The Controversy Over 3D in "Clash of the Titans"

The Clash of the Titans remake is a controversial movie, not for the subject matter or the plot or even for the relevance of remaking the movie in the first place. The most controversial part of the movie was the 3D effect. The movie wasn't originally planned to be released in 3D until the success of Avatar and Alice in Wonderland changed the studio's mind. By then, the movie had already finished filming, so Warner Bros. rushed to convert it in post-production with only ten weeks to do it. Many people, including the evangelist of 3D himself James Cameron, were outraged by the post-production conversion. Their perspective is that true 3D can only be achieved during production using the actual cameras while the movie is being filmed. Cameron called the quickie process "2.8D." He and others worry that movies like Clash of the Titans being rushed into 3D will cheapen the effect, and turn off audiences from the 3D process just as it's getting started.

It seems their fears were both confirmed and unfounded. Clash of the Titans was number one at the box office, which seems to indicate that audiences didn't mind the effect. At the same time, the movie didn't reach the $70 million that the studio hoped to reach. It was also a highly anticipated movie to begin with, even without the 3D. Many critics actually complained about the 3D effect, which they felt was more of a distraction than a benefit to the film. Reviewers complained that the effect looked more like a cardboard cut-out version of the movie than three-dimensional. The LA Times called Clash of the Titans the "first film to actually be made worse by being in 3D." Only time will tell if 2.8D will water down 3D.

Once again, I find myself questioning the whole point of 3D to begin with. The motivation behind the studios' rush to 3D isn't really about audiences clamoring for the effect. While Avatar in 3D was a box office hit, the recently released How To Train Your Dragon in 3D hasn't even reached the popularity of Monsters vs Aliens. For the studios, it's about financial considerations like trying to discourage bootleggers and charging more for a ticket. Without the viewers behind it, I think that the whole 3D effect may end up being a fad, regardless of how it's done.

Have you seen Clash of the Titans? What do you think of the 3D craze? Let us know in the comments.