Third Magazine

Avatar – 3D bar set too high?

Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by The James in Movie Releases

With the upcoming film, Avatar, dominating 3D press, people have to begin to wonder if the production will live up to the hype.  I hate to be blunt, but it almost certainly cannot.  Now, I’m not saying that it won’t potentially be a fantastic movie that will successfully showcase a lot of modern 3D techniques.  But there’s a potential for a backlash.  I’m not talking about story quality, or even execution of James Cameron’s concepts.  I’m talking about the tendency for the press, and many fans, to lose sight of critical thinking and become ones and zeros in a sense, either adoring the film, or completely hating it.  The problem is that the bar has been set irrationally high for the film, as if it will solely make or break 3D for the current generation.  This is how it was portrayed on 60-minutes recently, and with Wired putting out articles with titles like  “James Cameron’s New 3-D Epic Could Change Film Forever“, you can’t help but wonder if the general public has a realistic expectation.  Will it be a let down?  Are people expecting merely an improvement on 20-year old technology, or full fledge, in-your-face hologram 2050 type technology?  I suspect it is somewhere in the middle for the average movie-goer.  They have a realistic chance of walking away without the film meeting the standards set by the over-eager media.

Personally, I’m excited to see the final product.  And I’ve made it a point (if you can believe it) to avoid watching all trailers.  Although I’ve seen bits and pieces, I’ve remained relatively un-tarnished.  I’m hoping to watch it with a clear point of view.  But unfortunately, the people that count, the ticket buyers, won’t be coming in with that impartial view-point.  There’s a fear here at Third Magazine that Avatar will scar the public’s view of 3D slightly because the bar has been set so high, even if it blows all current 3D productions out of the water.

In my opinion, I would have liked to see James Cameron come into the 3D scene with a little more subtlety.  I understand the need for promotion, but there is no doubt in my mind that it would be number one at the box office even with minimal marketing.  I could have easily been a surprise hit that shocked everyone, in a similar fashion the very first Star Wars movie did in 1977.  But hopefully the positives will outweigh the negatives come December.