I can’t believe that I did this! I watched UP again for the second time this weekend! Yeap, went to Midvalley with Mei Fen, just the two of us, to catch the 3D version of the movie!
I told Mei Fen how good the movie was, and I told her that I wanted to go watch it with her again. She didn’t reject my offer. She wants to go to Midvalley for her facial treatment anyway. So when she went there to have her facial at 12 pm, I went to buy two tickets for the show. Cost me RM34 for the two tickets, just for the 3D experience!
Was the extra ringgits spent on the 3D worth it? All I can say is that it is indeed very different, much better than watching it in flat 2 dimensional.
Turn back the time to the beginning of the century when cinema has just started, to the era of silent movies. A lot of people said that moving pictures were good enough, even though they were only accompanied by music often played manually on the spot. Then in 1927, the “talkies” appeared, and in a decade, silent movies have disappeared. When stereophonic and surround sound made its appearances, people regarded them as mere novelties rather than a must-have. Today without these effects, you wouldn’t be able to hear such audio cues such as where the next werewolf is going to appear on the screen!
Fast forward to the present, where 3D is beginning to be more and more common. 3D movies were still a novelty as recent as 5 years ago. Back in 2004, when I had my first IMAX 3D experience in Berjaya Times Square with The Polar Express, I thought that the effect was mind-blowing. But I recall the details of the 3D was lacking. For example, a door panel consists of a few depth that represents the rectangular patterns found on most doors. However in The Polar Express, when the door opens, I notice that the panels were flat! The door patterns were no more than just a 2D rendering on a flat rectangular surface!
Not anymore! UP 3D is gorgeously painted with real 3D objects!
SPOILERS ALERT! Do not proceed if you plan to watch UP for yourself. You have been warned.
I remember Mr Carl Fredricksen’s coat is so meticulously rendered, every fiber in his coat just pops out of the screen! Very obvious in the quiet scene where he sits down looking at Ellie’s adventure book, with a single light source (the lamp) lighting him. Even his shaggy eyebrow protrude out convincingly. The boys at PIXAR certainly did a very good job!
But is 3D necessary? Well, personally I feel that 3D has already reached maturity level, and it is now becoming more essential to tell the story effectively. For example I remembered one scene where the gang has just lost Kevin to the pack of dogs. Mr Fredricksen was beginning to drag his house from the area in the early morning dawning light. The details in the foreground was not very clear, but you can very visibly see the rocks jutting out from underneath the house and in the foregrounds nearer to the audience. In 2D, I definitely did not notice this detail! Also with 3D, the vision of height and the precarious position of the house on the blimp is further heightened (excuse the pun). Very useful visual cues, in my opinion!
Apart from the….
SQUIRRELS!
Apart from the obvious depth advantage, seeing the movie in 3D has an interesting side effect. You will immediately begin to notice that the picture is clearer, with no visible scratches and cracks; just pure digital picture! You will also notice that there is NO annoying subtitles on the screen. I think it is because of the FINAS did could not touch the film due to its embedded 3D nature. Great news for film buffs!
END OF SPOILER
So if you are intend of going to watch a good movie with lots of action and family values thrown in, go watch the movie in the way it was intended to be watched; in full 3 dimensional splendour, and prepare to be amazed!
Read also, my previous comment on the movie in 2D.