7

"The LEGO Batman Movie" Confirmed for BluRay 3D


I love Warner Bros.  I really do.  When it comes to 3D content they have been the most consistent supporter of the format.  I have never had to worry about a 3D movie from Warner Bros. not being available on BluRay 3D in some form.  I don't know why they haven't joined Sony in packaging 3D disks with their 4K disks and combining the niche products, but at least we still have an option for this.  With the last LEGO movie Warner did release it in BluRay 3D, but they did so through a collector's edition.  Basically, you bought a big set that had a giant head for the cover, a mini-LEGO figurine, and the 3D disk was sold as a "bonus feature."  Thing retailed for $44.99.


None of us were fooled by what this REALLY was, but we didn't complain because the opportunity to buy it at all was better than not having the option at all!  In fact, if that was the compromise we'd need for the future of the format to continue, we were on board.  There were enough collector's out there to ensure this type of release wouldn't have a cap on sales right off the bat, so this was ok in my book.  Nothing really came of that though and I think one of our best chances to keep consumer interest in BluRay 3D died with that plan.  Packing the 3D disks with UltraHD BluRay's would be another way to keep interest in the format alive and help it grow, but so far only Sony has jumped on that plan.  The reason I mentioned all of that is that Warner Bros. is not going to force you to buy a collectors edition to get the 3D version this time around.  It will have its own separate release that will simply cost you $5 more than the standard BluRay would.

I will admit that I am happy to see them doing this because this is one of the VERY few 3D movies I did not see in theaters!  For some reason many IMAX's refused to screen the film in 3D.  I saw it a second time, but I was invited by friends who wanted to see it.  They offered to pay for my ticket.  I said I would pay for my ticket as well as one of theirs if we could see it in 3D.  But the girlfriend of one of the family members said 3D made her sick (not to sound unsympathetic but I have a hard time believing it), so even though six other people were interested in seeing it in 3D, the one person won.  Because...that's how life works sometimes I suppose.  So when I get this it will be my first time seeing the movie in 3D.  And I am so VERY thankful the chance to see it in 3D did not pass me forever when the movie left theaters!  Thank you Warner Bros! 

7

"Smurfs: The Lost Village" Already Confirmed for BluRay 3D


I am happy to report that Sony is not out of the 3D game when it comes to BluRay as they have already announced that "Smurfs: The Lost Village" is coming out to BluRay 3D!  We have no idea how well the film will do in theaters (and it's fairly average to boot), but after Sony decided to skip the 3D release of their latest 'Resident Evil' movie, it was safe to assume that they were out of the game.  This proves they are not.  However, it should be noted that they don't appear to be selling it alone: it looks like the only way to get it is if you buy the film on UltraHD 4K.  Personally, I think this is a great compromise and I would love to see other studios follow suit.  I never really understood why studios insisted on charging more for a 3D disk when the disks are not that expensive to begin with (and the costs could be offset by ditching the DVD) and early releases put the 2D and 3D on the same disk without issues.

Since UltraHD is all about the future it makes sense for them to just pack the 3D version with them.  I wasn't a huge fan of the movie, but I will buy it show support for the format.  Really, I think that's the only thing that is keeping them alive, because the companies must sell a fair amount of these disks.  They don't want to risk pulling people away from the new format in favor of the dead (for the moment) format, so putting them together in one package effective doubles their sales for the same product.  Or they could get retailers to get an exclusive set like they did with "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."  Speaking of which, I've got something to discuss about that release as well...check back Monday or Tuesday for that one!