A lot has been made of the recent trend of releasing every blockbuster in 3D, mostly with negative reactions.  People complain that it’s overused, that it’s a marketing ploy meant to take even more of our hard-earned money, that it’s a cheap gimmick with no lasting power, that it makes the image too dark, and that it hurts the eyesight of some people.  All these may be true.  Certainly, it seems the excitement of 3D brought about largely by Avatar now brings a sigh of “here we go again” whenever a trailer exclaims that a new film is in that format.  Studios have jumped on the 3D gravy train with quick and cheap conversions that don’t look very good, yet cost 1-1/2 times the normal ticket price.  3D has come and gone in waves in the past, so who’s to say that it won’t burn out yet again this time around?  It’s annoying when a movie is murky on the big screen, especially when many theaters intentionally turn down the intensity of their projectors, so there’s validity in criticizing the polarizing 3D glasses that make the image even darker.  The physiological fact is that the stereoscopic effect often gives people headaches, or at the very least there’s a transition period where your eyes have to get used to watching a movie in this format; some people can’t even see the effect at all.  Despite all these claims, there is still something positive to be had for 3D movies. Continue Reading »