This is it, the Summ
er Blockbuster of Summer Blockbusters, the one we’ve been waiting for is here in IMAX 3D, and trust me on this, a lesser format will not do!
To quote my notes:
‘Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D Experience will be the world’s first live action feature to have selected segments converted from 2D into IMAX®3D. Using IMAX’s revolutionary live action 2D to 3D conversion technology, approximately 20 minutes of the motion picture will be converted into 3D. The entire film will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience through the proprietary IMAX DMR (digital re-mastering) technology.
The 3-dimensional scenes will make Superman Returns’ already extraordinarily vivid images virtually leap off the screen for a truly unique movie going experience. The IMAX 3D version of the film will offer the sensation of being not just inside the theater but inside the movie itself.
“The test scenes that have been converted into IMAX 3D look, sound and feel absolutely amazing,” added Bryan Singer, Director of Superman Returns. “The magic of IMAX 3D will envelop audiences in this story, enabling them to feel the emotion, drama and suspense in a completely new and unique way.”
Constance Comment:
Bryan Singer mixes the story, the actors, the acting, the special effects and all the other this, that and the other things rolled up here into a luscious don’t take your eyes off the screen for a second masterpiece of contemporary, Hollywood high technology art. This one will rock you visually heart and soul, with fun, droll comic book style dialogue and light sexual innuendo carelessly tossed about in all the right places.
Of course we all miss Christopher Reeve’s classy combination of comic book super hero god looks, wit and charm, but we do need a Superman and Brandon Routh fills the suit nicely with some righteous moves - let’s face it, wit and charm come with maturity, he’s got time on his side – and he strikes a beautiful, wholesome contrast to Kevin Spacey’s snide and well understated Lex Luther.
Kate Bosworth is the best Lois Lane yet, with a smart and sexy presence not unlike Rachel Weisz. While Lois’s character is believable as a reporter, it is slightly less so as mom of her very special little boy, Jason, played by pleasantly promising Tristan Lake Lebu.
James Marsden, as Richard White, Perry’s nephew, comes off well as the very human super guy that fills the void in Lois’s world while love of her life Superman takes off unannounced for an indefinite period of time to fruitlessly search out the debris of his home planet in hopes of finding someone, something, anything he can relate to.
The casting is well orchestrated as each and every role plays to perfection, finely tuned in look, attitude and wardrobe. Frank Langella, Sam Huntington, Parker Posey and the always beautiful Eva Marie Saint, round out the principle support cast. Lex Luther’s rough and tumble henchmen are well played by Kal Penn, David Fabrizio and Ian Roberts, adding texture and tension.
Thankfully John Ottman retained John Williams majestic, signature score from Superman: The Movie, within the original context of the sound track for this film, adding the ever meaningful Hoagy Carmichael tune ‘Heart and Soul’ to the mix.
DP Thomas Newton Sigal shows his stuff and the value of his experience working with Singer on the X-Men films. Very well staged and integrated live action and effects shots make this film virtually ‘bump’ free visually.
For technique buffs, this is how the IMAX 3D process works:
IMAX’s live action 2D to 3D conversion process is based upon the basic principals of how the eyes and brain work together to naturally create the three dimensional world we live in. Most people see through two eyes and although both eyes automatically focus on a single center point, they see it from two slightly different perspectives. This creates two distinct images, which the brain then fuses to produce the three-dimensional depth in which we see things.
IMAX 3D takes advantage of this natural process. An IMAX 3D film actually consists of two separate strips of film projected onto the screen at the same time, one with images captured from the viewpoint of the right eye, and the other from the viewpoint of the left eye. Special IMAX 3D glasses separate these images so that the viewer’s left eye sees only the left-projected image and the right eye sees only the right-projected image. This allows the brain to fuse the two images to create a three-dimensional visual that appears to come off/out of the screen and into the theatre.
There is no 3D technology in the world that is comparable to IMAX 3D. IMAX’s theatre geometry, screen, image quality, sound and the other components of The IMAX Experience bring the movie-goer inside the IMAX 3D film – something that cannot be replicated in any other 3D presentation, whether on a laptop computer or in a conventional theatre auditorium. Consumers understand that IMAX 3D doesn’t just add depth to a film - it completely changes the relationship between the viewer and the movie.
Superman Returns was originally shot in 2D, meaning it only existed as a single view-point. To convert the film into IMAX 3D, a second view-point, or “second eye” had to be created. The creation of the second eye is acheived using IMAX Corporation's proprietary 2D to 3D technology, which includes technology licensed from Three-Dimensional Media Group, Ltd. and invented by David M. Geshwind. This render-based technology relies on real world calculations to accurately map and recreate three-dimensional space.
The left-eye and right-eye images are digitally re-mastered into IMAX’s format using IMAX DMR technology and recorded onto two separate prints of 15/70 film for projection in IMAX 3D for the world’s most realistic and immersive movie experience. With crystal clear, larger than life, 3D images complemented by exhilarating state-of-the-art digital surround sound, audiences feel as though they are part of/in the movie.
The IMAX 3D projector simultaneously projects two strips of 15/70 film, one for each eye, onto a special silver IMAX 3D screen. Polarized IMAX 3D glasses channel the right-eye image to the right eye and the left-eye image to the left eye.
The 15/70 film format used by IMAX is ten times larger than conventional 35mm film and three times larger than standard 70mm. The sheer size of a 15/70 film frame, combined with the unique IMAX projection technology, is the key to the extraordinary sharpness and clarity of films exhibited in IMAX theaters.
IMAX theaters’ specialized design and unobstructed views place audiences right in the on-screen action. Specially designed IMAX 3D screens eliminate the discomfort and decapitated edges of smaller-format 3D systems. The IMAX screen is coated with a specialty high-performance metallic paint and has a slight curvature that extends beyond the peripheral field of view. This enhances the audience’s feelings of being in the film. The visuals are complemented by crisp uncompressed sound from a proprietary multi-channel digital surround sound system.
Founded in 1967, IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment technology companies and the newest distribution window for Hollywood films. IMAX delivers the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX, IMAX 3D, and IMAX DMR technology. IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) makes it possible for virtually any 35mm film to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience. The IMAX brand is recognized throughout the world for extraordinary and immersive entertainment experiences. As of December 31, 2005, there were 266 IMAX theatres operating in 38 countries.
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR® and The IMAX Experience® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information on the Company can be found at www.imax.com
