By Liam Gaughan
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3D has gone through an interesting transition throughout the history of the film industry, as it is easy to forget that it had its origins in the 1950s during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Although there were many low-budget B-movies that used rudimentary technology to achieve the immersive quality, 3D became more mainstream in the 21st century. The absolute phenomenon of what James Cameron achieved with the 3D in Avatar certainly signified to studios that it was a format that should be used whenever possible.
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3D’s influence on cinema has begun to wane, as it is evident that it is often just used as a gimmick that doesn’t actually benefit the viewers. It hasn’t helped that many disappointing films have used 3D in a compelling way that makes use of what it can do. Here are the ten worst 3D movies of the 21st century, ranked.
10 ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ (2014)
Directed by Michael Bay
Transformers: Age of Extinction took the Transformers franchise to a new low, as it shamelessly tried to reset the series from the beginning by introducing a new set of human characters and reiterating the battle between Optimus Prime and the Autobots.
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The filmmaking in Transformers: Age of Extinction is so haphazard that the 3D is disorienting, as it barely seems like Michael Bay has been checking to make sure that there is a sense of continuity between shots. When the aspect ratios don’t line up, different robotic characters become indistinguishable from each other, and a ridiculous amount of product placement ends up crowding the screen, it can be hard to handle everything that Transformers: Age of Extinction is offering when it is in another dimension. There are a lot of bad Transformers movies, but none have used 3D so egregiously.
Transformers: Age of Extinction
PG-13
Science Fiction
Action
The fourth installment in the Transformers movie franchise, Transformers: Age of Extinction introduces a new cast of human characters alongside its returning Autobots and Decepticons. Years after humanity has ceased all cooperation with the Autobots, a badly-damaged Optimus Prime is discovered by inventor Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg). Caught in the middle of the ancient plans of the alien race known as the Creators, Cade has no choice but to help Optimus Prime in order to save the Earth from total destruction.
- Release Date
- June 27, 2014
- Director
- Michael Bay
- Cast
- Mark Wahlberg , Kelsey Grammer , Nicola Peltz , Jack Reynor , Stanley Tucci
- Runtime
- 165 minutes
- Writers
- Ehren Kruger
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9 ‘R.I.P.D.’ (2013)
Directed by Robert Schwentke
R.I.P.D. is one of the most forgotten mainstream blockbusters of the 2010s, as despite being marketed as the Men in Black of a new generation, it failed to conjure up any support. While theoretically, R.I.P.D. should have benefited from the excellent chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, the two charismatic stars could not save the film from how visually gross it looked.
R.I.P.D. ’s visual realization of the monsters and undead creatures look thoroughly unconvincing, and the extra coverage allotted by 3D only makes their unrealized quality stand out even more. 3D has a good opportunity to show off the dexterity that visual effects artists are capable of, but that doesn’t work for a film like R.I.P.D. that looks like it is emulating the graphics of a video game that was released a decade prior.
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R.I.P.D.
PG-13
Action
Comedy
Crime
Fantasy
- Release Date
- July 18, 2013
- Director
- Robert Schwentke
- Cast
- Jeff Bridges , Ryan Reynolds , Kevin Bacon , Mary-Louise Parker , Stephanie Szostak , James Hong
- Runtime
- 96
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- Phil Hay , Matt Manfredi , David Dobkin , Peter M. Lenkov
- Tagline
- Rest in Peace Department
- Website
- http://www.ripd.com/
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8 ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010)
Directed by Tim Burton
Alice in Wonderland may have grossed over $1 billion at the global box office, but it is often referred to as one of the worst films that Tim Burton has ever made. Burton is an artist who tends to work best when he can use practical models, makeup effects, and real actors on set.
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Unfortunately, Alice in Wonderland is visually unappealing, as there is no sense of scale or scope when the entire film seems to be shot on the green screen. It’s shocking that someone whose films are as colorful as Burton's would make a big adventure epic that is as gloomy, gray, and simply depressing as Alice in Wonderland. Unfortunately, the film's outstanding success at the global box office may have inspired Walt Disney Studios to make even more disappointing live-action remakes of their most beloved animated films.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
PG
Adventure
Fantasy
Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the fantastical world of Wonderland, where she reunites with her old friends, like the Mad Hatter, and confronts the Red Queen. With prophecies and battles ahead, Alice must embrace her destiny to end the tyrannical reign and restore peace to Wonderland.
- Release Date
- March 5, 2010
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Cast
- Johnny Depp , Anne Hathaway , Helena Bonham Carter , Crispin Glover , Matt Lucas , Mia Wasikowska , Alan Rickman , Stephen Fry , Michael Sheen , Timothy Spall
- Runtime
- 108 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Writers
- Linda Woolverton
- Budget
- $150-200
- Studio(s)
- Walt Disney Pictures , Roth Films , The Zanuck Company , Team Todd
- Distributor(s)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Sequel(s)
- Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
7 ‘Conan the Barbarian’ (2011)
Directed by Marcus Nispel
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Conan the Barbarian may have just been a bad idea from the start, as it seemed like there was very little reason to make another film about the classic hero after how iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance was in the 1982 original film of the same name.
While Jason Momoa can’t be faulted for what was probably the best performance possible under the circumstances, Conan the Barbarian feels like it is shamelessly trying to rip off the visual style of 300 and Gladiator . There is certainly room for more than one epic adventure film, but the visuals in Conan the Barbarian feel like they are entirely derivative of better, more original films. Conan the Barbarian was a colossal failure that immediately put the franchise to bed, as it seems like viewers were much more interested in a potential sequel with Schwarzenegger than another reboot sequel.
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Conan The Barbarian (2011)
R
Adventure
Fantasy
Action
- IMDb ID
- tt0082198
- Release Date
- April 2, 1982
- TMDB User Rating
- 6 .811
- Director
- John Milius
- Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger , James Earl Jones , Max Von Sydow , Sandahl Bergman , Ben Davidson
- Runtime
- 129 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Writers
- Oliver Stone , John Milius
- Budget
- 20000000.0
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures , Dino De Laurentiis Company , Pressman Film , Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A.
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6 ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ (2010)
Directed by Rob Letterman
Gulliver’s Travels is one of the last major live-action family films released in 3D, and it is easy to see why the genre fell out of style at the beginning of the previous decade. Kids seemed to be interested in comic book movies and animated classics, so seeing Jack Black tone down his shenanigans for an adaption of a classic book was unlikely to please anyone.
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Gulliver’s Travels didn’t really need to be in 3D, as none of the visuals in the film are striking enough to make any sort of impact. Considering that a majority of the film relies upon slapstick humor aimed at adolescent viewers, it can be even more irritating to watch these lazy jokes play out in an extra dimension. The use of 3D only calls attention to how hollow of an adaptation Gulliver’s Travels actually is.
Gulliver's Travels (2010)
PG
Adventure
Comedy
Family
Fantasy
- Release Date
- December 25, 2010
- Director
- Rob Letterman
- Cast
- Emily Blunt , Jason Segel , Jack Black , Amanda Peet , Billy Connolly , T.J. Miller
- Runtime
- 85
- Main Genre
- Adventure
- Writers
- Joe Stillman , Nick Stoller , Jonathan Swift
- Tagline
- Black is the new big.
5 ‘Yogi Bear’ (2010)
Directed by Eric Brevig
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Yogi Bear is genuinely one of the most disastrous family comedies of the 21st century, as it is almost inconceivable why anyone involved would think that it was a good idea. The titular character is of course a beloved one, and it seems likely that younger viewers may have been interested in a new animated film that reiterated the style of the classic series.
However, Yogi Bear uses a strange hybrid of CGI creatures and live-action characters in real envronments that simply doesn’t make sense, and looks only worse in 3D. While it may be possible that director Eric Brevig was attempting to make his own version of a Who Framed Roger Rabbit style hybrid form of storytelling, the result was a ghastly visual creation that was in all honesty more terrifying than many of the all-time great body horror films.
Yogi Bear
PG
Animation
Adventure
Comedy
Family
3D
- Release Date
- December 17, 2010
- Director
- Eric Brevig
- Cast
- Dan Aykroyd , justin timberlake , Anna Faris , Tom Cavanagh , T.J. Miller , Nathan Corddry
- Runtime
- 82
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Writers
- Jeffrey Ventimilia , Joshua Sternin , Brad Copeland
- Tagline
- Life's a pic-a-nic.
- Website
- http://yogibear.warnerbros.com/
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4 ‘Green Lantern’ (2011)
Directed by Martin Campbell
Green Lantern was a colossal failure that felt like an insult to fans of the comic book character, even if the chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively was relatively strong, and may have worked if it was in a romantic comedy.
Green Lantern did not take advantage of the vast visual history of the character, as the creatures and planets brought to life didn’t look all that different from what could be seen in countless other space opera films. 3D was particularly ineffective when it was used to bring to life Hal Jordan’s suit, as it looked increasingly ridiculous for Reynolds to appear alongside CGI creatures on what was very obviously a green screen. Green Lantern and its failure to relitigate 3D became so notorious that Reynolds had turned to relentlessly mocking it in several installments in his Deadpool franchise.
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Green Lantern
PG-13
Superhero
Action
Adventure
Sci-Fi
Reckless test pilot Hal Jordan is granted an alien ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers that inducts him into an intergalactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps.
- Release Date
- June 17, 2011
- Director
- Martin Campbell
- Cast
- Ryan Reynolds , Blake Lively , Peter Sarsgaard , Mark Strong , Temuera Morrison , Jenna Craig
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
- Main Genre
- Superhero
- Writers
- Greg Berlanti , Michael Green , Marc Guggenheim , Michael Goldenberg
- Tagline
- In brightest day, in darkest night.
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3 ‘The Smurfs’ (2011)
Directed by Raja Gosnell
The Smurfs was another classic cartoon show that never should have been made into a live-action family film, as it simply looked ridiculous for a group of small, blue fantasy creatures to be running around in the middle of New York City.
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The CGI animation used to recreate the likeness of The Smurfs is pretty bad, as it becomes very challenging to differentiate any of the characters from one another. This becomes even more glaring through the use of 3D, as the comparison to live-action elements made the cheapness of the animation feel even more glaring in comparison. While it appears that there are more films about The Smurfs that are in the works, they hopefully will have the good graces to only be released in 2D formats as not to dilute the efforts some filmmakers are taking to treat 3D with more respect.
The Smurfs
PG
Animation
Adventure
Comedy
Family
Fantasy
- Release Date
- July 29, 2011
- Director
- Raja Gosnell
- Cast
- Hank Azaria , Neil Patrick Harris , Jayma Mays , Sofia Vergara , tim gunn , Madison McKinley
- Runtime
- 103
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Writers
- Peyo , J. David Stem , David N. Weiss , Jay Scherick , David Ronn
- Tagline
- Smurf Happens.
- Website
- http://www.smurfhappens.com/
2 ‘The Last Airbender’ (2010)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
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The Last Airbender is one of the most reviled films of the 2010s, as the film managed to be so disappointing that both fans of the original animated show and defenders of M. Night Shyamalan were united in their hatred. The core issue with the 3D in The Last Airbender is that it was clearly not shot with the format in mind; converting images that were originally intended to be in 2D makes for a very awkward way of using movement.
The Last Airbender was also just visually lifeless, as none of the expensive visual effects budget could match the hand drawn artistry that had earned the original series such a cult following. Shyamalan is certainly a very gifted filmmaker, but it would be in the best interest of everyone if he avoided making any more 3D films in the future.
The Last Airbender (2010)
PG
Fantasy
Action
Adventure
Family
Follows the adventures of Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must master all four elements and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom.
- Release Date
- July 1, 2010
- Director
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast
- Noah Ringer , Jackson Rathbone , Dev Patel , Shaun Toub , Aasif Mandvi , Cliff Curtis
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Main Genre
- Fantasy
- Writers
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Tagline
- An M. Night Shyamalan film
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1 ‘Clash of the Titans’ (2010)
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Clash of the Titans is one of the worst remakes of all-time, as none of the CGI nonsense could match the stop-motion and practical effects that were used in the original film. Considering that Clash of the Titans is about Greek mythology, it would seemingly be in the film’s best interest if it felt like there was a real sense of history to the magical creatures, gods, and set pieces.
Clash of the Titans looks too polished to be a conceivable Greek epic, and the realization of the Kraken monster looked terrible in comparison to the much better version seen in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which managed to take home the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Surprisingly, Clash of the Titans ended up doing well enough to inspire the sequel Wrath of the Titans, which may have even been worse than its predecessor.
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Clash of the Titans
PG-13
Fantasy
Action
- Release Date
- April 2, 2010
- Director
- Louis Leterrier
- Cast
- Sam Worthington , Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , Mads Mikkelsen , Gemma Arterton
- Runtime
- 1h 46m
- Writers
- Ralph Fiennes , Nicholas Hoult
- Budget
- 125 million
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
Rent on Amazon
KEEP READING: The 10 Actors Who Have Starred in the Most Western Movies
- Movie
- 3D
- Transformers: Age of Extinction
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