"Avatar" could indeed light the way to fresh, uncharted territory for filmmaking and entertainment thanks to its groundbreaking special effects and 3-D technologies -- but that's not necessarily a good thing.
The best way to explain that is to go see writer-director James Cameron's new blockbuster in a 3-D IMAX theater. (Before you scream "Duh!" at your PC, hear me out). As you settle down with your popcorn and drink to watch this 160-minute adventure, pay close attention to the 3-D previews of other movies vying for your leisure-time dollars next year. In the IMAX theater I was in for a midnight Thursday screening of "Avatar," I was treated to a massive, grinning Cheshire Cat head that appeared to float inches from my face, thanks to director Tim Burton's revisionist version of "Alice In Wonderland."Dreamworks' idea of a scary-yet-cute dragon flew right at me in the studio's trailer for "How to Train Your Dragon." And of course, the lovable and hygiene-challenged ogre Shrek is back in "Shrek Forever After," and there he was towering over me in all his green glory.
The point bludgeoned into me during these trailers was that 3-D was going to be used for 3-D's sake in all three films. Objects and characters are going to be shot at the audience as they have been since "Bwana Devil," "House of Wax" and the dawn of 3-D in the 1950s. The only exception was a preview for a new IMAX documentary, "Hubble 3-D;" an image of the space telescope appearing to stretch out into the movie theater from the screen, with Earth in the background, was truly breathtaking.
Otherwise, it was 3-D business as usual.
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