When it was announced that James Cameron was planning on re-releasing his classic movie Titanic in 3D I simply ignored the news, the same way I ignored the recently re-released Star Wars in 3D. This is simply because, on a good day, I don’t see the point of 3D, yes it looks good (sometimes) but there is nothing exceedingly spectacular about it, and the forced extra costs are downright annoying. 
But now Titanic 3D is out, and everywhere I go people are getting excited about paying extra to watch the ship sink again, simply because its in 3D. That’s the only reason I’ve heard so far (if there’s another reason you want to watch it, please let me know).
This cannot be ignored any more. Why on earth do we need classic tales retold in 3D? I’m actually asking, cos I have no idea. I need someone to tell me; doesn’t the titanic not sink again? Will Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) survive now that everything is clearer and in his face? Or are people just so in love with the movie they don’t mind seeing it over and over again, regardless of the cost? I hope its the former, because if I continue hearing “it might look better in 3D”, I just might shoot someone…
Cameron isn’t alone here though, in fact some might say he came late to the party. I already mentioned Star Wars, but for those of you who don’t know, last year, after successfully converting The Lion King to 3D and making tons of cash, Disney and Pixar officially announced the re-releases of Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc and The Little Mermaid for 2012 and 2013 (Beauty and the Beast as already come out). The logic behind this, according to Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios, is that “great stories and great characters are timeless… we’re thrilled to give audiences of all ages the chance to experience these beloved tales in an exciting new way with 3D – and in the case of younger generations, for the first time on the big screen”.
That all sounds nice and lovely, but I still believe – and would argue it day and night -, that 3D is simply a gimmick or guaranteed cash grab, with the studios involved in these re-releases simply milking the love we have for their classic tales.
These new re-releases, I’m sorry to say, pain me as much as the new slur of re-makes Hollywood has been trying to jam down our throats. Have they really run out of ideas or are they just less interested in making quality stuff with interesting stories and more interested in making a quick buck? I’m leaning towards both, just my opinion she, how I wish they could go back to the good ol’ days and actually start making classics that we’ll be fighting to protect years down the line.
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