If the studios want 3D to be more than just a fad (and the electronics companies want to sell more 3D TVs, Blu-ray players and discs), they better start making the experience more compelling in the theaters. I hear more and more people becoming discouraged paying a premium to see movies in 3D like Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender, which were converted to 3D after they had been filmed in 2D, with varying (but mostly negative) results. And after the discussion in the comments of the previous strip, it seems a lot of us are pretty apathetic or hostile toward 3D in the first place.
Ha! Really funny, bot. I love how you’re calling 3D out! Yet you’re still comical about it. I love the “Avatar” poster in the b.g., too. Really well done, man. Now all you have to do is call out another techie fad that everyone’s on: the iPhone 4. You know what I’m talking about. 😉
8)
Jefbot would have wanted you to have these ^^
The iPhone 4 is a great device! people just hold phones wrong. Stupid people, Apple knows all!
What are some other things people hold wrong?
thanks, man! been thinking about doing an iPhone 4 strip but there have been so many comic strips dedicated to the subject, it would have to affect the JEFbot characters in a unique and/or funny way. i’m sure bot will get one eventually…
oh, and i see ESQ has already awarded you the “first” glasses, but these are 3D goggles! 😎
Oh and I’m first. And I guess, second, too. Although, it’s not fair seeing as how my roommate is bot and I know when he’s done. 😉
you cheater. 😉
Third!
I like 3D movies, I don´t like 2D movies with 3D bastard. I like black & white movies, I don´t like colored versions.
true that, CE. i keep hearing from filmmakers how converting from 2D to 3D is just as good if not better than filming the movie in 3D, but i have yet to see evidence of that.
i’m with jeff. what exactly is CF’s point? LOL
ha! i’m still not sure, Oddbody. 😉
love the strip…..lolz….same here….what gives CF? whats ur point?
thanks, man! when i find out, i’ll let you know. 😉
CF’s point is that if a movie is made in 3D great but if a 2D movie is transferred to 3D it’s going to look like shit just like a black and white movie that is colorized isn’t going to look as good as a movie that was shot in color in the first place and should just be left black and white.
i think you’re right, Jackfaire. not sure if the Cornfather understands the difference between native 3D and 3D conversions, but he definitely knows if it looks like crap or not. 🙂
I actively avoid 3D movies for fear of going to watch something created primarily to be a 3D novelty at the expense of a real story. Plus, my stomach can’t handle it.
Yea, I’m with you, Stan. Plus, it’s just not worth the extra money either. I don’t feel like I need to pay a premium to have my eyes and head hurt. 😛
i think you’re right Stan – most of the 3D movies coming out nowadays use 3D as a device to boost their box office, not to enhance the story. i have seen some great 3D movies, tho – How to Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3 and Up, among them.
Yeah, but I remember when IMAX was new, they had a bunch of movies that were plotless amusement park rides for all intents and purposes. Like, flying you through the Grand Canyon, and I remember seeing something with Homer Simpson in it running through the insides of a computer. And, that left a lasting impression in my brain.
I haven’t seen two of those movies you mentioned, but I do agree with you on UP. Great movie!
I was absolutely enchanted with How to Train Your Dragon.
I was also surprised when I got home and watched it on DVD to find that it was actually enhanced by 3D.
Don’t tell my dad I said that. He has to go and see a film if its in 3D.
He’s gaga for 3D, just… not actual depth, if you know what I mean. ;3
Hell yeah, and I wouldnt spend that money on a 3D tv, whats the point, the world is 3D and its not that exciting to look at. but if I ever had that kind of money, I know exactly what it would be spent on: another bows maybe or a paragliding course
especially since 3D tvs are more expensive than normal HD sets, Eddie. i could see if 3D was just like, a bonus feature or something, but not a premium that makes your TV thousands of dollars more expensive. spending that money on paragliding sounds way mo’ betta. 🙂
My My Gentlemen, aren’t we glutons for punishment. Other than the bad 3D, how was the actual movie? I’m not really a big fan of the cartoon, though I do catch it every once in a while. It looks interesting.
Oh CF ya big silly head! It’s all about who dies with the bestest toys! *giggle*
The movie was “ok”. I was expecting more. Honestly, I don’t think M. Night stuck with the feel of the show. Aang was too serious, not playful like he is in the show. I’d still suggest to anyone to go see it….but if you’re a fan of the show, prepare to be underwhelmed. Oh and the 3D thing is spot on…blurry and the fight scenes are all slowed down…ok for once in awhile use, but they did it every single time!! grrrrrr
Dang. I haven’t seen too many episodes, but I agree with my sister (mom of my nephew who watches it religiously), it’s a really good show. I was hoping that this movie would do two things 1) Be true to the show (and be good as a result), and 2) Give M. Night a new breath of life so he could grow in a new direction. It seems that most of his movies have been based on his 6th Sense formula of unexpectedness to the extent that his characters stopped acting like believable human beings. 6th Sense was really good. The Lady in the Water movie was especially horrible.
Oh wow See? I loved Lady in the Water. I thought the concept was interesting and NEW! That’s what I’m looking for in a movie folks, something that hasn’t be rehashed since the 80’s or older.
And the Village just blew me away!
I actually liked the message behind the Village, during a political time in our nation where I felt like we needed to hear that message, but in Lady in the Water, I just couldn’t get over how I felt each and every one of the characters would never act that way in real life. I guess the movie failed to get me to suspend my disbelief, so I never got out of my “critics” chair and moved over to the “entertainment” chair.
during the first trailer for “The Village” i remember leaning over to my friend, and jokingly telling him that, *spoilers* “watch, they’re actually in a park the whole time.” when that actually happened during the movie i almost threw my popcorn at the screen.
I personally think this was the best cartoon in recent years. They did such an awesome job on it. We have all 3 seasons on DVD. I am about mid way thru the 3rd season. The characters are awesome, the show is funny, and the story lines (major and minor) are almost always great. If you haven’t seen it before, I strongly recommend it!
The show is exceptional!!! Great storylines, and the story telling…keeps me riveted more than some of the drama shows on tv! That’s why I was saddened that the movie didn’t do anything for me. I was expecting so much out of it. Honestly, I don’t think M. Night Shama…you know…I don’t think he watched the show ever…I think he just read the screenplay and went from there…I mean, they even pronounced Aang’s name differently than in the tv show!! AAHHHNG instead of AAAAANG…pfft…but I liked seeing Appa and Momo brought to life 😀
what she said.
i thought the movie was okay, Pixie, but that was before i started watching the animated series from the beginning. i’m only a few episodes into it, but i can see why fans are so pissed at m night. he missed so much of the potential of the anime, it really is a shame. ah well, at least it got me interested enough in the source material to want to watch all 3 books of the anime. 🙂
I feel the same way about 3D. Seriously after 30 minutes you forget it’s even in 3D. And it always gives me a head ache.
Though I will probably see Harry Potter 7 in 3D cause…well cause it’s Harry freakin’ Potter and I’m a dork like that.
yeah, i’m definitely in for HP in 3D, jh3. they’re filming that with 3D cameras, right? not a conversion? gods, i hope so.
i start forgetting 3D movies are in 3D after about 30 minutes, too. totally makes the $3-$5 extra i paid for the 3D experience useless. 😛
never had the patience for 3d, it’s probably because they’re usually just converted, and they just cost too much.
that said, how was The Last Airbender? Heard it was kinda bad :
i didn’t think it was as bad as some reviewers thought, Jaeh (did you see Ebert’s review? wow.) but it definitely didn’t live up to the potential of the anime (at least as far as i’ve seen, which is only about 5 episodes, but i’m determined to watch the entire series.) still, if they get a new director, maybe Book 2 will be way better. if they even make a Book 2 at this point, that is.
Lol, and that movie is a croc of ****. You can’t put that much epic into a two hour movie, and the characters are hooorible.
I was worried about them trying to cram too much into a singe movie, so I’m not surprised to hear this. Some of the best story arcs are the side ones, so I figured they would be cut. I am torn about whether I should see it or not.
I say you evacuate everyone from the theature, then burn the tape. Or disc as it may be.
since you’ve watched most of the anime, i think you’d find the movie interesting, shanna, even if just to see how the filmmakers went wrong. once i finish Book 1 of the anime, i might just watch the movie again. i’ll probably wait ’till video or cable, though. i really don’t want to give the theatrical release any more money than i already have. 😛
when i started watching the anime about a week ago, i was thinking the movie was pretty close, Animie fan – the way Katara and Sokka find Aang in the ice sphere – but after that scene, the movie totally skews from the source material. and as you said, it would’ve been impossible to cram it all into a 2 hour movie.
A week ago? dude you have missed out on one of the last true forms of epic in existence.
i’ve missed out no longer, Animie fan, since i’m going through the whole series, episode by episode, now! i think i’m on episode 6 of Book 1, and totally lovin’ it. 😀
Oh no he didn’t… The Cornfather has a point. But hopefully your 3D TV also looks amazing in 2D. Knowing the amount of attention you spend on detail, I’m sure you bought the best TV out there! In terms of the movie- thanks for the heads up, I think I’ll pass! Rock on Jefbot!
actually, i didn’t go with the best tv out there this time, Funnyshaffer. with new tv tech debuting all the time (i’m intrigued by OLED) these days, i figured i’d buy a fairly cheap 40″ from Costco, and wait ’til the bigger sets drop in price before committing big money to anything. who knows? maybe home 3D will catch on and i’ll be forced to buy one.
The thing I hate is that it seems like every time there’s some new technology like this, all the producers fire their writers and we end up with a long streak of terrible entertainment that relies on special effects instead of compelling characters and an interesting story. Special effects are like garnish: they can make good or great writing even better, but I wouldn’t pay restaurant prices for a meal of garnish.
that’s definitely the danger with any new “toys” the filmmakers are allowed to play with, Sharra. how much bad CGI were we subjected to, once films like Jurassic Park and Terminator 2 popularized the technology? actually, how much bad CGI are we still subjected to!? just saw INCEPTION over the weekend and was astonished by most of the special effects because they didn’t look like special effects.
anyway, if they keep churning bad 3D movies out to make a buck, people aren’t going to be willing to pay the price hike on ’em, and 3D will become another failed gimmick, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
3D movies bug me because I thought they would be awsome. When I was little I went to Disneyland Paris and have my first experience of a more than 2D flim. Sure it was Micheal Jackson doing some odd things with what I rememeber as white fluffy bunnys. I think that it was even a 4D film because we got sprayed with water at one point ¬¬ But i LOVED it (I was 8) Then about 5 years later my mum took me to the IMAX in London we watched some short film/documantary on Dinosaurs and agan I was amazed. So when normal films came out on 3D I was very happy. My bloody valentine was an awful flim and the 3D gore was good but I want my money back…Bolt was good but not enought 3D bits, How to train your Dragon was awsome and the 3D made it even better. My boyfriend the 3D sceptic was impressed. We went back to the IMAX last October, so I could show him a real 3D flim, get rid of his sceptasism we watched something about cartoon bee trying to get into space. The 3dness was better than the normal flims but still not something that made my inner child go wow. What’s wrong with the technology? Why was it better back in 1998 and 2003?!
THe glasses dude is mean to be ( and 8
The reason why? A combination of a lack of newness and company political BS. Oh, and they stopped bothering to take full advantage of the 3rd dimension because it’s no longer that shiny new toy it once was.
Wow…I didn’t expect there to be a reason. Thanks ^^,
are you talking about Captain EO, Kat!? i used to love seeing that at Disneyland, before Michael’s problems started and they took it out. fortunately, i’ve heard they’ve put it back in with some enhancements, recently, so i’ll totally check that out the next time i’m in the Magic Kingdom. i hope it holds up. 😉
i agree: How to Train Your Dragon was awesome in 3D, especially during the flying parts – the 3D actually added to the feeling of speed and height. but as with all 3D movies, the experience was a bit dark, especially during the night scenes, so i’ll be excited to watch it on my HDTV when it comes out on blu-ray, to see what details i missed.
I fine irony in all of this and in what the CF says. I have only seen one 3d movie and got sick. I love how Jeffbott is griping about the movie but you can bet that your likely to get the same experience on watch the tv as well.
i’ve never gotten sick during a 3D movie, Nick, but i have felt a bit nauseous when i’ve sat too close to the screen. i can only imagine how sick i’d be if i sat in the front row of a 3D movie. ;P
I still maintain my position from the previous strip! I miss the days of 3D being a truly mind blowing experience!
I DID enjoy the 3D of Avatar, I will admit. I saw Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, and Despicable Me all in 3D, though, and I honestly regret it. The movies themselves were great, but the 3D was not worth the money I paid. For a movie like Avatar, though, I suppose the script lends itself to being way cooler in 3D than in 2D!
yeah, the 3D in Avatar was great, Kate. that and How to Train Your Dragon have been my favorite 3D experiences. maybe because both had flying scenes that lent themselves well to an expansive 3D space? are the only good 3D movies going to be the ones with flying scenes in them? hmmm…
Haha the last movie I watched in 3D was Coraline. It was alright, but the dual spectrum glasses messed up the colors, so I just watch everything in 2D now. That way I’m not disappointed with how bad the 3D was. No expectations no disappointments, I say.
Coraline was another movie that seemed extremely dim at the showing i saw, Eptha. i remember thinking the twine or yarn looked amazing during the opening credits, and the portal looking cool when it stretched out, but that was about it. i kinda wanna see it in 2D now to find out if i’ll like it better.
XD I never return my 3D glasses. It’s more fun that way.
I save them…I’m going to bedazzle my own pair…3D with flair 😉
i used to keep mine, dj, but after about 3-4 pairs, i think i’m done collecting ’em. 🙂
when it comes to 3D, i always picture the scene in “bachelor party” when they’re fighting in the movie theater and the one girl gets punched in the nose and goes “wow,so real!’
when we get to that stage, that’s when i’ll think about going to a 3D movie.(and sit a little further back from the screen.)
heh. you know, you can get full-motion chairs (like the D-Box) that are compatible with some video games and movies, t_d. i think the top-of-the-line ones only cost around $20,000. 😀
is that all?? heck,i might as well buy two then.
I think Avatar (not the Airbender one) showed what could be done with 3D, that was awesome and I’d go see more of that any time. If all you’ve got is 3D effects tacked onto a 2D movie then I’ll just pass.
It’s no real surprise that the hollywood bandwagon mentality generated this kind of junk and didn’t realize that you had to do it right to get the kind of reaction that Cameron did.
i totally agree, Skeptible, since the difference with Avatar was that Cameron planned the movie from the very beginning to be seen in 3D. so many filmmakers don’t even think about that until the film has already been shot. a shame.
I think that the ONLY good thing about 3D glasses in the past was that they were cheap to make and they could actually give them away as souvenirs. Now they’re probably a lot more expensive to make and probably are worse than the originals. Plus, back when 3D was still fairly new, only a few movies would even be in 3D which made it special; whereas now every other movie has a 3D version for it and it’s already gotten old after only a few months.
heh. yeah, you don’t see them making those cardboard-framed 3D glasses anymore, Fijiman. i wonder if that’s just to give the illusion of “quality” since the plastic lenses still seem pretty cheap.
and 3D’s definitely feeling old, already. pretty soon theaters aren’t going to be able to charge a premium price for it, especially if the conversions continue to suck.
If the whole 3D thing keeps its current pace, theaters definitely will NOT be able to charge high prices for tickets. Hopefully it does not keep up its current pace so that we can be mostly rid of 3D movies for another 7 to 10 years. Anyway, in reference to one of your previous post, I recently saw both Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon and I thought that they awesome movies without 3D effects (not they needed them in the first place).
I loved Avatar. I had a good time watching Muppet Vision 3-D at California Adventure years ago (one of the only real good things about that place) and I’ve seen some other 3-D movies. Avatar was probably the best use of this stuff.
Regardless, I like how CF called JB out after JB was all up in arms over the movie for buying a 3-D tv. XD
Muppet Vision 3D’s awesome, TCG! i thought the Bug’s Life attraction, “It’s Tough to be a Bug” is pretty great, too (getting a stinger in the back gets me every time!). Cameron’s definitely the master of 3D. would love to see him make real sequels to Aliens and T2 using the tech. actually, maybe not. the Terminator 3D ride at Universal Studios is kinda lame.
I LOVE THIS STRIP!! ^_^
(we just got a free TV in our basement. I can play video games for hours now and no one will bug me about wanting to watch TV! I’m thinking about taking a coffee machine down there…)
I want to see The Last Airbender so bad it’s not even funny… My brother says it was awsome…
thanks, Char! glad you loved the strip! i remember when i got my first monitor that i could use to play video games privately, in my own room. was awesome!
as far as The Last Airbender goes, if you’re a fan of the anime, lower your expectations. i liked the movie a lot more before i started watching the animated version. 🙂
I’m tired of 3D movies. ):< The commercials always make 3D look amaazing and then you go and it's horrible. I can say 100% that I am over the 3D fad. So Clash of the Titans was alright? It looked pretty good. Love the Corn Father right now.
Clash of the Titans was just okay, Nat. i’d wait to catch that one on cable, especially since the 3D looked broken in a lot of scenes. i definitely prefer the original.
3D films always leave me with a headache& a feeling of disorientation, prefer 2D since the films are a whole lot cheaper too.
Boycotting The Last Airbender, racist Hollywood crock.
if 3D films gave me headaches and/or disorientation, that would be the last straw, hfm. where i used to want to see everything in 3D when the fad started, now i’ll only see movies in 3D if reviewers i like say it’s worth it.
By profession I am an Optometrist – do you realise whatever the skill of the studio or director with 3D there is something like 15% of people who can never enjoy the 3D phenomenon as squints, lazy eyes, injury, cataracts, birth defects etc rob them of stereoscopic vision which means all cinema and indeed all of life is 2D and remarkably flat?
fortunately, we still have options to see movies in 2D, Rod Lane, but can you imagine if they start only releasing movies in 3D!? that would be horrible, especially if converting 2D movies to 3D becomes more popular.
Studios don’t put movies in 3D unless they suck. When a movie is in 3D, you know it’s going to suck. (Okay, How to Tame Your Dragon was pretty good. There can be exceptions.)
There was also Avatar. That one was actually really good. Mind, it was good in both 2 and 3 dimensions, so that isn’t really saying much. Honestly, I like the 3d movies where they take full advantage of the 3rd dimension the best. ESPECIALLY if they make it feel as if YOU are part of the movie. I guess that’s what set apart certain 3d movies from others, back when it was starting to get actually profitable.
i remember being impressed by the 3D in Avatar, NeoDarklight, but not so much the story. i want to see the movie again, at home, in 2D to see if the story can hold its own without the 3D visuals.
100% agree, shagbark: How to Train Your Dragon is definitely the exception, although i’m just as excited to see it in 2D when it comes out on blu-ray in a couple’a months. 😀
I kinda liked the movie, I’m just sad that the bending was so slow.
Then again, I saw the 2D version.
i’ll go and see the sequels if they end up making them, Rinthia, since i did enjoy the film, mostly. after watching the first few episodes of the anime, however, i can see why fans of the tv series are so upset.
Uh, I don’t understand all this 3D hype. 3D should stay in imax, where it belongs but I’d like to be able to see movies in a normal way. I went to see Alice in Wonderland and long after the first half of the movie I got rid of the urge to close my eyes every two seconds and after that my eyes hurt. That might be because it’s really hard for me to focus on things that are far away so If the movie reproduces that and in a fast pace I just can’t take it.
Not to mention as a four-eyes I hate to have TWO pairs of glasses on my nose XD
IMAX 3D is pretty impressive, Pedes! i saw How to Train Your Dragon in a regular 3D theater and in an IMAX Experience 3D theater, and it was way better on the IMAX screen. probably ‘cuz it was bigger and brighter, and didn’t cause as much eye-strain from the dimness.
i also wear glasses most of the time, and hate the stacked glasses, too. 😛
To be honest, I don’t care much for either 3D or the Avatar flick(s).
I’ve only seen the previews, and it looks like 90s animation, the characters look NOTHING like the originals (I don’t mind a bit more variation… but here it’s just plain horrible), the bending movements also look horrible.
Now 3D:
You’re eyes and brain gets used to the 3D effect halfway through, so you can no longer tell the difference. And serious; what do you gain from 3D that you don’t get from regular 2D? Is it just the extra D or did I get dropped on my head as a child so now I can’t see this extra dimension?