Spy Kids 3-D (1 Viewer)

[Steve Phillips]

Experiment with different glasses if you have them.

The red lens is quite dark (much more so than usual) in the glasses included with the DVD.

I've got various red/blue and red/cyan glasses, and the colors aren't exactly the same in any of them!

 

[PaulEB]

Well, I decided to pick this up today since one of my kids was home sick and I saw it for under $15 at Walmart. We just finished watching the 2-D version of the film and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I'll admit the story itself is weaker than the first two, but it kept the interest of the kids and I actually hung in there until the end.

You can tell by watching the 2-D version what the actual 3-D effects are, in fact the effects look pretty good in 2-D as well. There is a good line by Ricardo Montalban's character about "rich corinthian leather" that some people will appreciate. The end credits have a few outtakes as well as the some brief screen tests of the two main characters(Juni and Carmen) for the first Spy Kids.

I will update once I watch the 3-D version.

 

[Tommy G]

Well, I saw this in the theater as well and was not going to buy it for my kids but it was the only thing my son asked for on his 7th birthday and he wanted it projected on the 106" screen. I was all set to just do the 2D version but alas, there were 2 disk 1's in my case. So I was stuck with having to go 3D. Then the menu kept freezing up on not just one but both disks. Anyone else have this problem? I essentially had to hit play really quickly just to get the thing to not freeze up. If you are an adult without kids, pass on this one as it really is a bad movie but kids for some reason will watch it over and over.

 

[PaulEB]

I did get a chance to observe the 3-D version of this movie. It was pretty bad. I did not go through the process of recalibrating my TV just for the 3-D viewing, so this may have had some effect, but I refuse to adjust my TV just to view one movie. I had to take the glasses off after just a few minutes, it was just that annoying. I have not problems viewing 3-D at IMAX theaters or at Disney World, but I could just not focus of the 3-D effects.

Even my kids prefer the 2-D version of the movie since the 3-D effects have limited impact. I still think the movie isn't that bad, although Stalone was a poor choice.

Tommy, I had no problems with the menus freezing, but it sure is hard to read which menu item is selected, in both the 2-D or 3-D versions.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Is your TV already calibrated? I think that sets already adjusted should run the 3-D well without any additional adjustments. I know that mine worked well without changing the settings, and I've heard from others with calibrated TVs who felt the same way...

 

[PaulEB]

Calibrating TVs is not my specialty. I think most consumers don't really care about it either, although maybe this will get them thinking about.

I have tried to "calibrate" my TV (32" Sony Tube) using the THX type calibration sequence that comes with some movies such as Star Wars Episode I, but I can never get the geometry just right. I have actually had my TV sent for warranty repair because of it. I have an extended warranty via Best Buy and their service contractor tells me they have tried everything, but it still doesn't seem right. Although when watching a movie everything looks okay.

I would send it back again, but how can I prove something is wrong when the TV looks fine watching a movie, but when I put a DVD test pattern on, the projected square does not look right?

 

[Steve Phillips]

I wonder if the SHREK 3-D disc coming May 11th will be any better? It too, appears to be in the inferior red/blue anaglyph format.

I don't know if it is going to feature footage from the SHREK 4-D attraction at Universal, or if it is all new stuff.

IMAX had planned to release the original film in IMAX 3-D a while back, but aborted the idea because of costs. I know a lot of work was already done. I wish they'd put out a field sequential DVD of the stuff that was completed, but that is very unlikely. While 2-D to 3-D conversions of live action films are junk, I've seen some CGI animation (such as scenes from ANTZ) in IMAX 3-D and it worked really well.

 

[Joe Schwartz]

Steve, have you seen Shrek 4-D at Universal yet? It's outstanding.

 

[MuneebM]

The Shrek 4D presentation was amazing. Picture quality, even through the glasses was incredible, colors were very vibrant. In comparison, Spy Kids 3D felt like black & white.

 

[MikeDE]

Shrek 3-d coming in May? What's this about and where can I pre-order?

Mike

 

[Chris]

Well, while this was (IMHO) the least of the Spy Kids series, my kids enjoy it immensely and have seen it numerous times, though they prefer the 2d version.

 

[Tommy G]

Well, I ended up exchanging this yesterday and made sure this time I had a disk 1 and disk 2 instead of 2 disk 1's. When I got home I popped it into the player and yet again on both disks the menu freezes and it is blank. I can get the movie running but it is by trial and error essentially. Is anyone else having this problem? This has been the issue on 4 disks now. Should I return it again?

 

[Jonny P]

Check and see which studio's disks are freezing...

I had this problem on my 1998 Magnavox for a while. DVDs with certain menus wouldn't play...and the "Legally Blonde" and "Terminator: Special Edition" discs wouldn't play at all.

Everyone told me that newer DVD players would help in that somewhat since their firmware would be newer.

So...I went out and bought a new Sony DVD player, and everything plays just fine. I have vowed (since prices are low) to buy a new player every couple of years.

 

[Tommy G]

Hmmmm. Never had a problem with any other disc.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Too bad this movie sounds so bad. I was gonna do a blind purchase. Now I think I'll just rent, and if I want to buy, I'll get it from CH when it becomes an enrollment title.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I'm a 3-D nut, but since it's anaglyphic I just couldn't bring myself to go see this in the theaters, and I can't bring myself to buy this either.

 

[Dick]

Stephen: This is a fake 3-D "system." The ROLLER COASTER THRILLS videos used this also - left eye has a dark lens and right eye is clear plastic. Although any legitimate 3-D system tricks your brain into imagining depth, this "Pulfrich" business does nothing more than you can do without glasses by squinting one eye. It does not create any true sense of depth except, as you say, when something in the foreground is moving in relation to the background or vice versa. Never do objects or background separate when there is no movement. Any "depth" you imagine using these glasses looks like flat planes moving behind or in front of other flat planes, like paper cut-outs - there is none of the roundness you need for a realistic illusion. I watched CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON using these glasses (and if you try this at home, boys and girls, set your brightness and contrast way up to compensate for loss of light from the dark lens), and every so often there would be a brief, somewhat effective "3-D" moment, such as crew of the Rita standing on deck as the boat heads down the river, with jungle foliage passing by in the background. The opening title sequence in CLIFFHANGER actually looks stunning using these glasses, as the graphics do seem much nearer the viewer than the helicopter-shot backgrounds. It will work sort of well with certain shots from almost any movie with motion in it. But it's really not true 3-D.

 

[Jamie_MY]

Hi,
I was just wondering if nyone knew of an effective way to make these 3D movies using a PC. I am just loking, at first to make some computer made wording and pictures which can be viewed in 3D on a tv or pc screen using any sort of available 3D glasses. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated using the kit I have. Any software names to help etc or websites are very useful.
Thanks,
Jamie