Jaws In 3-D.....WHAT?!?!

News from this weeks Comic-Con in San Diego geeky movie news is running rampant. Does anyone remember when comic conventions were just a handful of hardcore comic fans to gather, discuss and buy and sell comics. No more, it is now Hollywood’s popular spot to hock their latest wares and drum up attention for upcoming projects.

One of the tidbits I’ve read was in regards to Steven Spielberg. With 3-D once again being the latest fad in films – you know, like when it was the rage back in the 1950’s and then the early 1980’s – the iconic director was asked about whether he thought some of his classic films were in the running to be retro-fitted for 3-D. I’m not really sure why they would be….

Apparently Spielberg thinks there are two candidates for this conversion – 1993’s Jurassic Park and his 1977 masterpiece Jaws.

I ask again…..why?

I haven’t gotten into this 3-D craze that has been sweeping across film screens and making every action oriented film a necessity to have. I don’t think it makes the films any better and just seems like a quick solution for studios to jack up the price of movie tickets.

I especially don’t like the idea of how 3-D has been done to a film as afterthought to jump on the 3-D bandwagon. If a film was conceived and shot in 2-D trying to retro-fit it into 3-D is pointless exercise and to me is just an attempt at a quick cash grab.

Now Spielberg is talking about converting Jaws. It’s a shame. Jaws has held up since its release not only because of the shark special effects – which are very minimal in the whole context of the film – but of the three memorable lead characters played by Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss. Trying to make shark effects leap out of the screen at you is not going to make the film any better, but will most likely make them more of a distraction to the story. A story that was beautifully told in the first place.

I can’t help but compare this idea to the Star Wars Special Editions, when George Lucas decided to add new digital special effects to his original trilogy to make them…..I don’t know more updated I guess. Oh and as an excuse to re-release them to audiences.

Jaws 3-D is just a bad idea. I wish Spielberg would just leave his film alone and how about focusing on his Abraham Lincoln bio pic with Liam Neeson I’ve been hearing about for years. I would be very interested in seeing that instead of trying to make the shark more frightening. A problem he had while filming which resulted in him trying to hide the shortcomings of the shark. Those problems eventually led the film to become more of a suspense film than he originally intended.

Sometimes creative solutions to problems can result in some beautiful results.

If you want to see a shark in 3-D, just watch 1983’s Jaws 3-D and enjoy. Or at least try to….