On the advent of 3-D and contemporary animation in general

3-D, revolution or gimick

So, if you’ve been following the recent development in animation lately you will probably have noticed that the titles in the theatres now either 3-D or 2-D, in the case of animation anyway. 3-D is not a new thing, though, with the craze in the 50’s, which eventually failed in any case. Now we’re ready for a new round, but without the old fashioned red and blue tinted glasses, but with some new technological advent which makes the experience much more realistic and immersive.

I don’t really know the technology behind the new glasses, but that’s not really relevant, what matters is how and if they work. I went with some chumps to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, which we will refer to from now on simply as Meatballs. What was clear early, though, is that Meatballs simply was a vehicle for the new technology. Clichéd, predictable and very disgusting in terms of its shallow emotions, the film was terrible, obviously only a person with serious mental problems or children could have enjoyed it. But this wasn’t a surprise; I didn’t go to the cinema to watch a film, but to see the new technology of 3-D. In terms of technology, it was fairly impressive, showing off a multitude of layers and depth. Of course, in the end the film ultimately failed because of its lack in quality in general, nice visuals still doesn’t make a movie good.

On the whole, I was left strangely underwhelmed, the film and its effects soon forgotten.

Up, is Pixar just going through the motions?

Some weeks later, though, I decided to go watch the new Pixar film Up, this time as well in 3-D. As the formula of Pixar films have become painfully predictable, I unsurprisingly enjoyed the film a whole lot. Most interestingly though was the fact that I found the 3-D element much more effective, despite them being much less showy than in Meatballs. And this was the first point in which I actually found myself intrigued by the idea of 3-D. It allows for some interesting cinematography where in deep focus and layered mis-en-scene can have much greater effect and meaning. Imagine Citizen Kane in 3-D. But make no mistake though; 3-D is still very much a gimmick, attempting to regain cinema’s status as a spectacle.

With people being able to create their own cinema’s at home with HD screens and surround sound, the act of actually going to cinema has diminished somewhat in its powers the last couple of years. 3-D, the technology used by recent animation, is very much still only available in the cinema, increasing again its novelty and spectacle. I recently bought Coraline on blu-ray and tested its 3-D feature on my own TV. While retaining much of the depth levels and sense of space, the red and blue tinted glasses distorts the colours and ruin much of the cinematography, meaning that we are still some way away from gaining the full 3-D experience in our own living room.

Of the meagre three films I have seen using 3-D, Coraline was probably the film that utilized the effect the best and in the most significant way, creating a strange and hostile atmosphere with its deep focus and layered backgrounds, really showing how 3-D can be used in a significant way. Up, on the other hand, merely added 3-D in its process, to make it look nicer. Meatballs was just made for 3-D.

Coraline, a great alternative to other animations

Now, pushing away the whole 3-D issue, animation seems to be creating some interesting stuff as of late. Coraline, which I was strangely unaware of for the better parts of five months, was a wonderful surprise, really standing out from the other mainstream animations made lately. Pixar is starting to get boring though. Up was a very good animated film, make no mistake about it, but that seems to be all that Pixar can achieve. With the exception of the odd mistake, Pixar always make strong animated films, but never manage to really reach the top, always falling short in some way. Wall-E was absolutely fantastic for the first 45 minutes, before dwindling away into mediocrity. Still, it was a very positive sign and hopeful.

Sadly, though, Up seems to be a step backwards in terms of ambition regarding Pixar, but of course I hope they continue to develop and hopefully they will one day make a true animated masterpiece. On that note, of course, Toy Story 3 is on its way, in full blown 3-D. I don’t really have much to say on that, other than that I might actually have to watch Toy Story 2 now. 9 Looks interesting, although it might be one of those films that take itself too seriously. I’m more looking forward to Fantastic Mr. Fox, which I might see tomorrow. It is good that we are at least seeing some variety in the style and types of animations we’re getting now, now that the technology has really settled in. I also read somewhere about Disney making a new animated feature which is actually DRAWN. I love the old style, so I will probably see it, although I reserve the right to be very disappointed.

By the way, I read somewhere that some parent had complained that Coraline was too scary for their kids, and I’m wondering what’s gone completely wrong with the consumer-culture surrounding animation. On the info page of 9 in the cinema’s webpage it says: “Consumer Advice: Contains Moderate Sustained Threat.” Are you kidding me, is this a joke? Have kids become this sensitive. Anyway, 9 received a 12a rating, which is also quite surprising. A good example of this kind of mentality is my sister, whose favourite animation is The Little Mermaid. When I was little, she showed it to me, although I never really became a big fan. When some years ago I wanted to show it to her kids, she was concerned about it being too scary for them. Anyway, I’ll get my darling nephews a Coraline DVD for Christmas.

I will stress that I have only focused on western animation, ignoring non-English animation, but I thought it better to concentrate my efforts, maybe some other time I’ll discuss anime or whatever. But I am aware of it.