Remember when 3D was the next big thing? What a time it was. For about a year after Avatar hit everyone suddenly acted as if being visually resplendent was something a movie could totally lean on in total absence of well-rounded characters or story. Then we all woke up, realised that even if you didn't get a headache 3D looked rubbish, and moved on. Or we could have, if cinemas hadn't already sunk a ridiculous amount on 3D digital projectors (a good £20k more than their standard 2D counterparts) and were desperate to make their money back. Now, there's been the odd "Oh yeah, this might be worth seeing in 3D" flick - Gravity, The Walk - but none have really elevated the form beyond gimmick; Gravity is a special effects masterwork whether it's in IMAX 3D or watched on your phone and The Walk's terrible story is no more palatable with a disorienting extra dimension. Thankfully, due to restrictive screentimes that force you to pay extra twice (once for that surcharge and another for a pair of uncomfortable glasses, because who keeps a pair of them in their jacket pocket just in case), that money's been made back, although getting in the black isn't why 3D should become less of a big deal - the simple fact is that audiences just no longer care. After an overwhelming uptake with Avatar, audience share has steadily decreased to the point where some of the biggest recent movies made the majority of their money from 2D, despite the surcharge. The real nail in the coffin? Cinemas have found a new way to charge more for a similar experience - a blanket ticket surcharge for big movies. Yay?
