"THE dog looks much cuter in 3D."

This simple statement from my wife after catching Disney's latest animated feature, Bolt, in 3D, sums up why folks will be flocking to catch movies in 3D, not just here but around the world.

Wednesday's inaugural 3DX film festival here, in which Bolt had its world premiere, might be Hollywood's way of reaching an international audience, but really, all Hollywood needs to do is get audiences to catch a 3D movie just once.

And no, this is not me falling for the spiel coughed up by the likes of Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Walt Disney Motion Pictures president Mark Zoradi or Jon Landau, producer on James Cameron's high anticipated 3D movie, Avatar.

They had their say at the event but it was Bolt who sealed the deal, with his realistic puppy dog eyes and stroke-me white fur, and just about seemingly popped out at me throughout the film.

Unlike traditional 3D flicks which required the paper glasses with blue and red filters and caused headaches, the new 3D is more than just about glasses and digital technology.

3D films, which previously caused headaches and nausea, are making a spectacular comeback and are likely to become the future of cinema, thanks to digital technology, Hollywood studio moguls said.
Source: AFP

It's the very fact that there are no longer the cheesy, in-your-face antics of yesteryear's 3D. In 3D horror, bets are that the killer will throw something at the screen, creating the illusion of having something coming at your face. Action films will have flying debris zipping towards you, while Sci-Fi ones will see flying machines rushing at you and.... well, you get the picture.

The interaction between 3D films and audiences was about the scare factor, of making you feel as if you are in the present in the movie. The latest 3D films deliver just that, without the gimmick. Not to say that future 3D movies won't use the same cliches, but as least part of Hollywood is learning.

The new 3D landscape focuses on enveloping the viewers and absorbing them into the setting, but does not wear the viewer down like a bad headache.

Imagine yourself dreaming, where you are aware of your surroundings, but can do little to affect it. While Bolt does his "Zoom zoom" trick (you just have to watch the movie to see it) - weaving at top speed in between vehicles -  you feel the exhilaration of running alongside the dog.

But even in the quiet moments as he ponders his return to his owner Penny, or when his buddy Mittens reveals the heart wrenching circumstances in which she became homeless, there is the conscious effort made in holding back your hand and not try to reach out and touch the poor animals.

Bolt, Penny, Mittens et al are not really in the cinema hall, but they definitely make their presence felt.

The same happened when Katzenberg previewed two short clips from next year's Dreamworks Animation flick, Monsters vs Aliens. More than just watching a simple cartoon, the 3D effect cradles the viewers at the peripheral, giving a close-up on the action.

The only disappointment I had after the movie was the realisation that there aren't too many 3D movies slated till next year. I cannot help but wonder if, under the right direction, if upcoming movies like The Day The Earth Stood Still or Twilight, would make good 3D movies.

Then again, it's not as if there are enough 3D halls here to screen them all.