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Don't tell Alice
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]
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]
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