Titanic 25th Anniversary 3D Re-Release Review

Titanic is a movie that needs no introduction. This 1997 romantic epic from James Cameron focused around a Romeo and Juliet-esque love story set around the tragedy of Titanic's sinking in 1912. The story follows an elderly woman named Rose who recounts her adventure on the Titanic from long ago when she meets a boy named Jack whom she grows romantically attached to. However, with her engagement to another man, and a controlling one at that, already underway, will love prevail eventually between her and Jack? No time to think about that though, because halfway through the film, the Titanic hits the iceberg and the question soon becomes whether or not Jack and Rose will survive to tell the tale?

You probably know the answer to that question already because chances are, you've probably already seen the movie before, when it initially came out or later on home video. With as much acclaim and attention it's seen over the years, 25 to be exact, it seems a little banal to put out express my own thoughts on it. Most people either like it or love it. But for me, I personally love it.

Titanic's concept is one that can easily go wrong if the people behind it don't have a clear vision for it. Having to juggle a between a love story and a tasteful depiction of the tragedy of Titanic's sinking isn't inherently a simple idea to put to film. However, with James Cameron at the helm, not only are both storylines well executed, they compliment each other and serve to create an experience that's more than the sum of its parts. Sure, there are plenty of things you can nitpick such as how cartoonish the villain is, the fact that Jack and Rose's relationship only lasted for two days, why old Rose waits till they discover her sketch amidst the ruins to tell anyone about Jack Dawson, and everyone's favorite, why Rose and Jack couldn't have shared the big piece of wood.

But quite frankly, when the acting is this top notch, the characters are very likable, the spectacle is huge, the score is excellent (rest in peace, James Horner), the terror feels this real, and the ending is one of the biggest tearjerkers in cinematic history, are these minor details the things that'll stick with you long after the credits roll? No. Instead, it's the experience that James Cameron delivers. The film runs for over three hours, but I can't imagine the film being as impactful as it is being any shorter. By starting you off with one entire movie that plays as a romantic drama with lighthearted comedic elements, you are given ample time to get spend and grow with the characters. But all that changes when the ship starts sinking. Once again, you are given ample time to witness the disaster unfold before your eyes, but with the way its paced and depicted, you never get bored. And for this part of the film, Titanic is unflinching in showcasing the peril the passengers are put through and how disaster can bring out the worst instincts in people.

But while the film takes its time with the sinking, dragging the suspense and dread as long as it'll go, it still never loses focus of Jack and Rose and how this unexpected tragedy affects them. And when the film finally ends, with the disaster over but Jack lost to the freezing unforgiving sea, it leaves you feeling somewhat bittersweet. On one hand, you know Jack and Rose will never see each other again, and their separation is one that will leave even the toughest moviegoers a bit soft. But on the other hand, you know the memories of Jack will always remain with Rose. And it shows how although tragedy changes us forever, life still goes on and we can still make the most of it.

As Rose learns this lesson, so does the audience. Because of that, by the time you leave the theater, you come out having experienced an emotional roller coaster that leaves you feeling a bit depressed, but also mildly optimistic, not just for Rose, but also for ourselves and how we can make the most our own lives. And it will also leave you feeling a bit grateful you were never actually on the sinking ship. Titanic may not be a masterpiece in terms of all the little details. But if you leave it having not felt like you've been taken on an experience that'll haunt you for days to come, you might not really be a human. To me, that's the mark of a masterfully made and very enduring film. And if you're part of 98% of the population, you'll certainly agree. If you aren't though, then find yourself an afternoon to spare and see what all the fuss is about. Though be warned, not everyone will probably be ready for it, and those that are might still want to put on something light-hearted like Airplane! after the fact so you won't have a sinking feeling the next few days.

OVERALL FILM RATING: 5/5

Okay, so I'm probably a little late to the Titanic 25th Anniversary re-release party. But hey, better late than never. Anyway, for this re-released, we were promised three main attractions to the film besides it just being back on the big screen: 3D, 4K, and HFR. However, the HFR was dropped last minute, but the 4K and 3D remained intact. And both of those elements were certainly fantastic. The 4K at my screening was crystal clear and made this 25 year old movie look like something made today. But of course, we're here today to talk about the 3D. Now this film's 3D conversion actually was done a little over 10 years ago now and was released into the cinemas in 2012. But it's come back now on the big screen and spoiler alert, it looks amazing.

Now of course, James Cameron is one of the biggest advocates for 3D and his work on Avatar is something that needs no explaining. Titanic wasn't initially filmed with 3D in mind, but that doesn't prevent Cameron from sparing no expense when it comes to this film's conversion. And for a 2012 conversion, it's nothing less then stunning. The detail given in virtually every shot is something to be admired. While sure, there are times the camera could've been used to better take advantage of the 3D, the engaging direction given by Cameron from the start allows for the 3D to immerse you and make you feel as if you are a passenger on the Titanic.

Granted, there are some wide and exterior shots of the ship that go pretty much flat. However, being that Avatar also went shallow when it came to the wide views, I wouldn't expect much different to come from a piece of work done by the same guy. The good news is when you're down on the ground, the depth present is really something to take in. From the beginning of the film, we are taken down on a voyage to discover Titanic's remains in a scene that recalls my experience with Cameron's later film Ghosts of the Abyss. Dust particles float right off the screen, the shape and size of Titanic is brought to life, and the minor details much the algae, the furniture, and the interior of the Titanic are all much more interesting to see in the third dimension. Even with the shots involving the crew in their submersible, the size and details of the windows, the equipment, and the people all help make for a claustrophobic experience. What makes the 3D pretty funny here is that one of the crew mates is actually using a specialized headset to see the Titanic wreckage in 3D as the swimming robot is going into the ship capturing the live footage. On land, everything else from the ship the crew works on to old Rose's home to everything else in between all has great detail in 3D. However, it was during these pretty mundane scenes when I almost began to question whether the 3D experience was actually worth it in spite of the well above-average opening mission.

The answer came as soon as we headed back in time. Once again, shots that aim to capture the full scale and size of the Titanic are very shallow. But on the ground, everything else looks amazing in 3D. Like I said before, for a 2012 conversion, the attention to detail is simply hard to believe. With close-ups on people, everyone's head, hat, and hair look entirely three-dimensional. And in shots involving huge crowds, you can tell where everyone is, and it makes for some great 3D composition. When the Titanic is taking off, we get plenty of them. And we also get a good amount of shots where the camera is focusing on a person, but the ship, the water, or the ramps leading to the ship go far into the background. It's in places like this when the depth is truly at its best. There's one in particular when Jack is waving to the crowd that makes especially good use of this, and another where Jack and his friend are trying to get on board the ship before they run into a couple of guards they must get pass.

On the ship itself, the detail brings the ship to astounding life. The interiors of the ship make great use of depth with their fancy and surreal three dimensional shapes, whether its the corridors in the lower decks or the grand staircase. When characters are seen having dinner, you feel like you're in the same room with them witnessing everything that's going on. When you're in the engine room, all the surrounding equipment not only looks big, but also feels real. Outside the ship, we get similar treatment, but on the deck of the Titanic. When characters are in focus or when the camera is on the same level as the characters, the depth can go to mesmerizing lengths. When people are looking out over a rail, the sea goes on for infinity. The ropes, rails, distant walkways on the deck allow for some grand composition. The ship funnels also look enormous and far away in these shots. One scene in particular stands out as one that showcases just how high up the deck of the ship is, and it's the one where Rose stands out on the edge of the bow of the Titanic. Scenes like these where the grand designs of the ship stun in 3D are too many to fully describe. But they are incredible, and after watching them for a while, you start to feel as part of the Titanic as the characters in the movie are.

Of course, that makes things more intense when the Titanic actually hits the iceberg. In 3D, the size and weight of the iceberg feels all the more real. And when the lower sections of the ship start filling with water, it allows for some strong composition involving water in all of these places like the grand staircase or the long hallways. And when Jack and Rose are stuck in one of these hallways with the water level up to their head and even protruding the screen, you feel the danger they're in. To praise the usage of 3D during the sinking of the ship might seem like pretty poor taste, but I think they help to emphasize just how perilous the Titanic's sinkage is. When crowds of people are pushing up against one another to get on the lifeboats, the depth brought to the scene makes it feel all the more real. There is some interesting composition, though, when the lifeboats are getting lowered into the ocean that once again showcase the distance between the deck and the sea below. When the ship's bow is being lifted high up into the air and soon sinks into the sea, the 3D emphasizes the depth between people and the ocean, which makes it all the more tragic when people are falling from every which way into the sea. There is one very interesting shot when the ship begins to fully submerge that involves Jack and Rose looking down at the water level as it's moving closer to them and the water is creating a field of suction. Once the Titanic is fully sunk, we get views of countless people floating on top of the water as the freezing water slowly kills them until they turn into a crowd of popsicles. It makes for a strong, but disturbing use of 3D.

As for pop outs, there aren't by any means constant. But there are more than you've been led to believe. Most of the time, they involve people's faces and heads. But there are some other more genuinely interesting ones. The most notable pop outs I can think of involve a scene where a steam funnel falls onto a crowd of people and it looks as if you're about to get crushed, and another where Rose throws the Heart of the Sea into the ocean and it sinks into the audience. Besides that, they are some very good instances of pop outs involves water spraying at the camera, though this is typically when the ship is sinking and waves of water are gushing through the corridors. We also get a propeller sticking out of the screen at a couple points too.

Titanic's 3D has received some pretty mixed criticisms from people throughout the years, with some people calling it immersive and dazzling while others seem to think it's downright useless. In a way, I can see where both sides of the spectrum are coming from. Titanic isn't a film that begs for 3D the same way something like Kung Fu Panda or Jurassic Park does, and that's mainly due to all the talking that goes on in the first half. But on the other hand, the conversion done here isn't a cheap one. The depth is clearly on display in virtually in scene. And even though it wasn't shot with 3D in mind, that doesn't mean the composition here can't be mesmerizing at times and the overall presence of 3D can't draw you in and make you feel a part of the story. While I don't really think people who are actively against 3D might be won over quite with Titanic in 3D, the attention to detail and the grand spectacle of the ship still make the effort well worthwhile to the casual 3D moviegoer. I'm giving this film a 3D rating of "great." But truth be told, there are times it's borderline "excellent." Personally, all things considered, there aren't quite as many things in this film's favor as something like Jaws (1975). But even Jaws was a pretty high bar. Titanic isn't a film that must be seen in 3D. But if you do choose to see it that way, it'll still lead to an experience that's much more engaging than it's 2D counterpart. And like I said in the movie review, it'll make you glad you weren't actually there on the Titanic.

3D RATING: GREAT

Other sources that review this movies 3D:

Cinemablend's To 3D or Not Review (2012 release): https://www.cinemablend.com/new/3D-Or-3D-Buy-Right-Titanic-Ticket-30270.html

Cinemablend's To 3D or Not Review (2023 25th Anniversary re-release): https://www.cinemablend.com/3d/to-3d-or-not-to-3d-buy-the-right-titanic-25th-anniversary-ticket

(What made Cinemablend want to review the same movie twice? I don't know)

High-Def Digest's Review (3D Blu-ray): https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/6928/titanic_97_3d.html

Tommy Boy 3D's Review (3D Blu-ray): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkaCHBHVtn4

3D Blu-ray Bunker's Review (3D Blu-ray): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kHbXF5YflY

Go Find Fun's Review (3D Blu-ray) WARNING: Brief nudity (5:26-5:48): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jT-Fsx6Fj8

Real Future Pictures's Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L89HoEYT6c0

FINAL THOUGHTS

What more can I say about Titanic that no one else has? It's a emotionally impactful experience that overshadows the few things it gets mildly wrong with the many things it gets very right. It's a classic that has endured the test of time for 25 years and I can imagine it will continue to do so for at least 25 more, and certainly one of those movies that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. It's been back at the theaters for at least a week now, so it's probably a little late for any recommendation of mine to really matter to anyone as it'll probably be out of the theater by the time you read this or you have already seen it by now. But in any case, not only is the movie itself a masterpiece, but it also has one of the most ambitious 3D conversions I've seen in a long time, and it really shows. If you've seen Titanic before, you've never seen it like this. With every little detail brought to life in three-dimensional space, you'll once again be amazed by the Titanic's size and designs, and once again be holding your breathe during its sinkage. At this point, you probably have no choice but to see it in 3D if you're planning to see at the cinemas during its 25th anniversary run. But even then, you won't have much to be disappointed with. Regardless of what Roger Ebert or what the latest Cinemablend review have said, Titanic is a fantastic 3D experience. With James Cameron in charge, you can be sure this is a 3D movie to remember. And even without 3D, Titanic is definitely a movie that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. So if you haven't seen it already, best catch it while its out now.

DID YOU LIKE "TITANIC" IN 3D

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