Are 3D Showings of Superhero Movies Causing Poor Reviews?

Are 3D Showings of Superhero Movies Causing Poor Reviews?

When Green Lantern and Thor were released, all of the early reviews were horrible for these movies. As a person who has seen Green Lantern and Thor in both 3D and 2D, I beg to ask the question: Is 3D the cause of these horrible reviews?? Click the jump...

Editorial Opinion
By Kryptonman87 - Jun 17, 2011 06:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Green Lantern

There was a time when movies premiered at midnight and people got enjoyment, excitment and crystal clear images. Of late, major theaters have started showing movies in 3D. Studios have been so confident in this gimmick that they are even paying for 3-D conversions of their films if the movies are shot in 2D. However, a problem arises in that process. When a film that has been shot in 2D is converted to the 3D format, you lose color quality, the images get blurry, dark, and generally out of focus. This can create an irritable attitude in a lot of movie goers who are paying the money and making the sacrifice of seeing these movies at midnight, but being forced to see it in 3D.

When I went to go see Green Lantern and Thor in 3D at their midnight premieres, I walked out heavily disappointed. I realize now that, for me, it was because as soon as those movies started, the picture was dark, blurry, and overall bad quality due to the 3D conversion. I was so aggrevated by that, that I TRIED to find more things that I didn't like about the movies. I walked out of the theaters pissed off and miserable.

However, for both Green Lantern and Thor, the next day after their midnight releases, I went and saw these movies in the 2D showings and walked out absolutely LOVING them. Having that better picture quality, color, and clearness, I was in a much better mood, payed more attention to the stories and how they were being told, and got a full appreciation of what I was seeing. In laemens terms, when I saw Green Lantern in 3D, I gave it a 5/6 out of 10. I saw it in 2D this afternoon, I give it an 8. Same for Thor.

The question that I pose to myself and to all of you is this: With the bad reviews that came out for Thor and Green Lantern, could this be because movie critics are forced to see these movies in 3D and getting a worse quality version of the films they're reviewing?? I believe so. I can understand the marketing aspect of only showing movies like these in 3D at midnight so that you make more money in ticket sales, but I really believe that if studios wish for their movies to get fair shakes in box office reviews, they need to allow critics and other audiences the choice of seeing these movies in 3D or 2D at midnight. What do you guys think?

2011's GREEN LANTERN Starring Ryan Reynolds Is Actually A Great Movie — Here's Why
Related:

2011's GREEN LANTERN Starring Ryan Reynolds Is Actually A Great Movie — Here's Why

SHELBY OAKS: NEON Releases First Red Band Trailer For YouTuber Chris Stuckmann's Directorial Debut
Recommended For You:

SHELBY OAKS: NEON Releases First Red Band Trailer For YouTuber Chris Stuckmann's Directorial Debut

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. ComicBookMovie.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Kryptonman87
Kryptonman87 - 6/17/2011, 7:03 PM
I'll answer both of those.

A. Thor FAN reviews were good. Thor reviews in "reputable" sources like Empire and New York Times were really bad. I believe the guy from NY Times said he wanted to throw himself under a truck after seeing Thor, but settled for going into a bar.

B. I, myself, who is a big fan of Green Lantern and wanted to love that movie when I saw it in 3D, hated it when I saw it in the 3D format. I was pissed off from the moment the opening credits started because the picture was blurred, dark, and crappy, so I was just in a really bad mood for the rest of the movie. I think that heavily affected my first impression of the movie.

I saw it in 2D today and loved it. The clear pictures and color quality allowed me to really look at the movie for what it is, both visually and story wise. The story is rushed, just like Thor was, but it's still great
Kryptonman87
Kryptonman87 - 6/17/2011, 7:08 PM
don't get me wrong. I'm not saying critics should be praising Green Lantern like it's the next Dark Knight or Batman Begins, but it in NO WAY deserves all the harsh words and abuse its been getting from critics.

It's a great summer movie and does a great justice to the character and mythology of Green Lantern. As a long time fan of Green Lantern, I got to see a lot of comic book-accurate mythology translated into film, saw some spectacular special effects, and saw the main plot/story elements I wanted to see: Hal as a pilot, Abin passing on the ring in an emotional scene, the ring taking control and flying Hal to Oa, Kilowog and Sinestro training Hal on Oa, Hal taking on Parallax, Hal disobeying/giving mouth to the Guardians, the formation of the yellow ring, and finally, Hal being accpeted by the Corps
Kryptonman87
Kryptonman87 - 6/17/2011, 7:08 PM
What else do we need to see?
BigK1337
BigK1337 - 6/17/2011, 8:07 PM
Meh, my family and I just choose not to spend extra money just to see a movie.

Plus, there is alway HD when these movies come out on Blue Ray; it has all the perks of 3D movies, without the crap of paying extra money for glasses.
TheColinColumn
TheColinColumn - 6/17/2011, 8:27 PM
@Kryptonman87 You might want to check Empire's review of Thor again, because it was anything but "really bad". http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=134400

And yeah, not all of the critics liked the 3D conversion for both movies (personally, I didn't think Thor had bad 3D, but it didn't really add anything to the movie). I haven't seen Green Lantern yet, so I can't judge the 3D conversion there.

But Xenix is right, most of the early reviews for Thor were good (and I'm talking about actual publications, not fan reviews). But Green Lantern seems to be getting bashed by fan reviews and professional reviews alike. And while it is being criticized for it's 3D conversion, it seems like it is also taking heat for several other elements of the movie (story, writing, some of the acting, and some visual effects).
LP4
LP4 - 6/18/2011, 2:24 AM
Both thor and gl seemed rushed with their stories...they just seemed to lack substance. Neither one was nearly as epic as it could have been.

Oh well...

and yeah i don't think the 3D has anything to do with that.
Name
Name - 6/18/2011, 2:41 AM
Kryptonman, DON'T TALK SHIT.
RealDCGuy
RealDCGuy - 6/18/2011, 10:06 AM
Bullshit. Thats what I think. Agree with that nailbiter111 guy. Don't Deny it kryptoman It was green shit. At the beginning the story seemed good but it went down like the titanic as it went along. 3d Has nothing to do with it. Visuals have nothing to do with it. Acting and Story Keep are what critics look at. What they saw where a mix of good and mediocre actors trying to hold together a story sacrificed for the visuals. The Jonah Hex of 2011.
comicbookjerk
comicbookjerk - 6/20/2011, 1:27 PM
Green lantern was the worst movie I have ever seen in 3d IT WAS SO FN DARK I couldn't even See it!
View Recorder