Don't tell Alice

[caddyman]

Yesterday we decided to wander down to the Vue Cinema in North Finchley and watch Tim Burton’s latest offering, Alice in Wonderland in 3D. We missed Avatar¹ and rather fancied seeing a movie with this nascent 3D technology applied to it.

Well, as we already knew, Tim Burton is very much in the same cinematic section as Terry Gilliam. Fantastic imagination, marvellous visuals, splendid performances from (most of) the cast and paper-thin plot with an unsatisfying, preachy conclusion. Over-rated and disappointing, though it doesn’t bore (which is good, particularly considering the bishop-buggering amounts of money they charge to see this film).

We have just come through a 15-20 year period in which major studios have been more than happy to spend three or four dollars on a script so they can throw hundreds on millions at the CGI and other special effects. I had hoped that we might be moving into a period where we could watch movies with good stories and good effects, rather than choose between them. I fear, sadly, that we are now about to move into a second prolonged period whereby the story is subservient to the development of 3D technology, which is so far nowhere nears as clever as they would have you believe, although some bits work very well.

Given the premium hike on cinema prices in the UK at least, that 3D movies involve, I foresee that even my irregular attendance at the movies will reduce further. Or I shall stick doggedly with 2D until someone can convince me that 3D has developed enough to be worth the Timmy Mallet glasses and low-level headache.

If you do go to see the movie, look out for the feather at the end. That’s really good.

At least we got to keep the 3D glasses, so I can look like a fat Clark Kent in the privacy of my own home.




¹Oscars and other awards not withstanding, I was and remain unimpressed by the thought of paying to have to watch an action parable about ethnic exploitation and the evils of cultural imperialism, particularly when this is wrapped up in a paper-thin story with half naked primordial smurfs and corporate greed around the entertainingly and unimaginatively named unobtainium. I can insult my own intelligence without paying someone to do it for me. [/rant]

Comments

[keith-london.livejournal.com]

Oh they took the glasses back at the screening of Avatar at IMAX. 3-D seems to be done much better these days, so I would be likely to go and see Alice in 3-D. (i.e. I probably wouldn't bother going to the cinema to watch Alice if it were presented in 2-D)

[maleghast.livejournal.com]

You do realise that Alice was post-processed to 3D rather than being filmed in 3D like Avatar, right?

I mean I totally grok your fears that it will be all 3D and no script / acting for the next ten years, but I'm hoping that audiences who saw Avatar in 3D (which was well worth the effort imho) will vote with their feet when they start to realise that unless it's filmed in 3D it's never going to be good enough to warrant the hike in the entrance fee.

[ellefurtle.livejournal.com]

That makes it worse! It means the money wasn't wasted on 3D...it was just...wasted :(

[phil99.livejournal.com]

Avatar's plotline was crap, admittedly, but it was _beautiful_! It was stunningly pretty and that was possibly the only positive thing I took away from it.

Alice wasn't that pretty, and the storyline was weak to say the least. I saw no reason why the 3d version would be substantially better than the regular one. There were nice bits, but overall.... meh.

[snorkel-maiden.livejournal.com]

Yes, this; while by no means intellectually challenging Avatar was the most beautiful film I've seen for a long time, possibly ever. The 3D was also amazing but I'm looking forward to the 2D DVD anyway!

[littleonionz.livejournal.com]

3D strikes me as a clever trick, rather than an enhancement to one's viewing experience. By the way,how much does it cost to visit the moving picture theatre these days?

[phil99.livejournal.com]

Varies depending on location, but we paid just under £10/seat for a 3d film.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

Heh. You must live outside the Big Smoke.

[phil99.livejournal.com]

Yup, and very glad. Went to the cinema at Whiteley's once and nearly had a heart attack when they told me how much it was for 2 adult tickets.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

I think it would have cost about £11 each, but we paid an extra £1.50 each so we had seats that didn't cripple us.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

Avatar was fun, but way overrated.

I did so love watching the Cameron arse-lickers lose their shit over the fact that Hurt Locker won best picture.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

The 3d in Avatar re-wrote the book, in my opinion, of the Big Effects Movie Blockbuster. It was groundbreaking, pervasive and only very occasionally did they play dumb tricks on you.

The 3d in Alice in Wonderland was uninspiring and largely unnecessary.

Plot for both was somewhat largely predictable in a by-the-numbers sort of way but I came out of Avatar gasping, and out of Alice griping.

[failing-angel.livejournal.com]

I saw Alice in 3D and the extras didn't really feel worth it. However, Coraline and (so I've been told) Up were well worth it - this may be because they're animated rather than live action.