By Lyndsey Nadeau
Staff Writer
My 7-year-old cousin and I sat down in the movie theater. She looked at me and asked, “Where are my glasses?” It then occurred to me that almost every movie I had brought her to see in her lifetime had required her to wear 3D glasses. She didn’t know anything different.
“The Lion King 3D” recently premiered in theaters across the country for a special two-week release. Groups of 20-somethings anticipate the moment they can watch the first movie they saw in theaters, again, only this time in 3D. But does it make sense for nearly every movie to be released in 3D?
A pile of useless 3D glasses sits in the corner of my room, representing my stubborn refusal to toss them into the recycling bin after a movie that I paid three extra dollars for. The fact is: 3D movie tickets are expensive. With the already high cost of tickets, a few extra dollars can add up, especially for college students. Buy popcorn and a soda and we might as well start taking money out of retirement for a night out.
When movies are meant to be watched in 3D, it’s obvious. Certain details and shots are included solely to make people jump out of their seats. But when movies are not originally shot in 3D, the newly added 3D effects are insubstantial.
“Toy Story,” was rereleased in 3D to get people excited for “Toy Story 3.” Much like “The Lion King 3D,” it didn’t make a lot of sense.
But if it is looked at from a business perspective, it starts looking like an ingenious idea. If a company, like Disney, can make more money on a movie that was released nearly twenty years ago, why wouldn’t they? Rereleasing “The Lion King 3D” is a cheap way to make a lot of money by capitalizing on the nostalgia of college students.
With new technology, movies can be edited with extraordinary special effects, including 3D. Not taking advantage of 3D effects could be similar to not taking advantage of the internet or other modern technological advances. But, at the same time, only certain movies can truly benefit from 3D effects. Cartoons meant for small children may not be at the top of the list.
Going to a 3D movie is an experience, but when every movie starts to be made in 3D, it will start to become routine—much like it has for my 7-year-old cousin. Save the 3D effects for when it genuinely adds to the movie, not when it just adds to the credits.
