Neil Gaiman, author of the book “Coraline”, has this to say on the subject of where to sit when watching a 3D movie:
“@lunarobverse for 3D movies you don’t normally want to be in the front couple of rows, and middle’s seems preferable.”
I have to admit, getting a direct answer from the author of the book that was translated into a movie to my question about where to sit has me feeling more than a little bit fanboy-ish.
I love the immediate feeling of connection I get from Twitter. I actually posted my question while waiting in the lobby prior to the movie, while the theater personnel were cleaning the theater, just 20 minutes before the movie was to start. I posted the question from my iPhone, on a whim. And had my answer in plenty of time to adjust where I was sitting to take full advantage of 3D during the film.
Even some of the previews were in 3D, and for the most part, it worked: the preview for “Monsters vs. Aliens” actually looked almost enjoyable from a technical standpoint, although I still suspect it lacks the depth of any random Pixar flick. Except, perhaps, for Pixar’s next flick, “Up”, which leaves me feeling underwhelmed. Really, Pixar? A movie about a grumpy old man who wants to get away from everyone? Of course, I’ll still go see it in the theater, but color me skeptical.
Oh, wait, this was supposed to be a review of “Corline” IN 3D. I got distracted by the special effects for a moment, and the tiny interaction with one of the films’ originators.
I have not read the book on which the movie is based, but the film was sufficiently creepy from the very start. Coraline is a little girl who feels neglected by her parents and alienated from her friends and hometown; the family has just moved to a rainy little place called Oregon, and her parents are always grumpy and nose-deep in their writing and computers. Little Coraline goes exploring and soon stumbles on a parallel world where her Other Mother and Other Father are happy, doting, and giving people who cultivate a garden that looks like Coraline and bake all her favorite foods and buy all her choices in clothes and do nothing but play games with her.
So of course the ones who spoil her and lavish attention on her are the bad guys.
Seeing the movie with adult eyes, I felt creeped out by all the attention the Other Mother and Other Father gave to the little girl. I wonder if any of that translated so well to the younger members of the audience. I would be surprised if it did not, though I have only my own instincts to go on.
I’m glad I got to see the movie in 3D; with only a couple of scenes near the beginning and during the end credits, the effect was used to simply give depth and perspective to the movie, and not to shock and reach out of the screen. The level of detail to the world was evident.
I recommend the movie. If you can see it in 3D, more the better – but hurry, because apparently the 3D screens are being slowly replaced with some Disney Jonas Brothers thing. Ugh.