Between this weekend's Lion King re-issue, next year's Titanic and Top Gun, and the multi-year conversions of the Star Wars sextology, it seems clear that Hollywood is intent on releasing every single film we've ever loved back into theaters in a 3D reissue. I know that the impulse of everyone, myself included, is to roll our eyes and bemoan the bankrupt Hollywood culture that could let this happen, but let's look on the bright side: even though 3D is a technology that is increasingly inspiring adverse reactions in audiences and seems to be fading away as a financial force for many films, it still adds an added bit of oomph to a film when it's done well. This year's Born To Be Wild was startlingly well-done when seen in IMAX 3D, to a degree where I thought that my viewing experience would be noticeably lessened had I not seen it in 3D.
Granted, that kind of experience is fairly rare, but if we're going to be inundated with 3D re-releases, let's think of some films that might benefit from a really well-done 3D conversion. I put together a few films that I would legitimately be interested in seeing again on the big screen if they had a great 3D conversion made for them. My main criteria? A: the film had to have enough interesting special effects sequences to justify a 3D conversion, and B: I couldn't love the film so much that a bad conversion would sully any childhood memories of mine permanently. That rules out a lot of the films that I regard as classics from my youth and teenage years, but there's still plenty of films that I really enjoyed watching, but aren't quite in the personal pantheon level where I'd be horribly disappointed if a 3D conversion came out and wasn't all that good. I'd just be regular disappointed.
Anyway, these are my five films that I would plop money down to see were they to come out in a decent 3D conversion. Assuming you're not so anti-3D at this point that you'll never ever see a 3D film again (and, to be clear, I find that a perfectly justifiable opinion given what's preceded us), what would your choices be?
 | 1. Independence Day If you were a teenage boy in the summer of 1996, it's basically a guarantee that you saw this movie two or three times. Although it's been 15 years since its release, it's still one of the all-time great summer popcorn films, full of groundbreaking special effects and a scale that many sci-fi films don't even attempt to match. Those special effects would seem to lend themselves to a re-envisioning in 3D; seeing the massive ships glide into position over the cities or the relatively great dogfighting sequences would be massively fun to catch again on the big screen. |
 | 2. Starship Troopers While something of a critical and financial failure at the time of its release, this social satire has grown in stature over the last 10 years. The close-range special effects battles against the critters would pop if a well-done 3D conversion was performed, and the film also has a fair amount of text on-screen during the propaganda segments, which is one area where 3D can easily impress a viewer with depth. |
 | 3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park It seems all but inevitable that Jurassic Park IV, should it ever get made, will be in 3D, but in the meantime we could easily get a dry-run for the special effects by taking Spielberg's less-beloved sequel to Jurassic Park and seeing how that affects people's opinions. (Hard to believe that this barely ranked about 50% on Rotten Tomatoes!) If 3D Tyrannosaurus doesn't excite you, then say it with me now: 3D gymnastics. |
 | 4. The Abyss The Abyss is one of Cameron's better character pieces, with Ed Harris turning in perhaps my favorite performance of any actor in any Cameron film. His effects work here was also amazing, though, with the famous "water head" sequence seeming like it'd be ripe for a 3D conversion. The end of the film and its darker sequences would be muted a bit by having to wear 3D glasses, however. Although it sounds like an underwater Avatar 2 might make an Abyss conversion superfluous, I'd still dig seeing a film that's taken a backseat in the Cameron canon get some re-release love. |
 | 5. The Fifth Element I haven't seen The Fifth Element in years, possibly since it first came out in theaters, but I remember it being a bright and colorful film that wouldn't be hurt overly much by the dimming effects of 3D. Plus, I don't think I could live with myself if I managed to make this list without any kind of sci-fi cityscape to ooh and aah at. And maybe if the film did well in re-release, Besson might be convinced to actually make the second part of his original script (The Fifth Element was reportedly only half of the film he originally intended to make). |
There isn't a single movie in existence that I wouldn't prefer to see in 2d over 3d.
That includes avatar. Saw it in theaters and all I could think was "wow this mediocre mess must have cost a bajillion dollars"
6 months later rewatching on my zune hd "meh I guess this cliched mess is alright"
The great dogfights in independence day would be ruined by 3d imo.
Love you and puppies anyways rorie.
I'd love it!
IF they managed an actual 3D solution instead of this low tech crap.
I could be talked into seeing ID4 in 3D in theaters. I'd forgotten how huge that movie was that summer. If you asked 14 year old me at the time, I'd have said it was the best movie ever made. I had to think about the Lost World gymnastics reference for a little while. Then it hit me and I was like "oh yeah, I hated that part of the movie!" Good list though Rorie. If it weren't $15, I would see any of these in 3D. But since it would be...eh.
I like all of your picks except #3. That movie was terrible! It shouldn't be "re-" anything'ed. It should just be forgotten. I would much rather see a 3D conversion of the first film, however, I don't think that would work given how dark that film was.
Skip the 3d, but Star Wars sexology sounds interesting.
Fifth Element is my no-brainer.
@tgammet said:
Totally agree.
hay man..... i abide.
I don't want to see any of these in 3D, but if forced, these are five I would tolerate.
What about Breakin and Breakin 2: The Electric Bugaloo? Nah I'm just kidding. They need to tone down the whole 3D in the movies.
Cloverfield 3D please
I'm not against 3d, but only because of one 5 second shot in How to Train Your Dragon, in which we are given a first-person view of Hiccup riding Toothless pretty much straight down. 3D is good for giving a sense of speed and verticality, but little else.
hmm... the Fifth Element being cut in half intrigues me.
I'd watch Speed Racer in 3d.
@revjordan: Damn. Now that would be awesome. Seriously one of the best blu-rays I own, and I own way too many.
Great article Rorie, I mean i now hate 3d....well I don't hate it, but im indifferent to it, and these were mostly all suggestions that I might be able to get behind and see. On second thought though im trying to pick out the good 3d movies ive seen over the past like 3 years. WARNING this list doesn't reflect film quality just, the usage and quality of 3d... Avatar, Transformers 3 (end scene, with glide suits), Tron Legacy, Final Destination 4/5, Thor, Kung fu panda 2, and my bloody valentine 3D. This was my first 3d movie, and i thought it was amazing.In just a few years Hollywood has shat out so many badly converted messes in an attempt to make all of us pay more, that 3d is on life support.
@brentnahmias44 said:
That's your prejudice towards 3d, not 3d's inherent fault.
Quite a dilemma conditions you're posting here Mr. Rorie. If I didn't cared for the movie the first time around then I couldn't careless in its 3D rendering galore :1
Otherwise, Blade Runn3r all the way!