I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in IMAX 3D. Guardians was a good movie. It wasn't a grand epic science fiction classic but it was fun and better than most of the science fiction I have seen recently. I liked it because it didn't take itself too seriously and just tried to entertain. The special effects were great, the story good and the actors fit into the story without over or under acting. I was excited to see this movie in IMAX 3D because I had seen Avatar in IMAX 3D and was blown away. This time IMAX 3D for Guardians didn't seem to add that much to the movie experience for me.
When I watch a movie I get absorbed into it. The funny thing is, whether I see it on a small TV screen at home or on a giant IMAX screen it all seems the same while I am watching it. Screen size only makes a difference for me in a crowded theater so that I can see over people's heads. The 3D effects don't really add much for me either most of the time. There were a couple of times in Guardians where there were long distance scenes that with the 3D effect it made things look like miniature cars and the buildings in a toy train set. Instead of 3D making things look more real it made things look more fake. I have noticed the same effect when I watch an older movie on a high resolution TV. You end up seeing all the imperfections and the "illusion" is destroyed by the accurate rendering of the picture. It was like the 3D effect took away the illusion by making things too crisp and clear. Sometimes things just look better blurred and in low resolution to me.
For the money I payed ($41 for two tickets) I could have easily bought the movie on DVD and watched it on my 1080 dpi TV at home and had been just as happy. I don't think I will want to watch a movie in IMAX 3D again. I am sure for other people IMAX 3D is really great. I wonder if it is possible that different people perceive visual effects differently?
