3-D or not 3-D, that is the question

37 days until June 18th, when Toy Story 3 gets released into theaters.

I already mentioned in a previous post that production on Toy Story 3 has finally been 100% completed. But this weekend, director Lee Unkrich and the rest of the film's crew made it official by throwing the wrap party. Unkrich mentioned the party, which was held on Saturday May 8, on his Twitter. The wrap party is a way for the crew to celebrate the work they did, and the great deal of time that they spent on the film. It is also signals that the film's release is getting even closer, just a bit over a month left.

3D or not 3D?



One of the big draws of Toy Story 3 is that it, like many films nowadays, will be available to watch in both 2-D and 3-D versions. This is going to be the second Pixar film to be available in 3-D, the first was last year's Up. When you go to your theater to see Toy Story 3 you will be asked if you want to see the regular 2-D version, or pay 3 or 4 extra dollars to see the 3-D version. So is it worth the extra 4 bucks?

Some films that are released in 3-D today are not real 3-D; that is they were not filmed with two cameras and from two perspectives (for some great information on the difference between "real 3-D" and "fake 3-D" check out this Gizmodo article). The 3-D Pixar films though, are in fact real 3D, the fact that the film was going to be released in 3-D was on the creators' minds throughout the whole process; it wasn't just tacked on at the end to make a little extra money at the box office. Keep that in mind when deciding which version of the film you'd like to see. If anyone has seen the 3-D version of Avatar (and who hasn't) they will know what real 3-D looks like. The double feature re-release of Toy Story 1 and 2 that came out last year was also redone to be in real 3-D.


With all that being said I must say that I am a traditionalist. When I go see a movie I like to see them the old-fashioned way. I think wearing the glasses in an annoyance and an inconvenience and I don't think the 3D effect is worth it. I did go to see Up in 3-D. At the beginning of the film I was distracted by the 3D and couldn't enjoy the story. As it went on I stopped noticing the 3D, it was still there but it was so subtle that I no longer realized it. Apparently that is a sign of quality 3D, but I don't see the point of paying extra if your not going to notice it for half of the movie anyway. If i only go see the film once I am going to watch the regular 2D version because I am just old-fashioned that way. If I go see it more than once though, I may see it in 3D just to see what it's like. As for what you should do, it all comes down to personal preference, but do bear in mind that it will be a genuine 3D experience, not a cheaply tacked on one.


Ken
Here we go, Ken is one of the most interesting and intriguing new characters. His extensive appearances in the trailers and the fact that there was an entire promotional clip dedicated to him indicate hat he will most play a very significant role in the film. Ken was first introduced exclusively on Ain't It Cool News. Ken is going to be voiced by comedic actor Micheal Keaton. What's interesting is that Ken's unusual outfit is actually modeled after a real Ken doll that was sold in the 80's. Once again this is evidence of Pixar's amazing attention to detail and realism. It makes perfect sense that the Ken doll at a daycare would be one from the 80's that was probably lying around in an attic for years before it was donated. And you shouldn't doubt that Pixar will find a way to make this back-story shape Ken's character. I wouldn't be surprised if being cooped up in an attic, or being stuck in a daycare for years, has made him cruel and bitter.

Just for fun here's an old commercial for the particular Barbie and Ken set that this Ken is based on: