I highly recommend seeing James Cameron's new movie, Avatar, in 3-D.  It was terrific … much better than I hoped or expected.

It was so good that none of us would leave to refill the popcorn … And my wife didn't use the bathroom once (which means you should expect Avatar to win a bunch of Oscars).

The story and underlying message were good. Yet, that isn't why people will flock to see it. This is one of those
"you have to watch this on a big screen" movies. It is a spectacle.

Enjoy it for what it
is … And later, think about how many cool technologies you saw the
characters use that you can't wait for someone to develop in this
world.  Visionary and very cool.

Here is a short example of what to expect.

Not All 3-D is Created Equal.

The CGI effects were way better than I expected.  Frankly it was hard to tell what was "real" and what wasn't.  The unsung hero, though, was the 3-D technology.  It was far and away the best I've seen, because it seemed real and natural, rather than a gimmick.  It was so good, you forget it is in 3D.

In contrast, the Dallas Cowboys handed out the older blue and red filmed 3-D glasses at their game against the San Diego Chargers last week.  The idea was to use the giant screen to show 3-D replay highlights. 

Here is a picture of people trying to use them at the game.  At first, it was novel.  However, as you might have guessed, watching the live game with the glasses was almost impossible.  After a few minutes, the crowd started booing until the stadium switched back to regular graphics.

After watching Avatar, though, I expect to see a lot more 3-D content. Major manufacturers are betting on it too. The technology is getting better … And so is the experience.

Other Resources:

• Here is a link to the main Avatar Movie website.
• Here is a link to the Avatar Pandorapedia.  Yes, that's like Wikipedia for geeks.
• Here is a link to Avatar News and Trailers.
• Here are some reviews.