I just watched Mark Kermode’s analysis of the 3D technology that’s sweeping the movie industry right now and I have to say it’s pretty bang on with how I as a consumer feel. I too had the same thoughts watching Avatar but I will disagree with him slightly. Avatar’s 3D design features a lot of depth of field in background rather than the traditional foreground 3D “spear coming out of the screen at you” that he mentions and that felt new and occasionally kind of cool but it never felt like anything more than a gimmick. At best a movie making tool, like CGI, or green screen or any other FX technology and as such should be used sparingly. But then Avatar wasn’t about small scale or half measures and in that respect I guess it worked. However not every movie is going to be on the scale of Avatar. If the movie industry gets it way am I going to be watching romantic comedies, documentaries and dramas in 3D in a couple of years?

As long as the movie industry can use the two letters ‘3’ and ‘D’ to insinuate a “better” and more cutting edge movie experience and as long as people are willing to fork out the extra ticket prices so that theaters and studios can afford the hardware required to film and project in 3D I guess it’s here to stay.

Anyway… that clip I mentioned…

UPDATE: The anti 3D messiah preaches again!