Japan And Jurassic Park 3D

Two nights ago I went and saw Jurassic Park in 3D. I will get to the review in a moment, but first I want to wish my best friend and his wife an enjoyable, safe, rewarding trip as they move to Japan for at least a year. So good luck to you too, and take lots of pictures so I can live vicariously through you.

Here is the first picture they took.

Now, on to JP. As I said earlier, I am not a fan of 3D movies. Seeing JP 3D didn't change my stance on 3D movies, but it did make me appreciate the format. The first thing that stuck out to me was that the IMAX glasses are nice! They were large and comfortable, neither of which I have experienced in the past when getting those kid-sized glasses. But there were actually enjoyable to wear. Once comfortable in my seat, I was able to sit through the entire 2.5 hour movie without getting a headache. So I highly recommend IMAX for 3D screenings.

As for the movie itself, I was amazed at the quality of the 3D conversion, especially so when considering that JP wasn't shot with 3D in mind. One of the first things that really caught my attention was how clear the picture was. I have heard that a completely new digital scan took place for the 3D conversion, and it really shows. I hope they release this in a 2D version on Blu-ray. I can't say enough great things about how clear and sharp the picture was. The 3D conversion itself was excellent, with multiple layers putting you right in the action. I am used to 3D being all about things on screen "jumping out" at the audience, but that was not the case here. Obviously, JP wasn't shot for that sort of style, so the 3D conversion wouldn't change that. But it was refreshing to see the 3D used to simply enhance the movie. In other words, you notice the 3D, but it doesn't take center stage. A perfect example is the opening shot, when you see the tree branches swaying back and forth as the fork lift is driving through them. Seeing the depth of the different layers really made you feel like a jungle was in front of you. Then, when the camera creeps forward among Muldoon and the workers, you get the feeling that you are creeping forward while they are right there. It's very immersive. But the 3D really comes into it's own a little while later, when the group finds the sick Triceratops. This beautiful set piece really comes to life when you see it in 3D. If I had to choose one 3D moment as my favorite, this would probably be the one. Seeing the characters interacting with the 3D dinosaur, it reminds me of that magical feeling when viewing JP for the first time. Definitely well done. Throughout the movie, there were more scenes where the 3D was perfectly utilized. Examples include the Brachiosaurus scenes, the baby raptor scene, the T-Rex attack, the tree escape, the Gallimimus scene, the raptor jumping at Lex, and the final T-Rex/raptor scene. These were all great, but there was time between them that wasn't as useful 3D-wise. What I mean by that is that you don't have as much opportunity for 3D to be used during normal conversation scenes. This is fine by me, but it still is something to mention. That is the only thing that doesn't receive top marks, but it's not like they could do anything about that. Overall, I enjoyed this movie very much. I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. So do yourself a favor and go see this very soon, before it's extinct.

Ratings:
     Movie: 10/10 (duh!)
     Picture quality: 10/10
     3D conversion: 10/10
     3D usefulness: 6/10
     Bottom line: Go see!