Titanic

With the release of Titanic 3D coming on Friday the 6th of April, I started to wonder, although Titanic is a favourite of mine, about the re-release of big films. Titanic is just one of many films to be re-released over the past year with the fact that it's in 3D being used as the selling point. From 2011, you had The Lion King. Being my favourite film of all time I did go to the cinema to see it. Twice. But I certainly didn't think the 3D aspect added anything dramatically different to the film. Sure, compared to the video I almost wore out watching when I was young, everything seemed better quality; the colours seemed much brighter and vivid and the characters were better defined but there is only one moment from the film where I felt the 3D was particularly noticeable. It was, unfortunately, **SPOILER POTENTIAL** though if you haven't seen The Lion King, really, what is going on with your life? Mufasa's death scene. The stampede seemed much scarier and altogether realistic in 3D and little Simba's face really seemed to pop out of the screen. Now that's a scene I can barely watch in 2D, let alone 3D, but for it to be the only scene in the movie to stand out in 3D is pretty disappointing.

After The Lion King made $80 million in the US for its re-release Disney have announced 4 other films they plan to release again: Beauty and the Beast, Monsters. Inc, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid. Childhood classics that will pull in people who loved it the first time, as well as younger kids who won't have experienced these films. By re-releasing a cinema you have a guaranteed audience who are going to be satisfied with the film. Although $80 million isn't really a lot by Disney standards, they spent virtually nothing to get the film back out there, making it a pretty good profit.

Titanic does have the potential however to be more appealing in 3D, specifically the parts where Titanic hits the iceberg, and the famous scene where she's half submerged in the water. However, are there many people going to see these films because of the 3D? Or are they simply going to see them because, perhaps, they are movies people missed out on in the cinemas first time around? Because it's their favourite film and it will be totally different seeing it in the cinema compared to their tiny home TV? I can just imagine what Cineworld Glasgow will be like on Friday night. Usually it's queued out the door on "Orange Wednesdays" but I'm expecting Titanic to double those queue sizes. It's the experience of going to see a film in the cinema that's so important. I know I'll be one of the people spending £8/£9 to see a film I've watched a billion times before in uncomfy seats, those annoying 3D glasses and no doubt embarrassing myself in front of many other cinemagoers by crying my eyes out. But really, what else is the cinema for? And yes, it is the big companies, big stars and big multiplex cinemas who benefit from these re-releases with it being more likely you'll choose to see Titanic in an Odeon or Cineworld rather than the tiny Grosvernor, when it's your favourite film on offer does it really matter?

Here's the trailer for Titanic take two. Commence the crying.