Thursday, June 11, 2009

2D or not 2D? That is the question. Or "Why I'm just not that impressed with Hollywood's latest gimmick"

Coraline (Henry Selick 2009)

It's heartening to see that someone is still using traditional stop motion animation - I was beginning to think everyone had sold their souls for CGI! It's a pity they felt they had to cop out with the latest gimmick though. 3D is a new technology that is still leaving me a little underwhelmed as well as dismayed. (I'm also beginning to wonder if the migraine I have had for the past week is a throw-back to going cross-eyed from wearing two pairs of glasses in the dark watching this for nearly two hours!)
The last film I saw in 3D was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. They at least they had the common sense to use it sparingly for a handful of key scenes. Rather disconcertingly, Coraline is in 3D from start to end and it was all a little vomit inducing (you really can have too much of a good thing). and very distracting. Also, I have to say, 3D really is a bit crap when it comes to movement - anything moving too quickly and it was the equivalent of the sausage effect created when someone waves their figures in front of a TV screen! As well as rather boring when you get past the novelty value (remember a few years back when all those idiots stood staring at those optical illusions in shop windows till a unicorn appears??) That's hardly worth spending a fiver on!
I really do hope that 3D dies a death cus all this flashiness does is detract from what we are there for - a piece of cinema. As we bill and coo over how clever it all is, is anyone actually taking anything in beyond surface level? Is anyone interested in subtext, cinematography, direction, acting... depth??? I did take my glasses off at one point as I was naive enough to think we would be given the choice of watching it in 2D. Of course we aren't. That pissed me off!
Coraline is an excellent piece of animation and very nearly the equal of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Nightmare is more fun of course but Coraline has the edge when it comes to characterisation and darker more adult friendly subtexts. But the 3D totally ruined it for me. Some of us don't have that sweet a tooth and being force-fed is so not appreciated.

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