While James Cameron's new 3D blockbuster, Avatar, has broken new ground with its CGI (computer generated imagery) wizardry, it may not be new dawn for 3D that we had all hoped for.
In what must be generating a fair amount of anxiety around the Hollywood studios who have invested heavily in 3D technology, Avatar has been greeted with a less than overwhelmingly positive reception.
Preview footage of Avatar, released at the Comic-con International Convention in San Diego a few months ago was described by various directors as "the future" of film, some saying it was like an "addictive drug" and that they couldn't stop dreaming about it. However, the general public's reaction has been somewhat muted, a number of cinema goers reporting feelings of nausea and uncomfortable 3D glasses.
There appears to be a 'sweet spot' in cinemas towards the centre of an auditorium where the 3D effect can be viewed at its best; with some of those towards the edge of the seating reporting a less involving experience. While some of the 3D effects are spectacular, some have reported difficulty with focusing on the detail. It must be remembered however that these type of problems could be glitches with the new 3D technology and might well be ironed out over the coming weeks and months.
The film follows the central character "Jake" to the distant planet of Pandora where he hopes to join the 'Avatar' programme and replace his disabled body with a genetically engineered version of the planets indigenous humanoid inhabitants the Na’vi.
The Oscar winning director, "James Cameron" helped to develop ground breaking technology for the film in the shape of the advanced 3D "Fusion Camera System". Specially developed motion capturing techniques sit alongside High Definition 3D cameras to capture an unprecedented level of detail.
In Avatar's favour, it will quite possibly be the benchmark by which CGI will be judged for some years to come. The level of detail within some of the digitally generated landscapes is truly astounding
Whether the "Avatar" is just another helping of Hollywood hype or a genuine cinematic breakthrough, is hard to tell. What is not in doubt is that there is a lot riding on this film for Twentieth Century Fox who have reportedly invested £123m in the project.
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