Iron Man 3 - 3D Review (Is it worth it?)

This is not a review about the movie but rather a review about the 3D. For a full rundown on the film I'd advise checking out the pages of your local film critic as they have far more experience in telling you why you should/shouldn't like the movie. I'm only qualified to tell you how effective the 3D was.

[Note: Providing you have seen the latest trailers for the movie, the following won't contain any real spoilers. If you have however been keeping yourself in the dark, skip to the end verdict.] 


First of all, the movie is very very very good. Downey Jr is excellent as expected, Shane Black has worked wonders with the film, there's loads of humour and unexpected twists, yadda yadda yadda...if you have any love for the Marvel property, go and see it!

Most importantly though, which version should you go and see? 3D or not 3D, that is the question.


The Good

The 3D was at it's most effective during the big set pieces. The attack on Stark Manor in particular was pretty damn impressive, especially the initial explosion which throws our hero backwards in slow motion. Debris goes flying everywhere, Tony Stark goes flying everywhere and all in all the 3D adds to the chaos that is on screen, dragging you into the picture.

The mid-air plane rescue was also exhilarating to watch in 3D, especially as Iron Man zips about the screen. The 3D effect gave you a real sense of the distance that the falling passengers were travelling and again helped to immerse you into the scene.

The other notable set piece was the finale (which I can't delve into too much detail as it hasn't been in any previews or trailers) which not only showed how good an eye Mr Black has for direction an action movie, but also how good a 3D movie can look if handled correctly.

The other noteworthy scenes are where the characters are using virtual holograms to project stuff around them. Again, this showcases how effective 3D can be in adding physical depth to the movie and this was personally my highlight of the 3D aspect. There's nothing quite like watching Tony Stark do his 'CSI' thing and feel like you are a part of it.


The Bad

This is a post-conversion and so should be treated with caution. The up-close character interactions don't feel very three-dimensional and thus it's hard to claim that the 3D adds real depth to the movie.

This is also a problem during the big set-pieces (most notably the destruction of Stark Manor) where the up-close shots become a blur and it's hard to tell what is happening on screen at times. This is a shame as the action was otherwise pretty well converted, but I can expect this blurring might give people headaches.


The Verdict

The 3D works best for the far away shots and the majority of the action, really managing to draw you into the movie. The plane rescue scene was stunning to witness in three-dimensions as was the finale but otherwise there's really not much else to hype about.

Unless you don't mind spending that bit more on a 3D ticket, there's really no reason to choose the 3D version over the 2D one.


On another note, if you get a chance, go and see it at the IMAX. I believe most venues are only showing the 3D version, but that's honestly not a bad thing. This movie deserves to be seen on the big screen.