Titanic 3D
Review by David Woodward
Titantic was a major milestone movie when it was
first released in 1997 (remember the catchphrase "I'm the king of the
world!"). Now Titanic is set to have a new lease of life with its
theatrical re-release in 3D.
Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio (at his best) and Kate Winslet (at her
most beautiful) in a story of the famous ship's fateful voyage when it
hit an iceberg and sank resulting in a tragic loss of life. This event
is interwoven with the love story of two of its passengers which holds
your interest throughout (despite knowing what the end must inevitably
be).
I had not seen Titanic for some time (after originally seeing it on the
big screen and maybe having one other viewing on DVD in the decade
since it's original release). However, I was so surprised with this
edition that it was like looking at a whole new movie!
The special effects and scale model shots in this film were awe
inspiring for its time and remain so today. Computer generated images
are integrated with live-action footage to create sequences which grab
your attention and keep you on the edge of your seat.
The single drawback (and this is only a minor complaint) were the long
shots of the computer generated figures on the ship which could have
benefitted from more detail when viewed on the big screen.
The 3D effects in this latest reincarnation of Cameron's hit, quite
literally, add another dimension to the film. In fact, you could have
believed that Titanic was originally filmed in this 3D format! Almost
every sequence has a 3D effect to some degree ranging from subtle
overlays, to scenes which have great depth, to major special effects
scenes during the sinking of the ship.
Don't think that this is an excuse to show broom handles coming out at
you from the screen. Rather, this 3D experience is more about showing
impressive depth in scenes and creating almost real life sequences
(such as when the survivors are floating in the water – I almost felt
that I was actually in the water myself!).
Besides DiCaprio and Winslet, all the actors put in great performances.
Billy Zane (wearing his ridiculously stuck-on hairpiece) stands out as
the man you love to hate – although I still cannot forget him as the
hero in The Phantom.
Frances Fisher does well as Winslet's mother. Also watch for one of the
last appearances by Bernard Fox (who made a career playing Englishmen
in Hollywood movies and had actually appeared in the 1958 Titanic film
A Night to Remember).
As you can tell, I really enjoyed the theatrical re-release of this
movie. It was like watching a completely new film! The techniques used
to create the 3D effects and enhance individual scenes in this movie
are so impressive that it makes you wonder what they could do with some
of my other favourite milestone movies like Jurassic Park, Back To The
Future and Indiana Jones.
Whether you've never seen Titanic before or haven't done so for some
time, I recommend lovers of good movies to re-visit Titanic in this new
format.
5 out
of 5
Titanic 3D
Australian release: 5th April,
2012
Official
Site: Titanic
3D
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet,
Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Bill Paxton, Gloria Stuart, Frances Fisher,
Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, David Warner, Victor Garber, Danny Nucci
Director: James Cameron
|
