Alita: Battle Angel (new Cameron/Rodriguez SF epic)

Unlike colorization - which still looks like crap - "fake 3D" has come a looooong way. Like you, I've seen a bunch of movies that I assumed were shot 3D but it turns out they were conversions.

The first "Pacific Rim" is stunning in 3D but it was a conversion. (Mostly - apparently CG models were rendered 3D, but that still left a lot of live-action shot 2D.)

I get the impression the key is to plan for the movies to be 2D, as they look much better when composed with thought in that direction.

Though even that isn't crucial. "Titanic" looks pretty good 3D and it obviously wasn't planned to be seen that way.

I used to avoid converted 3D movies but now I don't even bother to think about it - the conversions are so good that there's exceedingly little difference between real and fake 3D...

 

I totally agree that 3D has come a long way and does look very cool at times. I personally feel it sometimes takes me out of the story and cinematic experience. Still a bit of a gimmick. But at least we usually have the choice to see a 3D version or not.

 

I'd be curious to know what films you thought used 3D in a way that distracted you.

I can think of some for which I felt it wasn't useful, but I can't recall any where I thought it was a negative.

I'm old and forgetful, though!

 

Pretty much every one Ive seen. I do love non 3D IMAX, but sitting in a big theater wearing those 3D glasses just ain’t my thing.

 

Nice story good on them for doing this.

 

Worst 3D ever was the Peter Gabriel orchestral concert film. It was shot in 3D, but with a variety of cameras and the width constantly varied. I had one eye covered and my wife, who can see 3D, got a headache.

 

I too am unable to see 3D (since I was a youngster...my right eye is a "lazy eye", but it's ok for peripheral
vision) so I only watch films in 2D. But I "wish" I could at least experience what a 3D film must be like.

 

Very cool.

I'm reminded of Bodo Hoenen whose daughter Lorelei had a condition that destroyed a lot of her nerves to her limbs. She had totally lost control of her left arm, and he taught himself robotics, 3D printing and sensing technology to amplify the nerve impulses to allow her move her arm. Volunteers all over the world joined in via social media lent their knowledge and skills to make this happen.

 

I think the only 3D film I actually enjoyed was Andy Warhols Frankenstein back in 1973.

In Space-Vision 3D

 

Would you like some more pancakes?

 

I saw Creature From the Black Lagoon in the old red-blue 3-D and that was okay, but like others here I have a wonky eye and not really into paying for new 3-D. Now if they ever have 3-D you can walk into...

 

In Warhol’s Frankenstein 3D there was the scene when the forceps were holding long gooey intestines over the head of the audience It was hysterical.

 

One of my former students was one of the lead animators on the film.

 

Early box office results are predicting almost double the original tracking estimate.

Box Office: 'Alita: Battle Angel' Winning Valentine's Day With $8M-Plus

Box Office: 'Alita: Battle Angel' Winning Valentine's Day With $8M-Plus

Alita: Battle Angel is beating expectations so far in its box office debut, and is easily dominating Valentine's Day, according to early returns.

Alita is on course to earn $8 million to $9 million on Thursday, including $2.4 million in previews. That puts the movie on pace to earn $36 million to $38 million in its five-day debut if traffic holds, good enough for a first-place finish ahead of Isn't It Romantic and Happy Death Day 2U.

The trio of films are opening midweek in advance of Valentine's Day and the long President's Day weekend.

 

Fake 3D just isn't the same.

 

Saw Alita today. Excellent!

The critic's will pound sand on this one, as they have with past Cameron/Landau movies.

The performance capture and 3D effects are spot on.

This movie will make a LOT of money!

 

SPOILERS MAYBE:







I enjoyed most of it too but don't ya wish Jef Fey's part was bigger? It was like he had a great set up with his dogs and then all of a sudden was gone from the film. And the quick flip flop of Jennifer Connelly?

 

There's still bad ones out there. If the 3D dimensionalization crews don't have enough time, you wind up with a film like Prince of Persia, often cited as the worst 3D film made in the last 10-15 years. They really need about a week per 10 minutes of screen time to do a decent job... and that means they have to lock the film at least four months prior to release (for a 2-hour run time), which is tough to do. And again, it adds another $12 million+ to the budget, which is not chickenfeed.

 

The first 3-D movie I remember seeing as a kid was House of Wax with Vincent Price. It was either a Saturday or Sunday matinee showing at one of those old-time single screen cinemas that played old movies.

There were probably other old 3-D movies I saw as a kid, but House of Wax stood out.

 

The problem is, that I have never seen the original material, that the movie is based on. So, I don't know what the character's parts were in the original's, as to what they did and how prominently they were featured.

Jeff Fey, meaning Jeff Fahey? I'm not that familiar with him. I know that he does a lot of TV stuff, but I don't watch TV. But, I did notice his great set-up with the dogs, and that he was helping out the good guys.

I expect that we will be seeing more of him in upcoming chapters.

I do agree, that Jennifier Connelly's part did do an abrupt about face for reason's unknown.

When you get into franchise films, which I'm sure that Alita will be one, the first movie has to be an establishing shot in itself. This is like harry Potter and the Twilight Saga. Your initial movie, just serves to introduce character's that are built upon during successive movies.

I was very impressed how the Alita character worked with the real live action actors. Performance capture has come a long way from the rotoscope days.

Andy Serkis really brought the art to the forefront as Gollum, as did the actors in Avatar. Zoe Saldana did such an excellent job as Neytiri. Basic motion capture has really effectively morphed into performance capture.

I predict that skilled performance capture artists will be in big demand this century. It will allow those with actual skills to present their skills as an acknowledged art form.

On the flip side, there are many who will be at this Academy Award's that may be absent not that many years down the road.

Maybe in future years, the Academy will feature technical achievement awards more prominently during their annual telecast?

Maybe, in a few short years, we will see a time where the award for "Best Live Actor/Actress in a Motion Picture" being awarded during a commercial break and then reinserted, later in the program, edited, without showing the winner's walking on and off the stage?

Maybe, I'll go back to watching the award's ceremonies?

 

My mistake. Yes Jeff Fahey who was in Lawnmower Man and a couple of Rodrigues' films . I just liked his character and then he was gone after the underground scene.

I also have never read any of the comics or knew anything about the character.

 

By the way folks the Spoiler tag does work on this forum. Left square bracket ([) spoiler right square bracket (]) . Then add the text that you don't want everybody to accidentally see. Then left square bracket ([) slash (/) right square bracket (]).

Like this:

Spoiler

Thing that people who have not yet seen the film might not want to know.

Update: D'oh! It's also available from the drop-down menu, in the same group with as the smily face, picture and movie icon.

 

Saw it earlier today in IMAX 3D - a solid 4/5 from me for now as I process what I just saw. Alita the character at times is jaw dropping.

 

What a lot of the critics are complaining about has nothing to do with what Cameron can deliver - spectacle. Yes, Titanic had a melodramatic plot...but it this awesome footage of a ship sinking. Avatar was equally melodramatic...but audiences got more than their money's worth of 3D and flying.

I think the disconnect has to do with critics seeing films in tiny screening rooms rather than in huge theaters full of regular filmgoers.

 

Agreed. There were a several expressions of emotion throughout that were incredible. I very much enjoyed it, although it got a little "Twilight"-y in the romance department and the gratuitous PG-13 allowed F-word stuck out like a fist in the eye. Was glad I saw this one in 3D, where I've generally gotten used to not caring.