By Mark Pollard | Published January 20, 2010

In Asia and Hollywood, studios have begun to embrace new 3-D technology, nearly 60 years after it first became a short-lived trend in American filmmaking. The biggest commercial success so far has been James Cameron’s AVATAR which is currently the second highest grossing film in U.S. box office history. Chinese studios are also embracing this new trend with the latest example being Yuen Woo-ping’s TRUE LEGEND which will also be the world’s first kung fu movie that uses 3-D technology.

Although the process of creating 3-D imagery had existed years earlier, it wasn’t until the 1950s that American studios made a serious attempt to produce 3-D films in part to combat the growing popularity of television broadcasting. The fad only lasted through the first half of the decade but periodic revivals in the years since have continued to entice audiences into wearing those classic red and blue glasses to watch everything from Arch Oboler’s 1966 sci-fi oddity THE BUBBLE to JAWS 3-D. Now facing competition from the rising popularity of home theaters, video on demand services, online film piracy, and video gaming, studios have once again turned to new and improved 3-D technology to help in regaining the technological advantage.

China is attempting to keep pace with Hollywood by building 3-D screens, locally distributing 3-D movies from overseas, and producing their own 3-D movies. Yet unlike Hollywood, China doesn’t have a long history of 3-D moviemaking.

China’s first 3-D movie was THE ADVENTURE OF MAGICIAN. It was produced in Shanghai and released in 1962. Thereafter, the technology lay dormant until 2009 with the release of CHINA IDOL BOYS, a 3-D musical modeled after Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. The combination of 3-D and musical film conventions may have been a little too novel for Chinese audiences and critics alike who largely panned the film.

Regardless, studios haven’t given up on the technology. Kung fu moviemaker and choreographer Yuen Woo-ping has opted to include elements of 3-D technology in his latest feature film TRUE LEGEND, starring Vincent Chiu as martial arts folk hero Beggar So. The film, which opens in China on February 14, isn’t a complete 3-D movie as only portions of it are being designed to take advantage of the technology but it still represents a step forward for Chinese action cinema.

It’s fitting that Yuen would be the first action director to embrace 3-D. He is well known for challenging himself with new ideas. In 1978, he joined Jackie Chan in turning beloved and respected martial arts folk hero Wong Fei-hung into a mischievous clown in DRUNKEN MASTER. In the 1980s, Yuen was one of the first Hong Kong filmmakers to take advantage of the B-boy trend by incorporating their moves into the action in MISMATCHED COUPLES. He was at the forefront of the wirework revolution that led to the creation of Hong Kong’s ’90s-era wire-fu classics including ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA and IRON MONKEY. Yuen also brought his film fighting into the digital age by working on CGI effects movies such as the MATRIX trilogy, THE LEGEND OF ZU and KUNG FU HUSTLE. Now he will be known for being the first Chinese action director to take on 3-D.

As of December of 2009 there are 550 3-D screens in China that have been showing 3-D movies since 2008 with the release of director Eric Brevig’s JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Even as the likes of AVATAR and TRUE LEGEND continue to draw audiences in to these venues, hardware makers and TV broadcasters are looking at ways to deliver the same 3-D technology to audiences at home. Because of plans by ESPN and Discovery to develop 3-D channels and efforts by Sony, Philips and Panasonic to bring 3-D TVs to consumers, Chinese manufacturers like Hisense and TCL are developing their own plans to manufacture 3-D TVs. This is happening even though there is still no indication that companies like CCTV and Shanghai Media Group are going to produce 3-D programming any time soon.

Although industries worldwide are investing heavily in 3-D technology it’s still uncertain whether or not it’s going to catch on enough with the public to break out from the novelty status it has maintained since its conception. The technology is expensive and time consuming to work with. Audiences are still required to wear special eyeglasses that drive up theatrical ticket prices in America and force theater patrons in China to pay a deposit. When it comes to home video, consumers are already facing the added costs of upgrading to high-definition TVs and Blu-ray players. The prospect of having to go out and replace a new HD set with a more expensive 3-D set and possibly even a new Blu-ray player may not be very appealing. On top of that, early reports of home 3-D technology suggests that the monitor make and model, proper lighting, distance and positioning can make or break a 3-D viewing experience.

Imagine you and your friends all wearing fugly, battery-powered 3-D glasses and fighting over who gets to sit in the one or two sweet seats in the house that actually let you see the full 3-D effect. The good news for skeptics is that for now the technology will remain optional regardless of whether a movie is screened or broadcast in 3-D. Theaters will continue to screen movies in the traditional 2-D format and the lack of polarization in home 3-D sets will allow viewers to leave the glasses off and not see any distortion. There is also the promise of autostereoscopic displays that do not require the use of glasses. This could be the key aspect of 3-D technology that helps it to move into mainstream use.

The industry and many observers seem convinced that 3-D is the next step in entertainment after high-definition. Having seen AVATAR in 3-D I can say it definitely has the potential to enhance and broaden the action film viewing experience. I could see it breathe new life into the martial arts genre by giving new dimension to every punch, kick or spray of blood. That said, studios shouldn’t bet on 3-D alone to entice viewers. I’d pay an extra dollar to see Tony Jaa kick ass in 3-D but to see another STREET FIGHTER movie? Forget it.

Source: Arstechnica.com, Xinhua

Related Topics:
True Legend (2010)  •  Yuen Woo-ping