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Hershey's Really Big 3D Show 3D Review
MOVIE REVIEW
Hershey's Really Big 3D Show is a 2002 animated short 3D film that played at Hershey Park, Pennsylvania. It begins as an history lesson about Milton Hershey, the man who founded Hershey's Chocolate (believe it or not), before it gets taken over and changed by a Danny Devito knockoff called Johnny Proctor who turns the show into a carnival of sorts full of dancing, bright colors, and 3D gimmicks, all while the narrator, Professor D.P Quigley, gets progressively more upset as he tries to keeps things on track.
The reason I wanted to talk about this short actually has more to do with what's happened around it recently than with the short itself. You see, this little feature presentation started playing at Hershey Park in 2002. But in 2013, it got replaced with Hershey's Great Chocolate Factory Mystery in 4D (which unfortunately, wasn't in 3D as far as I can tell). After that, the film itself then became lost media. In 2015, someone uploaded a recording of the whole thing to Youtube, but the camera quality combined with the fact the film was in 3D meant didn't exactly provide the movie in high quality (valiant effort to A660 56, though, for trying to make this film accessible to the masses). However, that changed in February 2024 when a crew member apparently gave a YouTuber called Ziggy Cashmere the film in full HD in 2D and stereoscopic 3D. It has since been uploaded to the Internet Achieve for all to see online in all it's glory, just the way it wasn't intended.
I don't really talk about it at all on The 3D Dinosaur, but I'm personally a bit of a sucker for all things lost media. I, probably like many other people, always find it fascinating to learn about and look over stuff that theoretically, we shouldn't be able to see. So when a find like this Hershey short pops up, it typically peaks my interest. I know this is just a theme park attraction essentially, not a revolutionary silent film. But heck, as long as it's found, I'm in for learning about it. What makes this find feel a bit more special, though, is that I actually went to Hershey Park a couple times as a kid. So you can bet when something from there could now be seen without ticket to Hershey Park, I just have to see it. And so, what did I think of the film?
Well, is there really a point in criticizing something like Hershey's Really Big 3D Show? Stuff like this pretty much the textbook definition of the term "critic-proof." It's a 12 minute attraction meant to get kids hyped up for all things Hershey as they go into Hershey Park. Of course it'll be corny, of course it's animation will look somewhat dated (this was done by Threshold Entertainment, the same animation production behind Foodfight. Don't worry, though, the results are nowhere near as horrifying as that abomination), of course it's full of bright colors and constant product advertisement. This isn't like your brainless action movie that still needs a solid story to justify its two hour runtime, nor is it even like Shrek 3-D which still needs to work seamlessly into the Shrek universe to justify carrying its name. All Hershey's Really Big 3D Show seeks to do is deliver momentary entertainment. And as long as it does that, it fulfills its purpose. Is it entertaining? Yes, it was. It's kiddie stuff, for sure. But that's part of the charm. And for what it delivers, I couldn't ever say I was bored. But then again, it's only 12 minutes. How could I get bored? The primary reason for watching this short would probably just be for historical value and the fact that it's now found media. But still, it's not like it's a waste of your time. And you'll probably even get a bit of good amusement out of it.
OVERALL FILM RATING: 3.5/5
3D REVIEW
Alright, this movie has made such a big deal about its 3D. Is it actually any good? Well, after viewing the stereoscopic 3D version of the film on the Internet Archive, I think the better question is, is there any part of it that isn't a 3D feast for the eyes? Ok, maybe the first minute or so of the short isn't actually in 3D, and the segments with Proctor in front of the curtain don't have as much depth as the rest of the film. But that's nitpicking. Anyways, the 3D that is on display is taken advantage of as often as Pip in Great Expectations.
Usually, I would get onto talking about the in-screen depth first. But in this case, I think it would only be fair to start by discussing the pop outs, of which there are many, some of which go so extreme your eyes can't comprehend them (fortunately, they're kept brief enough so you don't get eye strain, unlike with Spy Kids 3-D). Of these pop outs include objects like: a flying ticket, a spider, snowflakes, characters (one shot has a sentient chocolate bar coming towards and eventually, we end up in his mouth), goo, water, Hershey's Kisses, Milk Duds, a piano, musical notes, confetti, an elephant trunk, and even the title of the film itself.
Besides the pop outs, though, the depth in-screen is still excellent and often offer some well-composed shots of everything from rows of dancing candy bars to elevated parts of the sets to down in a volcano to a huge Hershey sign that's kept in the back of a couple of scenes. Even a scene parodying a black-and-white romance movie still mesmerizes simply with its immense field of depth.
Is there really any way I can give Hershey's Really Big 3D Show's 3D anything less than an "excellent" rating? It's utilized as well as it can throughout, it's brief enough to avoid giving you any health problems, and best of all, it doesn't have to be viewed through anaglyph red/cyan glasses. To say this film was tailor-made for the 3D experience is like saying the floor is made out of floor. If you want to give this short a watch, why would you not go for the 3D version?
3D RATING: EXCELLENT
OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D
None
FINAL THOUGHTS
This is a bit of an oddball review for The 3D Dinosaur. But when you're dealing with lost media that involves 3D, there's no way I can stay out of it. The 3D on Hershey's Really Big 3D Show is that good, certainly. But of course, the novelty status of this short is what makes it worth watching. I recommend you see if you get the chance. It's short, sweet, and it'll give you a little glimpse into the amusing atmosphere of Hershey Park. And with it up for free online, how can you decline such a tasty, if slightly corny, treat?
WATCH IT HERE
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