The re-release of Terminator 2 in 3D very well may be the end of an era. At least, it feels like a period on the modern 3D era that started slowly around 2005, exploded in 2009 with James Cameron’s Avatar, and became almost all-encompassing in the years to follow.
Right now, 3D is finally slowing down. The overall percentage that 3D accounts for in total box office has been dropping every year. Even IMAX, one of the biggest and earliest proponents of 3D, has recently started to scale it back. We aren’t going to see a lot more major blockbusters released in 3D if this trend continues.
To mark the occasion, though, we decided to look back at movies where 3D really works — films released over the decades that are remembered either for their 3D, or in spite of it. And all of these came out before December 2009, when Avatar sent the trend into the stratosphere.
Image: Warner Bros.
Hondo
When you think of 3D, you don’t necessarily think of John Wayne — but when you think of John Wayne, you may think of Hondo. The 1953 hit Western, about a man who protects a frontier family, was shot in native 3D with an emphasis less on gimmicks and more on depth of field.
However, by the time it was released, there were fewer theatres able to show 3D than there had been a few years before. Therefore, most people haven’t seen Hondo in 3D, or even think of it as a 3D film. But it remains timeless nevertheless.
Image: Warner Bros.
House of Wax
This 1953 Vincent Price horror classic was the first colour film released in 3D by a major studio. It was subsequently rereleased several times after, so that new generations of audiences could enjoy its innovative 3D tricks and twisty-turney plot. To this day, it’s still considered one of the best and most influential 3D films ever.
Image: MGM
Kiss Me, Kate
Even though it missed being the first ever 3D musical by a few short weeks in 1953, Kiss Me, Kate is probably the most well-known. It’s based on the Broadway play of the same name, about a separated husband and wife who are acting opposite each other in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
Image: Universal
Creature From the Black Lagoon
The early ’50s unleashed a huge boom in 3D — but by the time this classic Universal Monster movie was released in 1954, the fad had all but gone away. Thankfully the movie, and especially the creature, hold up and continue to be popular today. So while this isn’t known primarily for being a 3D movie, it was shot that way and is shown in that format from time to time.
Image: Warner Bros.
Dial M for Murder
Like Creature, Dial M for Murder was shot in 3D in 1954, but was generally not screened in 3D because it came too late in the craze. Thankfully, this Alfred Hitchcock murder mystery starring Grace Kelly remains absolutely awesome no matter how many dimensions it’s in — and Hitchcock’s initial 3D vision is still regularly shown in cinemas across the world. It can be found on Blu-ray too. Dial M is, by far, one of the best 3D films ever made.
Image: Filmways
Comin’ at Ya!
This Spanish film released in 1981 is sometimes credited with helping to reinvigorate the 3D trend. It’s not a particularly good movie, but it’s campy and uses plenty of obvious and crazy 3D effects, which soon became the benchmark of the next several years. The film is now considered a cult classic, with recent reissues on home formats.
Image: Paramount
Friday the 13th Part 3
Very few people consider Friday the 13th Part 3 as one of the best Friday movies, let alone a great movie period. But this 1982 film is where the franchise started to really go into the weird places it would explore for the next several movies, making it notable and a must-see.
It’s also the film where Jason finally got his iconic hockey mask. Also, before you ask, Jaws 3D and Freddy’s Dead didn’t make this list because, however much you may fondly remember them, they just aren’t very good.
Image: Disney
Captain EO
In 1986, producer George Lucas and director Francis Ford Coppola cast the biggest star in the world, Michael Jackson, to do a 3D science fiction film that would be turned into a ride at Disney theme parks. The resulting work stayed in those parks for decades and is revered by most everyone who got to see it. It came and went at the parks many times and is now, most likely, permanently retired. But anyone who experienced it, especially in 3D, will never forget its pure insanity and catchy tunes.
Image: Universal
Terminator 2 3D: Battle Across Time
Nope, this isn’t the movie that’s back in theatres this weekend. In 1996, James Cameron and the entire cast of Terminator 2 came back and shot a 3D short film that, like Captain EO, was used as part of a theme park attraction. It closed back in 2012 but is notable for having such big names attached to it, including all four main T2 stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick.
Image: Dimension
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
The Spy Kids franchise was always kind of fun, and this entry, shot and released in 3D in 2003, is just a balls-to-the-wall symphony of visual delights. Beyond that, and a super cheesy Sylvester Stallone performances, it’s not that great, but it’s got its moments, and director Robert Rodriguez’s use of the 3D in the movie is just aces.
Image: Paramount
Beowulf
From 2004 to 2009, legendary director Robert Zemeckis went 3D crazy, directing not one but three films that used then-primitive performance capture to create a creepy, dead-eyed-yet-lifelike animated style. Of the three movies, I still think 2007’s Beowulf is the best, with the best 3D. It isn’t amazing or anything, but, especially when you roll it in with the other two (The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol), it marks a memorable moment for 3D.
Image: Focus
Coraline
Laika’s first, and maybe best, film is an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantastic book about a girl who travels to a sinister parallel world. On its own, the movie is a flat-out masterpiece, but when you see it in 3D, you really get a sense of how majestic and beautiful this gothic, stop-motion animated world really is.
Image: Pixar
Up
Up was the first film Pixar initially released in 3D and is probably still the best. Coming all the way back around to Hondo in 1953, this film doesn’t go for the cheap 3D gags. It’s all about depth and sucking the viewer into the world instead of pushing the world out to the viewer. Up was the only Pixar movie that was nominated for Best Picture — not just Best Animated Feature — and only the second animated movie ever to have been nominated for the award. That should tell you everything you need to know.
Comments
6 responses to “The Best 3D Movies Before Avatar Made 3D Cool Again”
Came here to say two thing:
Seeing T2 this week, super excited.
Avatar is hands down one of the worst movies ever made. People who contributed to its box office success must hate cinema.
Whats wrong with Avatar? Its a time honoured story, only done in a sci fi setting.
Or were Pochahontas and Dances With Wolves also amongst your list of Worst Movies Ever?
Didn’t you like the six leg’d dogs? That evolution says is impossible because of the energy needed to sustain them would evolve them out of existence lol James Cameron also made a “Documentary” Where he & some “Scientists” Went exploring the depths of the oceans.. Was alot of whoa cool!s but no science, That “Documentary” helped with Pochantos i mean James Cameron’s Epic Avatar trilogy… Also yes this is nit picking but that guy said Star wars was visually un impressive & said Wonder Woman was a step back for women.. Fk that jealous guy. Lol
“Evolution says”? Citation needed… I’ve not seen a study on hexapodal homeothermy compared to quadrapedal, but would be interested.
(B.Sc (Zoology) here)
Ahh Avatar, bad storyline that’s been dumbed down (yes Pocahontas was utter rubbish) with hints of Robert Heinlein that were also so simplified they may not have even bothered putting it in. Hopefully Cameron actually writes a script for the next ones.