Grand Cinemas in Ibn Battuta Mall has the first, and as far as I know the only, IMAX cinema in the UAE.So, when Journey to the Center of the Earth, a film that has been deliberately filmed in 3D, is released, it is screened by Grand Cinemas in the imax, right?
Wrong.
Kung Fu Panda and The Dark Knight are screened in the imax, in 2D, and Journey is only available on ordinary screens.
The local film review spots on the local radio stations made a big thing about Journey's third dimension, yet at no time did anyone mention that the film was only on release in standard format. "In 3D in selected theaters" says the poster. Yeah, right. Selected from a list entirely outwith the UAE.
I don't expect wonders from Journey. Some of the Rotten Tomatoes reviews appear to suggest that it's a fairly ho-hum popcorn adventure movie, but that it really should be viewed through those special glasses.
But I wonder how many punters paid for their seat, fizzy pop, nachos and popcorn and were then bitterly disappointed when the main feature started?
What doesn't help is getting, as I did, a confession from the box office: "Well, I said it was in 3D, but actually, now you ask again I have to admit that it isn't. But the special effects are designed to look like 3D, which is more or less the same."
Disingenuous tosh is alive and well. It has a job in Ibn Battuta shopping mall.
]}:-{>
2 comments:
may not make it to the darkest depths of Sharjah, but the movie Traitor with Don Cheadle is well worth a watch.
cheers, pegs
Journey is complete and utter tosh - but quite good fun even so! Its a bit like being in an hour long theme park ride and I would imagine in 3d its pretty spectacular. No great storyline, fairly rubbish script but lets face it, anyone who goes to this kind of movie expecting a great plot is severely deluded anyway!
Post a Comment