I like pre-movie 3D stuff

I like pre-movie 3D stuff

Is it just me or does anyone else get as impacted by the pre-movie branding logos in 3D as I do?

Scott Hettrick
Scott Hettrick

For some time now I have been telling people I go to the movies with to be sure to watch the IMAX visual and audio countdown before each film (actually, you can’t miss it). I still think those progressively bigger numerals coming at you — 8, 7, 6, 5… — on the giant 70-foot-tall screen are the most visually dynamic 3D you have seen yet; moreso than any movie. Those few moments never fail to draw an audible reaction from the audience, many of whom are reaching out to try to touch the images. The accompanying soundtrack adds to the feeling of complete immersion.

Of course, like many film fans I also enjoy good trailers for upcoming films — the trailer for “Tron Legacy” that starts out in 2D and then shifts to 3D for maximum impact of the light cycles and the world inside the computer game was my favorite part of going to see “Alice in Wonderland” at an IMAX theater.

DreamWorksAnimationLogoSimilarly, when I went to see “How to Train Your Dragon” at an IMAX theater at the Harkins Theaters in Tempe, Arizona Friday, one of the most memorable parts of the experience was the opening DreamWorks Animation logo which has been re-animated once again for 3D. That now-familiar young boy with his fishing rod who winds up sitting on the bottom hook of the moon never had more impact.

And, of course, the Disney logo that was revised years ago — I think with the debut of one of the “Pirates” movies — is perfectly suited for 3D as the camera flies over that river with the pirate ship and over the iconic castle. After that, followed by the trailer for “Tron Legacy” and then that IMAX countdown, it’s hard for any full-length feature film to measure up to that level of impact I’ve already experienced.

Is it just me?