Is 3-D technology wasting your movie dollars?
By Matt Grantz, Assistant Editor
October 14 , 2011
 In recent weeks “The Lion King” has returned to theaters and I had the pleasure of viewing it again. No, I’m not going to review “The Lion King.” It’s a classic and if you have a problem with it, you may want to have a doctor check you for a heart. What I do take issue with is that “The Lion King” was re-released in 3-D technology.
I must say, I use the word “technology” with a major reservation because 3-D movies are extraordinarily low tech for the viewer. Think about it. You go to the theater expecting a great display of technology and someone hands you a pair of plastic glasses. Not only are they a pair of rather ugly plastic glasses, they’re a pair of highly uncomfortable plastic glasses. Production processes involved in producing a 3-D movie are very advanced, but the end result for viewers is that they are stuck wearing ugly uncomfortable glasses.
Adding to the problem with the glasses is the fact that moviegoers cannot escape them. If they dare to remove the glasses, they are confronted by a blurry screen that, while not totally unwatchable, is annoying to watch.
In addition to the glasses is the problem of money. 3-D movies are more expensive to watch than standard movies, a money-making tactic that has led to a proliferation of 3-D movies. Many of these movies are of rather poor quality because they weren’t actually filmed in 3-D, but are manipulated for 3-D viewing. The end result is that a number of movies, such as “The Lion King,” are being re-released in 3-D simply because the movie studios want to make even more money.
Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have a problem with studios wanting more money because usually when they want more money they provide a product of better quality. Unfortunately, I can’t really see an improvement in 3-D films over standard films. The argument is that 3-D provides for better depth perception, but honestly, unless it’s a movie where objects are jumping off the screen, there is minimal improvement. As I watched “The Lion King” in the theater, I felt I could be at home watching my VHS copy – without having to pay again or put up with small children.
In the future we will have the pleasure of a growing number of 3-D movies and even more re-releases that include the likes of “Finding Nemo” and “The Little Mermaid.” I know that I will do my best to avoid these movies. I would hope that you will consider whether they are really worth going to for yourself.
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