3D films can save action movies

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

Hey, you know what was a pretty good 3D flick, Drive Angry.  Looking at its box office returns, hardly anybody went to see it, but I rather liked it.

I also really liked how the action scenes were for the most part, legible and clearly shot.  The same could have been said of the latest Resident Evil, which also had surprisingly well done and not-shitty shaky cam action.  And now there's word of Tsui Hark's latest kung fu opus starring Jet Li which appears to be fantastic.

The problem with doing action in 3D is doing it in a way that takes advantage of the depth of field while also being kind to the viewers' eyes. Hark has allowed for this by - twice during the promo - shooting action sequences in confined spaces with the camera rooted in one spot. Rather than constantly shifting and trying to find a focal point, this allows you to simply enjoy the action as it unfolds and moves within the scene - both from side to side and front to back. It's an elegant approach and its looks absolutely amazing. Because this is shot in 3D rather than post converted there is no planing of the different layers, instead the moves in and out of the screen are perfectly smooth and clear. Really impressive.

Simply put, you can't do a Bourne-styled action scene in 3D without it becoming an even more indistinct mess.  The trend towards damn near every upcoming tentpole action flick being in 3D might mean filmmakers might actually start framing and shooting action scenes with an eye towards visual clarity rather then a muddled frenzy.

I've not been on board the 3D bandwagon, but if there's a side effect of more frequent visual coherency in any sort of action film then I suppose it could be a necessary evil.  Oh, and its also great news that Tsui Hark is now apparently back from his too long trip to Suckville.

What do you guys think?




-----Thesis Statement-----
Shaky cam sucks, 3D can't do shaky, 3D forces less dynamic camera moves = better action filmmaking.

[Great Rumbler]

The bonus here is that if you don't like 3D, or get headaches because of it, you can just watch the regular 2D version on DVD/Bluray.

[Enl]

-----Thesis Statement-----
Shaky cam sucks, 3D can't do shaky, 3D forces less dynamic camera moves = better action filmmaking.

3D- Making the 2D experience better for the rest of us. 

That's actually an interesting thought there. If there's one thing I absolutely hate about modern filmmaking for both action and horror films it's the awful quick editing and shaky cam. I could definitely see how filmmakers rethink how they approach their action moments when it comes to 3d. Too bad there's so few films that are good enough for me to see in theatres these days.

[Great Rumbler]

Remember when movies used to have good action scenes?

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[Diunx]

This movie looks pretty awesome, can't wait to see it.

[Herr Mafflard]

The shaky cam effect worked quite well in the Bourne series, but it should never have become a trend. It just leads to lazy and incoherent filmaking (see: Quantum of Solace) becoming an acceptable modus operandi.

But it should never have become an excuse for bad action. Ideally, a good filmaker would use it sparingly and only when it enhances the action and not confuses it. This is probably asking too much from the average tentpole flick director, so if a side-effect in the boom of 3D movies means we get better choreographed action, then I'm all for it.

I'm hoping as 3D matures (who am I kidding), filmakers won't be relying on the tired trick of 'stuff coming at your face' most these movies suffer from. See it once, seen it a thousand times. Though it's forgiveable in B-movies and horror flicks, i.e. in Piranhas 3D, when a dismembered cock comes floating toward you, is the single most hilarious and terrifying use of 3D I've seen so far.

[Great Rumbler]

The shaky cam effect was overused a bit even in the Bourne series, although it helped that it rarely used the effect as a crutch to disguise bad action.