Time to Right the Ship: "Zootopia" is Released onBluRay 3D

 

This post is at least a few days coming, but I've had to entertain family this week, and there are priorities in your life you must place above certain things.  Now it is time to mention (once more) that "Zootopia" has been released in the United States in it's native 3D version.  You can go to a local Best Buy or Fry's and buy a BluRay 3D of this $1 billion dollar hit film.  Chances are the major box office played a pivotal role in Disney reinstating their support for BluRay 3D in many peoples eyes, but, as far as I can see, this is merely a way to test the market.  After all, $1 billion didn't help "Frozen" get a BluRay 3D in America.  It should also be noted that, like the movie Disney decided to choose as their ending point for 3D support, they may have picked the wrong film to use as a measuring stick for getting back in the business.  "Zootopia" is a great film.  It may go down as one of the companies best films of all time.  The 3D used in the film though, is, to be blunt, not extremely important.  Nice, maybe, but far from important.

 

This is frustrating because in almost any other circumstance, this is a title that can be purchased safely in 2D by all but the most hardcore of 3D fans (which, if we're being honest, I am).  Ah, but there's the fact that Disney hasn't been the most reliable company when it comes to releasing their films in 3D in America.  While most of us can play the import game and buy these movies from Europe, it is SO much nicer to be able to buy these movies from our home state, with our own rating system and everything!  We chided Disney for not releasing 3D versions of "Frozen," "Big Hero 6," "Need for Speed," "Maleficent," "Aladdin," "The Finest Hour," etc, etc... you get the idea.  Basically, Disney has not been a 3D fans best friend in a long time.  Pixar and Marvel are big enough to overturn Disney's stubbornness in this area, but leave them to their own guns, and even "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will get the shaft.  That makes the release of "Zootopia" on BluRay 3D a welcome surprise as well as a slap in the face.

Simply put, this is one of the few 3D releases there is not as much demand for from people.  The movie is just fine without the 3D, and most people would normally agree.  They'd much rather have "The Jungle Book" or "Alice Through the Looking Glass" in 3D, as those films benefit from the third dimension greatly.  But getting those movies on BluRay 3D is far from a sure thing at this point.  If "Zootopia" fails to sell whatever number of units it needs to sell to convince Disney the format is viable again, we may not get those movies in the format.  Even if we get a pre-order announcement, this company is not above cancelling the disks at the last minute, so chances are those future releases will rest on whether or not "Zootopia" sells.  The bad news is, the future of the companies support for the format rests on a movie that doesn't benefit much from it.  On the plus, it is such a huge title it should move some copies regardless whether people liked the effect or not.

Of course every sale of "Captain America: Civil War" is going to help in this case.  Every BluRay 3D of "Finding Dory" will be a boost.  The difference is those two movies (regardless of the quality of them) come from studios that care very deeply how their films are viewed.  They would force Disney to release a BluRay 3D of "The Good Dinosaur" and "Thor: The Dark World" even if they were only going to move a few hundred copies.  In the eyes of Marvel and Pixar, the films were projected in 3D, so they need to be made available in 3D.  Disney has no problems skipping on the proper way to view a film if it will ensure more sales (for years they were the only studio who released pan & scan only DVD's of movies they considered wouldn't sell to "film fans").  Therefor, a sale of "Zootopia" on BluRay 3D is a much bigger deal than it is for the other movies.  It shouldn't be that way; but it is.