The future of cinema?

Last friday, Marie was celebrating her 6th birthday. Having successfully managed the celebrations with family and her friends, we felt that the three of us have earnt an after-birthday gratification. So we went to the next movie theater and into How to train your dragon.

It's the first time I was visiting a 3d movie. I remember that I've seen 3D films before on fairgrounds and more than 30 years ago, but the experience had been a little bit disappointing. Nevertheless, I was really curious.

Sitting in the cinema chair and looking at each other wearing the spectacles was fun, of course and a good opportunity to remember the blues brothers. Then the movie began.

Excuse me? This is it? The movie industries big hope, the style of already 25% of all movies in the cinema? (Apart from How to train your dragon, no less than 3 other of the movies offered that day have been in 3D.)

Honestly, there were some scenes when the 3D effect was really great. For example, riding on the night fury with Hiccup was pure joy. But that feeling went about 5 out of 95 minutes of the film. And what about the other 90?

Basically, the visual quality was really bad. I can't count the number of times when I've seen the horns on a vikings helm twice. Quite frequently, the picture was fuzzy and I had to strain my eyes. Compare that to the experience of a 2D movie when you just forget to think about the pictures, because there's no reason to consider the visual quality: You're concentrated on what happens, on what you came for.

I have to admit that I am not overly gracious to new stuff, if not adverse. But to me, visiting a 3D movie is like sending an SMS, rather than having a phone call: There is a much more comfortable, and enjoyable version of doing basically the same thing, which you are expected to intentionally forfeit.

I'm ready to try again in another 30 years. But, as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather stay at home than visiting another 3D movie. (And I'd be gladly watching How to train your dragon in 2D again, because I liked the film, apart from the 3D effect.)