As home entertainment becomes more and more advanced, studios that want to continue to see big box office returns have upped the ante on spectacle that's still unique to theaters. And that's one of the reasons why you can't throw a rock in the summertime without hitting a movie that's presented in standard format and 3D. A new cinematic video game adaptation is one of the films giving you options this season. Warcraft opens in U.S. theaters on June 10; tickets are available for 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D screenings, depending on your theater's capabilities. As you probably know, you'd have to shell out some extra coin to see these creatures' third dimension. But should you see Warcraft in 3D?
I'm personally very picky when it comes to seeing movies in 3D. That experience adds a few more dollars to an already pricey movie ticket that frankly, I'd rather spend on popcorn. And though 3D technology is advertised as adding a layer of depth and visual interest to a film, sometimes I feel like it limits my ability to take in the full picture. You know the feeling: you have to hold your head straight and stare only into the dead middle of the screen, lest your eyes blur the image.
I'll usually make an exception when a movie is filmed in Real 3D, like Disney's recent The Jungle Book reboot or the stunning Life Of Pi. Warcraft, however, was filmed with standard 2D technology that has been converted to 3D for release. This finished product has been a long time coming. The Wrap reported that the shoot itself clocked in at 123 days; and Legendary Pictures CEO Thomas Tull told Crave Online that post-production would take as long as needed to in order to maximize "truly on the cutting edge" techniques director Duncan Jones employed.
According to early reviews of the film, though, Warcraft's CGI battle scenes aren't game-changing, that doesn't mean the movie isn't still getting audiences' attention. Forbes reported that the movie shot to number one at the box office in 19 countries in an advanced overseas release. For long-time players of the World Of Warcraft game, a 3D journey into a familiar universe is probably difficult to resist. In an interview with Tech Crunch, Jones said that one of his main challenges during production was to "try to find a way to interpret the more comic book style of the game and make it work in live action.” That comic book style may be more apparent in the 3D format, so I'd say that the type of ticket you buy for Warcraft should be based on your own preference. Love 3D or hate it, it's here to stay.
Images: Universal Pictures; Giphy
