"The Last Airbender is an agonizing experience in every category I can think of and others still waiting to be invented," writes Roger Ebert. "The laws of chance suggest thatsomething should have gone right. Not here It puts a nail in the coffin of low-rent 3D, but it will need a lot more coffins than that. Let's start with the 3D, which was added as an afterthought to a 2D movie. Not only is it unexploited, unnecessary and hardly noticeable, but it's a disaster even if you like 3D. M Night Shyamalan's retrofit produces the drabbest, darkest, dingiest movie of any sort I've seen in years. You know something is wrong when the screen is filled with flames that have the vibrancy of faded Polaroids. It's a known fact that 3D causes a measurable decrease in perceived brightness, but Airbender looks like it was filmed with a dirty sheet over the lens."
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That makes for a disappointing read. Material aside, I remain convinced that Shyamalan is a fabulous director and I thought the heavy criticism of The Happening was a bit OTT (especially considering it was around the same time that The Dark Knight – essentially sillier – was being lauded as one of the best films ever made). I didn’t think The Happening was great, but when the knives are out, they are out.
He seems to make his films in twos – two no-one knows about, two all-time classics (imho, as always), two that were silly but quite good, and two disappointments. It seems he might be headed into a two-some that could finish off his A-list film career for good. And Ebert’s fairly level-headed, so I’m inclined to think this movie will stink.
If it was the death knell for 3D though, I’d happily see that. Avatar, which I didn’t care for as a film, was an incredible experience. Alice In Wonderland was so-so – I wish I’d just gone to see it 2D – and Clash of the Titans was just awful. The 3D was hardly there, nothing more than a marketing exercise.
I might just give this film a miss altogether.
"I might just give this film a miss altogether."
You and me, you and me.
As for 3D, I'm happy to make my mind up on a film by film basis, although when I tried to see Clash in 2D I couldn't find it showing anywhere, so I had no choice but to see it 3D.
Having said that, all the animated movies I've seen in 3D recently have been great.
Well, hey, we've got the next RESIDENT EVIL film in 3D so there's that. ; )
Seriously, I don't know about 3D. I have a feeling that the market is going to reach a saturation point pretty soon and things will cool off. One can hope, at least. I really like Christopher Nolan's comments on 3D a week or so ago saying that film's are already in 3D what with depth of field and all so to put in actual 3D is kinda crazy.
But at least Anderson shot RE4 using 3D cameras, so it won't have to be converted in post.
I have to admit that I was at one of the select few bars who broadcast an Arsenal - Man Utd game live in 3D around March. And like all the other punters I was fairly awed for 90 mins.
It looked amazing on a normal TV (certainly no bigger than 50''). And the Avatar trailer they showed at halftime also looked stunning on the small screen. So it could be here for a while yet.
That's the first reaction I've heard about a 3D game. Glad to se it's a positive one. Shame Arsenal lost, though...
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