you can find a 3-D-ready projector (I know they exist) and a 7.1 surround sound system, you've just struck 3-D gold. I know they're expensive, but if you can afford it, it's worth it.
And I know some of you will mention the Nintendo 3DS, which let's you see 3-D without the glasses. And that's cool, too. But I don't think it's suitable for movies. Don't get me wrong, Paper Mario 3-D's gonna rock our socks off, but a 4" screen is just too small for 3-D movies.
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