Avatar hit's 3D legacy

There's a new terror stalking the gold encrusted streets of Hollywood and it's name is 3D. Spurred on by the success of a little film called Avatar, which has earned over $1.3 billion and garnered rave reviews, movie executives are now scouring their production slate to see where the next 3D success could be lurking.

Get ready for Tron Legacy, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, The Princess and the Frog, Battle for Terra and even a sequel to 80s B-movie horror Piranha in the shape of the imaginatively titled Piranha 3D, with more to come.

If reports are to be believed, Ridley Scott is trying to turn his soon-to-be-made $200 million Robin Hood epic into a 3D version and Zombieland 2 is also going to be tinkered with so that the blood and guts of the undead can appear to splatter over your popcorn next time around.

It also seems that we could soon be bombarded with a raft of re-releases from the archives if the money men get their way. George Lucas wants to show us the Millenium Falcon eluding the Imperial Starfleet once again in 3D and there have been rumours that other classics such as The Wizard of Oz, Superman and Jurassic Park could be 3D-ified.

While the huge success of Avatar is a godsend for the cinemas is it as good for audiences?

My own experience of Avatar is that it looks nice enough but that the plot is so simplistic it's virtually My First Sci-fi, though maybe that's vital if James Cameron is going to get the largest possible audience through the door to see it.

What really bothers me is that all the effort that has gone into making the film look so good is dulled by the viewer having to wear sunglasses for the duration. The gorgeous colours are muted and I find myself lifting my specs at regular intervals to see what's really going on up there.

Just this week I watched recent 3D film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on Blu-ray, in a standard 2D version. The script was funny, the picture clear, the plot great fun. And I didn't miss 3D at all.

Then again, if a high grossing 3D movie brings more viewers into the cinema and means smaller films can be made with the profits, maybe it's not all bad.

I'm waiting to be convinced.