Guest Author - MaryTara Wurmser
Avatar (2009) continues to the rake it in at the box office since its release mid-December 2009. Moviegoers report that "its best seen in 3D", but many moviegoers are leaving disappointed. Frequent complaints that 3D movies give them a headache, cause dizziness and/or nausea, or that they do not see the 3D effects. Since movie tickets to 3D films cost more, this leads viewers to leave feeling disappointed.
The reality is that a popular film of this magnitude, such as Avatar, can actually help people uncover unknown vision issues and disorders such as Amblyopia (Lazy Eye), visual motion hypersensitivity, a lack of depth perception, poor stereoscopic vision, among others. Persons with Amblyopia and/or Strabismus may not be able to see the 3D images at all. Others will see the image blurry or double. The frustrating truth is that going to see Avatar in 3D may be a step in the direction of diagnosing previously undetected vision problems.
The year 2009 was a banner year for 3-D movies released in theatres with 17 movies being released in 3D in limited theatres.
3D Movies in 2009 by Release Date
My Bloody Valentine 3D January 16, 2009
Coraline February 6, 2009
Jonas Brothers: the 3D Concert Experience February 27, 2009
Monsters Vs. Aliens March 27, 2009
Battle for Terra May 1, 2009
Up May 29, 2009
Call of the Wild 3D June 12, 2009
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs July 1, 2009
G-Force July 24, 2009
The Final Destination August 28, 2009
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs September 18, 2009
Toy Story 2 October 2, 2009
Toy Story October 2, 2009
The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3D October 23, 2009
Planet 51 November 20, 2009
The Princess and the Frog November 25, 2009
Avatar December 18, 2009
It is projected that twice as many 3D films will be released in 2010 including children's titles such as: Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story 3, Alice in Wonderland, Shrek the Fourth, and Garfield Pet Force.
For children with undetected vision issues, the growth of 3D movie popularity may help uncover hidden vision issues. Those with detected Amblyopia and other vision issues may want to opt to view their movies in 2D theatres without paying the premium for 3D theatres.
