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13 Dec 2009

Research: Disneys A Christmas Carol 3D

First of I'll do a little review of it just to get going:

3D: The last time I saw 3D, it was with those those crap paper glasses that turned the world red and green. Oh not to mention the crippling headaches with prolonged exposure to the blurry screen. So when I sat down and saw the 'Avatar' Trailer and 'Alice in Wonderland' (Tim Burton and Johnny Depp??? NEVER!!) and they were in 3D, I was skeptical. I thought some effects were good but they didn't pull you in like they were meant to. Plus it was a bit fuzzy. Until the film started...
When I had a epitomy.
3D isn't for immersion, Not really. Nor is it for cheap tricks like throwing something through the screen. Its for depth. The way your brain percieves depth is all there. We know who is meant to be closer and who is in the background, but 3D gives it an extra layer. Its hard to explain but I was very skeptical at first, but after seeing this I want more films in 3D. I just wish there was a way they could incoporate it into the cinema instead of wearing glasses. I guess I'll go see 'Avatar' in 3D now...
For double the price, mind.


The Film it self? It was a barebones retelling of the classic tale. But I must remind people that just because Jim Carry is in it, doesn't make it a comedy. And it's not. And it shouldn't. This is a feel good film, right next to christmas and thats exactly what it should be. The acting was good. Carry plays Scrooge and the ghosts (Even Ghost of Christmas Future? But he doesn't talk?) and fits them all well. You can't tell Carry plays them as there so different. One thing that did baffle me. Gary Oldman plays Tiny Tim? Mmmmmmm OK?
But theres a feeling of 'cutting corners' here. The story was trimmed down for the tech I feel. Its as if this was just a demo for 3D and the animation in general. It was a show case... but a bloody succesful one.

Now for the relevance:
'The Polar Express' was an example of the 'Uncanny Vally'. I personally have never seen it so can't comment on the film but I know why its infamous. There were traces of it in this film though. But it kept mainly to the background. All the characters the camera was focused on had a soul. They seemed real, or a fantasy version of real. The background still had the issue though. People in the distance looked real, until they came closer when they looked forced. It was strange none the less but at least this time it was confined to the background.

And its here that I see the connections. The Uncanny is something that is real, it should be real, but isn't. It plays with the mind and makes you think about everything else. It has a chain effect.

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