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A short update to my previous review of The Hobbit:
The 48 frames per second 3D presentation is billed as “HFR 3D” or High Frame Rate 3D. My initial impression was confusion over what was not quite right. Something was wrong about 30 or 40% of the time. Was it the noticeably poor CG as certain points? Was it the 3D being overdone? Was it the new, higher frame rate?
Upon further reflection, I’ve decided that it is not the HFR that bothered me, but the 3D. I think rather than the gradual blending of layers of depth, there were moments where things seemed like the team at Weta Digital had forgotten how to make great 3D and went back to the horrid, early 1990s Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! style. This isn’t to say there weren’t parts of the film where everything technical came together. Between the HFR, 3D, CG, etc., they’re juggling quite a bit and they get it right more often than not. However, the gap between being a good film and a great film is that a great film doesn’t drop the ball at any time.
The higher frame rate was slightly jarring for the first few minutes, but since the film is so long, I quickly adjusted. It’s not necessarily better, but it is different. Others who saw the film with me noted that 3D with the HFR removed most if not all of the previously reported problems with the current generation of 3D (headaches, eye strain, etc.). Since I haven’t personally experienced any of those negative items, I can’t directly compare it, but the HFR made the 3D far better according to those who have experienced problems before.
Overall, I don’t think 3D is necessary for this film. 3D is still in the ‘needs serious hand holding’ phase and to get it right studios can’t just convert to 3D after the fact. Even if they film with 3D in mind as their final product, it’s still easy to screw up. I’m not sure where in the process the team working on The Hobbit dropped the ball, but they failed to take it to 100% the whole time. I still think this film is worth seeing, but your best bet is to see it in 2D if you’re set on seeing it in theaters in the next month. Otherwise, wait for the home video release and enjoy it at your own pace with a hot meal that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
