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Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Double Feature (ETA 15 October 2009)
If what the voiceover guy in the trailer for Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Double Feature says is true, we are going to get a bathroom break during this re-release of Pixar Animation Studio’s pride and joy. How thoughtful of the producers, because we are sure everyone is excited to embark on double the adventure with Woody and Buzz in… 3D!
With Up’s successful release in 3D, the geniuses at Pixar are pampering fans of the Toy Story franchise with Disney Digital 3-D, an exclusive production method using exhibition technologies like RealD, Expand, Master Image and Dolby 3D to play back 3D movies. Have no idea what we the jargon means? No worries, because as the voiceover guy in the trailer says, they have gathered their top minds and done million of tests. With Mrs Potato Head delightful exclaimation “I think it’s working!”, we are very sure that the results can only be positive.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (19 November 2009)
From the man who ‘no-longer-helms-live-action’ movies- Robert Zemeckis- and Walt Disney comes the retelling of the Charles Dickens classic novel about a miser who undergoes a profound journey of self-redemption one Christmas Eve night. Despite the all-too familiar storyline, Zemeckis is definitely a force to be reckoned with- especially given his track record including the highly successful Beowulf and the first motion-capture festive movie, The Polar Express. Throw in Jim Carrey as Scrooge and many other ghostly characters, and we’re putting our money on A Christmas Carol to rake in the dough this Thanksgiving. .
AVATAR (17 December 2009)
If you have not heard of Avatar, we presume you might be residing in out-of-this-world planet for a while. This James Cameron, we repeat ‘James Cameron’, directed sci-fi thriller is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself faced with a hostile race of inhabitants on an alien planet. Though the plot may be nothing to shout about, we’re quite sure you’ll be wowed by the technology on display here. Apparently, it has taken the Titanic helmer more than a decade to bring Avatar to life on the big screen and Cameron promises never-before-seen photorealistic images and digital environments. The MX team wasn’t impressed with the 15 minutes footage that was shown earlier but we are keeping our fingers crossed because of (yes, you’ve guessed it) James Cameron.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (ETA March 2010)
Visionary director Tim Burton joins hands with his usual partner-in-crime Johnny Depp (this is their seventh collaboration) to bring the beloved Lewis Carroll’s classic to the big screen. Burton’s renowned quirky artistic taste and dark humour is a perfect fit for the equally dark and fantastical world of Wonderland, and based on what we’ve seen from the trailer, this is set to be one box-office hit a la “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. And did we mention that the ensemble cast also consists of Anne Hathaway, Michael Sheen, Christopher Lee, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman are also in the cast list? We’re waiting with bated breath to catch this cinematic delight in glorious eye-popping 3D.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (ETA March 2010)
2010 looks set to be yet another busy year for DreamWorks animation as the Jeffrey Katzenberg-led company unleashes its latest animation in 3D- the Vikings and dragons-filled mythical fantasy, “How to Train Your Dragon”. Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois (on a trivial note: these 2 guys were formerly from DreamWorks’ competitor, Disney where they helmed the successful Lilo and Stitch), the animation is based on the 2003 children's novel by British author Cressida Cowell. As long as this is not the usual sequel or spinoff from the DreamWorks stable, count us in for some fire-breathing 3D action!.
PIRANHA 3D (ETA April 2010)
Little is yet known about Piranha 3D- there’s not been a single official still or teaser trailer from the upcoming Dimension Films release. All we know is that “High Tension” and “the Hills Have Eyes” director Alexandre Aja is behind this remake and the cast includes Elizabeth Sue, Richard Dreyfuss and Steven R. McQueen (grandson of the great Steve McQueen). The plot? A group of strangers have to band together to save themselves from being fish food for their area’s new razor-toothed resident. Expect eye-popping flesh-eating killers in 3D and oceans of blood and carnage.
SHREK FOREVER AFTER (ETA May 2010)
To be honest, we’ve just about had enough of the green ogre that first catapulted DreamWorks Animation into the big-league. Though by the looks of it, it’s unlikely this cash-cow will be slaughtered anytime soon- Shrek 1, 2 and 3 have all performed exceptionally well at the box-office. Two sequels later, the franchise is getting awfully predictable and approaching the brink of boredom. We’re guessing that the filmmakers thought by adding that extra 3D element, audiences will return by the droves. Then again, they might be right- it’s quite likely kids and adults alike will continue to flock to the cinemas for more adventures of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Puss In Boots- but this franchise will need more than a little stereoscopic action to live forever and ever after.
TOY STORY 3 (ETA June 2010)
Don’t you just hate it when teaser trailers don’t tell you anything about the movie, but has that mysterious force to captivate you? Toy Story 3’s teaser trailer does just that – and now here we are, waiting, waiting, waiting… for June 2010.
We only know that Andy is departing for college and his toys are being sent to storage. Then there is something about Woody being retrieved by Andy. And something about the toys being picked up by garage men, And also something about the toys having to survive pre-school kids. And oh, we are going to watch this in Disney Digital 3-D, and we are very excited about it. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning as the voices of everyone’s favourite cowboy and space ranger? That’s probably a bonus. Meanwhile, we would have to do with the teaser trailer, watch how Buzz has a technological edge over Woody, and chuckle in delight again, again and again.
DESPICABLE ME (ETA July 2010)
The first animation outing from Universal Pictures boasts a stellar voice cast including some of the best comedians working in Hollywood such as Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Ken Jeong and Julie Andrews. A 2 minutes teaser trailer has been released on the Net even though the release date is at least 10 months away. From what we know, “Despicable Me” is about a trio of orphan girls who try to stop the world’s greatest villain, Gru, from stealing the moon. While the teaser hasn’t left much of an impression, we’re crossing our fingers the excellent voice list will make this a fun-filled 3D outing.
GUARDIANS OF GA’HOOLE (ETA September 2010)
The first animation from Warner Bros- “The Ant Bully”- bombed without a trace at the box-office in 2006. Now Warner Bros is back with a vengeance- and they’ve gotten young “300” and “Watchmen” director Zack Synder on board. Based on the long-running children’s fiction book series, “Guardians of Ga’Hoole” is about the adventures of a young barn owl, Soren. This is probably the first time we’re seeing Owls as the main protagonists but with Synder at the helm, we’re confident that this will be an exciting 3D adventure. And with 15 books published under the series, this might just become Warner Bros’ big comeback to the animation arena.
ALPHA AND OMEGA (October 2010)
The first CG animation from Lionsgate seems to be another feeble attempt to milk some dollars out of the current 3D fad. “Alpha and Omega” touches on the relationship between two wolves raised by park rangers, voiced respectively by Justin Long and Hayden Panettiere. The animation is done by an India-based company, Crest Animation and it sure needs much more than mere legwork to survive among the big boys.
OOBERMIND (ETA November 2010)
This is what, the third DreamWorks animation of the year? The answer is yes. From the director of Madagascar comes a Superhero animation flick that features a voice cast including Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Jonah Hill and looks destined to be DreamWorks’ answer to Pixar’s The Incredibles. We know little so far except for a teaser poster and the fact that Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr were originally slated to lend their voices. There’s no denying however that the whole premise of superheroes and their super powers does make for some exciting 3D fun. We can’t wait.
TRON LEGACY (ETA December 2010)
The original Tron released back in 1982 was a pioneer in several aspects. It was one of the few movies that combined limited CG technology and live-action in those days and till this day, it continues to impress with what the filmmakers were able to accomplish back then. (Remember the light cycles?) Though Tron never achieved the level of commercial success as other sci-fi flicks such as Star Wars or Star Trek, it remains a cult sci-fi flick and a must-see for fanboys over the years. The teaser trailer for “Tron Legacy” at Comic-Con was enough to stoke excitement for this sequel more than 20-years in gestation. “Tron Legacy” will concentrate on Kevin Flynn’s now-adult son, Sam, who looks into the sudden disappearance of his father. Honestly, we can’t wait to see Jeff Bridges reprising his role as Kevin, and the experience looks set to be even more mind-blowing in 3D.
Also in the pipeline for 3D conversion is James Cameron’s Titanic, George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy and the fourth film of the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Afterlife will be shot and released in 3D comes fall 2010. Looks like 3D is making a colossal revival.
"If You Missed Part One of 3D's Big Comeback"...
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