WATCH: New Trailer For Disney's Live-Action PETE'S DRAGON

Disney isn't at a loss for acting talent in this live-action retelling of the animated Disney classic PETE'S DRAGON. Robert Redford, Bryce Dallas Howard, Karl Urban and young Oakes Fegley star in what seems to be a gorgeous live-action version of the family favorite film.

Disney continues to bring over classic animations to live-action and while I was skeptical at first, I enjoyed CINDERELLA and this looks great.

Here's the storyline:
A reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film, PETE'S DRAGON is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. PETE'S DRAGON stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Oscar® winner Robert Redford. The film, which is directed by David Lower, is written by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a story by Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field and produced by Jim Whitaker, p.g.a., with Barrie M. Osborne serving as executive producer.

For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete’s descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon. 

Disney’s PETE'S DRAGON opens in U.S. theaters on August 12, 2016.

Here's the trailer:

Third Trailer For Disney's MALEFICENT

I'm not seeing a great deal of new footage here but there is some including the end of trailer which looks spectacular! Have a look...

Here's the storyline for the movie:
MALEFICENT explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic SLEEPING BEAUTY and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever. 

MALEFICENT opens on May 30. 

Next MALEFICENT Trailer Best Of The Lot Thus Far

 Ah. This is better. More of this please Disney... Much better delivery of what's in store visually for us.

Here is the storyline for the movie:
From Disney comes MALEFICENT - the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic SLEEPING BEAUTY. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

MALEFICENT conjures in theaters on May 30. 

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Download "Once Upon a Dream" on Google Play: http://goo.gl/O9JAxb

New Trailer For Angelina Jolie's MALEFICENT

One of, if not the most interesting villains in Disney's vast cinematic history is from SLEEPING BEAUTY and that's only going to get more understood with the upcoming release of director Robert Stromberg's MALEFICENT.

The movie examines how Maleficent changes from that of a protector to a vengeful villain through being bitterly betrayed.

Here's the movie's storyline:
From Disney comes MALEFICENT, the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic "SLEEPING BEAUTY". A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

Click here to view the first trailer.


MALEFICENT bites into theaters on May 30 in 3D and flat.

First Teaser Trailer For Disney's MALEFICENT Arrives

I haven't given any judgement on MALEFICENT yet. I'm on the fence. Could be a bomb or a huge win - likely the later. But it had better be good for Angelina Jolie who gave up what seems to be an Oscar nod for turning down the lead in GRAVITY. Now THAT's a bad move. The Sandra Bullock role is once in a lifetime if you ask me. But I digress.

I don't find Jolie's character all that intimidating actually. The horns look cool, but just some extended cheekbones and some contact lenses? Sure it's early on in the movie. Likely there are some surprises to that end as the movie progresses and Maleficent turns more, shall we say, evil.

I did like the Pandora like environment in a few scenes. It is certain Disney spared no expense in getting this thing done. At this stage though, I was hoping for more.

Here's the storyline:
From Disney comes MALEFICENT—the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic SLEEPING BEAUTY. A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

MALEFICENT opens on May 30, 2014 in 3D and in flat.

First Theatrical Trailer For Disney's FROZEN

I had the pleasure of seeing footage from Disney's FROZEN at the Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference this past weekend (more on that conference coming up!) and it looked amazing in 3D. The stereoscopic department head for Walt Disney Animation Studios, Robert Neuman, gave an in-depth review of the process that he has in place for his department - including a painstaking approach to ensuring the proper attribution of positive and negative parallax.

Obviously you can't see this footage in 3D here, but you will be in for a treat at the theater should they show it in a pre-roll for you. The trailer is below.

Here's the boilerplate for you:
Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio behind “Tangled” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” presents “Frozen,” a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom. The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), who also wrote the screenplay. It is produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”). Featuring original songs from Tony® winner Robert Lopez (“The Book of Mormon,” “Avenue Q”) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“In Transit,” “Winnie the Pooh”), and an original score by Christophe Beck (“The Muppets,” Oscar®-winning short “Paperman”), “Frozen” hits theaters in 3D on Nov. 27, 2013.

Website: Disney.com/Frozen
Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyFrozen
Twitter: Twitter.com/DisneyAnimation
Genre: Animated Comedy/Adventure
Rating: TBD
U.S. Release Date: November 27, 2013
Voice Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk, Ciarán Hinds
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Producer: Peter Del Vecho
Screenplay by: Jennifer Lee

New Trailer For MONSTERS UNIVERSITY

Here's the new trailer for MONSTERS UNIVERSITY from Pixar and Disney. Look, I've been down on Pixar lately - what's been coming from them is brilliant technically, but the story just is not there anymore. Further, I don't think sequels or prequels are the way to bring back originality and great storytelling.

What's going on over at Pixar anyway? Don't they have the same development cycle they've always had? Has the mouse house interrupted that in some way? Too many questions for me. Anyway, this trailer hints at some funny moments - but where is the UP or RATATOUILLE in this movie? I'm concerned yet again. PLANES? Not the answer either. Same universe as CARS and CARS 2. It's for the marketing of toys I know - but this is Pixar! Marvel better not suffer the same fate.

What we can expect however, is amazing stereoscopic 3D. That they have nailed.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer. The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right.


MONSTERS UNIVERSITY opens on June 21.

MUST WATCH: Ten Minute Scene From JOHN CARTER!! **SPOILERS**

Obviously big time spoilers in this thing as well, it's from the movie! Ten minutes of it. I was hesitant as always with these things - I hate to ruin a movie, but I watched it for you guys to tell you whether or not you should take the time to see it and not ruin your experience.

YES. Watch it. You will get spoilers but they are pre-Barsoom so all you really get here is some great character development. MORE AFTER THE CLIP!



So what do you think? Pretty cool intro to Carter's character if you ask me. Bring it on!!

MUST SEE: New Image From Disney's JOHN CARTER! PLUS Cool Spoilerish Info...

Check out this cool photo from Disney's JOHN CARTER! There's some interesting information below - some spoilers too; be careful!

Here's the storyline:
From Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes “John Carter”–a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). “John Carter” is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

From Entertainment Weekly (yeah they sure do get studio exclusives lately!): There’s the many-legged amphibi-dog named Woola that becomes Carter’s loyal companion. And then there are one of the most intriguing and fearsome creatures in the series: the great White Apes.

Slight Spoiler below this line!! Highlight the white area below to read. You have been warned!!

...(John Carter) needs an army to solve his big problem in the third act, and the only army he knows was his previous captors. When he goes back, the game has changed, and he gets incarcerated. This is what he has to get out of. He has to get out of jail and not get killed by these apes in order to get his bigger problem solved.

Andrew Stanton talks about those White Apes: "No, they’re sort of an oversized gorilla in the books, and they’re kind of ubiquitous. They’re littered everywhere through at least the first several novels. They were always cool, just from a visceral standpoint, [but] they don’t really have a narrative function in the first book. So what we did is we made the White Apes a formidable creature that you kind of hear about throughout the movie, but you never really witness. There’s a subtle sense of anticipation for what these things might be like. Then Michael Kutsche — who did a lot of the designs on [the Johnny Depp movie] Alice in Wonderland – came up with this design on his own, for just their scale. He made them nocturnal, almost like moles — they stopped using their eyes, and just had a heightened sense of smell. We just love that. We needed a scene where Carter was going have to get out of his execution sentence in order to move the story forward, and we thought what better than having to go up against this formidable creature?"

Here's some of cast:
Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe, Lynn Collins, Thomas Hayden Church, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, James Purefoy, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West and Daryl Sabara.

Mild spoiler below this line! Highlight the white area to read. You have been warned!!

It is a pretty cool premise - John Carter is a human on Mars so the gravity is less than Earth's. The Tharks know about his ability to leap great distances (his sole 'super power') and thus chain him to a rock (pictured).

Watch for JOHN CARTER in theaters March 9.

New Trailer For The Re-release Of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D

I love seeing how much they have improved the older versions of classic movies with the HD remasters (as long as they remain laissez-faire with the CG) and the same holds true for Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D.

The mouse house certainly didn't wait too long after the successful re-release of THE LION KING 3D did they? It helps to have BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D already in the hopper, fully converted though. Next on the re-release slate? FINDING NEMO in September of 2012.

Remember when the original won an Oscar nomination for Best Picture? We've come a long way since then, but classics like these are timeless. Bring on the S3D! Certain elements would have been easier to convert than others, like the ballroom dancing scene as that was created digitally in the first place.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Belle is a bright and beautiful young woman who’s taken prisoner by a hideous beast in his castle. Despite her precarious situation, Belle befriends the castle’s enchanted staff, a teapot, a candelabra and a mantel clock, among others, and ultimately learns to see beneath the Beast’s exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D hits theaters January 13. And don't forget the 3D animated short TANGLED EVER AFTER will also play with the feature movie!

Disney And Pixar Classics To Return To The Big Screen In 3D!! Here's The List...

Perfect! I think we all knew this was going to happen after the stunning success of Disney's THE LION KING 3D, didn't we? Hopefully this now official announcement as well as TLK box office pride will push other studios with their classics (animation or not) to convert to 3D and re-release. THE MATRIX in 3D? DEFINITELY.

Keep in mind that Disney did their conversions very well and that the re-releases of TITANIC and STAR WARS will be done exceptionally well (Cameron is taking a full year to get TITANIC right) - so any cheap and/or haphazard conversion will not be tolerated by me or anyone else. Audiences know now what to expect - you can't pull the wool over their eyes with more CLASH OF THE TITANS. Fair warning then to studios: Do it RIGHT.
Here's the full Disney release (emphasis is mine):

On the heels of the phenomenal success of The Lion King 3D – which will cross the $80 million mark at the domestic box office today – The Walt Disney Studios has announced limited theatrical engagements for four of its classic films for the first time in 3D. The following titles from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios will be released in 2012 and 2013:

· Beauty and the Beast – January 13, 2012
· Disney-Pixar’s Finding Nemo – September 14, 2012
· Disney-Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. – January 18, 2013 (Monsters University, a prequel to the original film, arrives in theaters in Disney Digital 3D on June 21, 2013)
· The Little Mermaid – September 13, 2013

“Great stories and great characters are timeless, and at Disney we’re fortunate to have a treasure trove of both,” said Alan Bergman, President, The Walt Disney Studios. “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.”

Originally released in 1991, Beauty and the Beast is a classic “tale as old as time” that follows the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman imprisoned in the castle of a mysterious beast and his enchanted staff, who must learn the most important lesson of all – that true beauty comes from within. Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film ever nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture, earning an additional five Oscar® nominations and winning two. It has grossed $380.4 million worldwide.

First released in 2003, Disney-Pixar’s Finding Nemo takes audiences into a whole new world in this undersea adventure about family, courage and challenges. When Marlin, an overly cautious clownfish living in the Great Barrier Reef, helplessly watches his son get scooped up by a diver, he must put aside his fears of the ocean and leave the safety of his coral enclave to find Nemo. Buoyed by the companionship of Dory, a forgetful but relentlessly optimistic fish, Marlin finds himself the unlikely hero in a seemingly impossible land-and-sea rescue. Finding Nemo won an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for three others. With a total of $867.6 million worldwide, it was the second highest-grossing film of 2003.

In 2001, Disney-Pixar released Monsters, Inc. Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. But when a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it’s up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home. Monsters, Inc. shattered every DVD-era home entertainment sales record when 11 million DVD/VHS copies were sold during its first week of release. It won an Academy Award® for Best Song and has grossed $526.9 million worldwide.

Released in 1989, The Little Mermaid, stars Ariel, a fun-loving and mischievous mermaid, off on the adventure of a lifetime with her best friend, the adorable Flounder, and the reggae-singing Caribbean crab Sebastian. But it will take all of her courage and determination to make her dreams come true and save her father’s beloved kingdom from the sneaky sea witch Ursula. One of the most celebrated animated films of all time, The Little Mermaid was nominated for three Academy Awards®, winning two. It has grossed $228.9 million worldwide.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel; and Touchstone Pictures, which includes the distribution of live-action films from DreamWorks Studios. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!.

Pixar Announces MONSTERS INC. 2 in 3D And Renames THE BEAR AND THE BOW To BRAVE

Jim here. Disney / Pixar has announced that MONSTERS INC. 2 will be coming our way on November 16, 2012 and since ALL of Pixar's movies will be in stereoscopic 3D indefinitely, so will MONSTERS INC. 2.

The original MONSTERS INC. (2001) earned $62.6 million on its first weekend ($85m in today's dollars) and finally gathered $255.9 million in total ($350m today).

Further, another Pixar movie originally entitled THE BEAR AND THE BOW will have a name change to BRAVE and an updated release date of June 15, 2012. Of course, it will be in S3D as well.

Pixar is the juggernaut of animation and I see no reason for alarm with these announcements. Nothing but continued success for these guys! Bring it on...

TRON Is Prepping It's LEGACY!

Jim here. Disney is prepping for TRON: LEGACY sequels as of right now. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have started penning the second iteration of the newly invigorated sci-fi franchise. Do I hear trilogy in the works?

So far nothing has been heard from director Joseph Kosinski on a return to TRON sequels but I would wager that his return would be a safe assumption.

Obviously Disney is happy with what they are seeing so far with TRON: LEGACY and that fits perfectly into what I am hearing from my sources. The 3D is supposed to surpass even AVATAR. If the story is a good one (and it must be as they are already working on expanding the franchise), then it should be another home run for the mouse house.

TRON:LEGACY is at the top of my most anticipated movies of 2010. I see no reason yet to change that! Bring it on. Opening wide on December 17.

New TRON LEGACY Image: Jeff Bridges As Kevin Flynn!

Jim here. Disney had just released a new TRON LEGACY image - this time it's Jeff Bridges. He revisits his role as Kevin Flynn in this long awaited sequel...

Click to enlarge.

JEFF BRIDGES, winner of both a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award and now an Oscar nominee for his performance in CRAZY HEART, stars in TRON: LEGACY, a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that ís unlike anything ever captured on the big screen.

Sam Flynn (GARRETT HEDLUND), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (BRIDGES), looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of Tron where his father has been living for 25 years. Together, they embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning and exceedingly dangerous cyber universe.

The film hits U.S. theaters Dec. 17, 2010.

Amping up my anticipation even further! Nice gadget on his back... :-)

TRON Video Game Sneak Peak!

Jim here. Got a sneak peak at the new TRON video game that has now been confirmed to be in existence and will be unveiled on Spike's award show, Saturday December 12.

There are a lot of unknowns here. Will it be in S3D like AVATAR? Obviously there is a good chance the PC version will be playable with NVIDIA's 3D Vision, but it remains to be seen what will happen with the console games.

The game seems to mimic what we have seen visually from the upcoming stereoscopic 3D movie from Disney, TRON: LEGACY (trailer here) so I am very interested in seeing what will happen on Dec 12. In the meantime, have a look at the short video game teaser:

G-FORCE: Conversion Magic Attracts The Masses

Jim here. I finally got to see Jerry Bruckheimer's G-FORCE last night and I have to say the 3D was done very well. I have been invited to see 3D live action test reels from various companies like In-Three and PassmoreLab but have not been able to check them out yet, so my first initiation to converted live action 3D movies was G-FORCE from Disney.

Here is the bottom line: 3D conversion IS a valid approach to creating a stereoscopic movie. Valid in that if done correctly it looks great. From a consumer's view, there is little to be concerned about as the end result is fairly equivalent to what can be accomplished with 3D cameras.

And consumers are loving it. G-FORCE is number one at the box office this weekend with $31.7 million of which 56% was derived from 3D screens (which accounted for only 43% of the total sites). 75% were parents and children.

I will say that on a professional level, my opinion is using 3D cameras is still the way to go as it gives the director and DP much more flexibility in creating the look you want, especially depth - but when it comes to the consumer, most will be completely satisfied with the result.

In-Three of Westlake Village, CA is responsible for this movie's 3D conversion (they call it dimensionalization). I scrutinized G-FORCE quite closely for anything I found distressing and there was nothing. Some scenes were flatter than others - confirmed by removing my RealD glasses and seeing little distortion. I find conversion works very well for layering of one element on another - like the heads up displays used by the animals in the film. It is magical how the conversion process reaches into 2D frames and stretches out a 3D environment - very cool. At times I would have liked to see more extreme depth, but perhaps that is not possible at this time with 2D->3D.

Stereoscopic dimming was not bad either. As you may know when you don those polarized 3D glasses, the light from the screen is essentially divided in half - 50% for each eye - so dimming takes place. To see this, simply remove your glasses during the show and see just how much brighter the screen is when you can see it all at the same time with both eyes. In the case of G-FORCE, there were no moments of extreme darkness and therefore indiscernable action. Far from it. So well done!

The storyline is simple and aimed at your basic children's interests: cute pets, food, love and relationships. The action is tame, yet full of special effects - which brings me to my final point...

Michael Bay - you are full of it, and/or ignorant of 3D. I asked Bay whether or not TRANSFORMERS 3 will be in 3D during ShoWest this year and he said that the way they shoot is too "aggressive" for it. Sorry. Wrong. Even if you chicken out of shooting TRANSFORMERS 3 in native 3D, you can clearly utilize a conversion company to get the job done. One scene in the finale of G-FORCE has what is essentially a transformed robot made up of smaller components (appliances to be precise) and it is a very complex piece of CG. IT LOOKED STUNNING. Your point is not well taken Mr. Bay - research it. See some demo reels - it can be done is a spectacular way - and it should be done. It really brings audiences into the shot and makes the robots even more intimidating. So, do yourself a favor and make your next giant robot movie in 3D.

In the past I have expressed my reservations about first run movies being converted in post from 2D to 3D because I think native 3D is the better path - more depth and control. I still think that is the case only in that it gives the seasoned 3D director an edge in making a superior product. However for the less experienced directors with more of a post production budget, 2D to 3D conversion makes sense and is a viable alternative. G-FORCE is an excellent example. The 3D was done well!

It is still beyond my grasp as to why someone like Tim Burton decided to go with conversion as he is far from being inexperienced - but I am prepared to write a glowing review of ALICE IN WONDERLAND should it warrant it. Because conversion works. Conversion works and quite frankly I am relieved that it does - this really should solidify stereoscopic 3D as not only the future of cinema, but its past as well. James Cameron and Peter Jackson have both just expressed a deep interest in converting their epics TITANIC and LORD OF THE RINGS to 3D - so should others. There are classic movies begging to be rejuvenated with 3D and even take another run at theaters - THE MATRIX for example.

So go see G-FORCE with your family - the kids will love it. And the 3D is very well done! :-)

Thanks to Empire Theatres for the screening. Stats courtesy of Box Office Mojo.

Alice, TRON: Legacy, Carol, Final Destination + The Hole reactions!

Michael here with some stuff from yesterday's 3D panels.

A new Alice in Wonderland trailer, set to rock music, is leagues above the leaked one. We get some amazing glimpses of Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole, taking a shrinking potion, with the Mad Hatter, on a balcony with the White Queen, the Cheshire Cat, and an assortment of fantastic creatures. The overall style was great, and the trailer - which was shown three times - got the audience pumped.

A Christmas Carol masterfully incorportated its 3D, as can be expected by Zemeckis. We were shown an entire scene that progressed from Scrooge plucking the coins off the eyes of his departed friend's corpse, to his solitary walk back to his mansion, to his panic and fright when visited by the ghost of his departed colleague, who promises him visits from three spirits. The stylized CG works and the acting is great, but I must emphasize that there are some pretty dark and disturbing scenes and subject matter.

Lastly, TRON: Legacy looks like it will be a huge amount of fun. They just finished principal photography last Monday morning. They reshowed the test footage from last year's Comic-Con, but this time in 3D. They also showed off a very well-shot live action 2D scene of Sam Flynn (Jeff Bridges' son) entering the arcade, which has been closed for twenty years. Journey’s “Separate Ways” plays in the background as he explores the dated 80’s game machines. At the end of the clip he finds the TRON machine, pushing it aside to find a secret passage.

The movie's plot will involve Sam's search for his father. Olivia Wilde plays a confidante to Sam.

We were shown a lot of concept art from the virtual world, but what struck me as super cool was was that some of the martial arts /sports scenes were shot at 1000 frames per second with a Phantom camera, and then played back at regular speed for an amazing super slow motion effect. We were shown behind-the-scenes footage of martial artists (in 2D) performing amazing spinning flips and kicks. In finished 3D these scenes will be absolutely spectacular.

Here is a short clip to give you an idea of what this will look like:



The Final Destination and The Hole clips both caused many of the 6500 in Hall H to jump up in their seats or squirm in fear. The Final Destination is certainly not holding back in terms of violence and the creativity of its kills. And, other than Avatar itself, it has the best live-action 3D I have seen. Everything is bright, crisp, and framed to perfection to surround the audience with the action. The Hole isn't up to that level 3D-wise, but it definitely has a very strong scare factor: possessed dolls and clowns are always scary.

But The Final Destination footage - which included scenes at a car racetrack, in a mall, and in a swimming pool - was as seamless and immersive as any 3D to date. I could feel the years of knowledge and experience of PACE and the Fusion Camera System in both this and the live action Avatar footage.

Wow! Two More Disney 3D Trailers For You: "Up" And A Second Trailer For "Bolt"

Jim here - wow a lot of action today with previews for upcoming 3D projects! This time around it is from Disney:

First is UP - a tale of an old man traveling via balloons in his HOUSE. "In this 'coming of old age' story, a seventy-something hero, alongside his clueless wilderness ranger sidekick, travels the globe, fighting beasts and villains, and eating dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon." A boy scout tags along... :-)

Have a look!



Second - have a look at the 'B' Trailer for BOLT: "An animated comedy adventure featuring a super-dog named Bolt (voice of John Travolta), whose days are filled with danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions—a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of Mark Walton)—Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero..."



It brings me a great deal of satisfaction to finally start to see these 3D projects come to light. Seriously, it has been a bit of a long haul to date and now the trailers are starting to roll in and I couldn't be happier. Kinda giddy even! Cheers and enjoy.

Quick Post: Disney Launches "Bolt" Website

Jim here. Disney's BOLT has got a brand new website and they are starting to stock it with downloadable icons, wallpapers, videos and photos - also the first of three games is available (Rhino's Rollerball).

Get ready for the 9th inning marketing blitz from arguably the best in the business. Will it live up to all the hype?

Yes. It will - all in glorious 3D on November 21st. Can't wait for this puppy.

Kosinski Confirms What We Already Suspected: Disney's "TR2N" Will Be 3D

Jim here. Not a great surprise, but it is nice to have closure on it. As we reported back in July, Disney's TR2N will indeed be shot in stereoscopic 3D.

I think this movie will look absolutely stunning in 3D. Disney knows how to amp up the effects so stay tuned for more on this one. As I said before, I hope this turns out to be what Speed Racer was meant to be all along (and maybe Speed Racer 2?).

Source: /Film