Titanic 3D review

When James Cameron first launched 'Titanic' on an unsuspecting audience, the knives were out. The film had been plagued by problems during a lengthy production period and it was massively over budget. Many commentators anticipated a monumental failure, and the studios were nervous.

 
Now, with several box-office records laying in its wake and a bucket-load of awards to its name, 'Titanic' stands as one of Hollywood's biggest success stories. But with such a legacy to tarnish, it's something of a risk to re-release the film 15 years later. What's more, Cameron has opted for the unpopular option of converting the movie into 3D.

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Does it work? Has the film stood the test of time?
 
The answer to both questions is a resounding yes.
 
The conversion process has been done with a great deal of care and attention. This is no hasty cut-and-paste job. Every scene has been laboured over, just as it would have been when the film was shot, and the grand canvas is filled with stunning visuals that transport you onto the deck of the doomed ocean liner.
 
For those who don't know, the story focuses on Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet).  He's a scruffy young upstart from the lower decks who wins his place on the boat after a lucky hand at cards. She's a well-to-do woman in a time and place where her opinion doesn't matter. Feeling trapped by her overbearing fiancé Cal Hockley (Billy Zane), Rose tries an extreme escape method.
 
Her suicide attempt is scuppered by Jack, who puts himself in harm's way and risks the ire of the toffs in upper class. A swift explanation later, Jack is seen as a hero and dines at the head table. The young couple continue to bond and romance blossoms, but it doesn't go unnoticed.
 
Cal is determined to 'win' at any cost and Rose's mother is furious that her daughter's future is being jeopardised for the sake of true love. There is, of course, a bigger problem ahead and a frantic race to survive ensues.

 
The slowly developing back-story to the impending tragedy is prohibitive at first. This is of particular note if you are about to embark on a second voyage to watch the film. Can you face 90 minutes of melodrama before the iceberg actually hits? We were apprehensive, but Cameron is wonderfully adept at telling a big story to go with his big adventures.

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This is also the film in which fresh-faced Leo DiCaprio emerges as a genuine movie star. He conveys powerful emotion in his well-written role and there is sizzling chemistry between him and Winslet, who is just as good as her co-star. Billy Zane also delivers a more measured performance than we initially gave him credit for. Hockley is a product of his time, and his dastardly meddling is never that of a caricature villain, rather a man who is driven to save face.
 
Cameron then ramps up the action and it's here that the visuals come into their own. The shots of the beautifully recreated interiors being destroyed by the fury of the seas are tailor-made for 3D. The depth on the screen is staggering at times.

As with 'Avatar', Cameron proves that can enhance any experience with 3D. The opulent interiors feel perfectly made for the format, and it's cleverly used to convey the churning emotions the characters are going through.

Jack and Rose go beyond the typical teen romance phase, and the contrasting locations of the grubby lower decks and fancy first class rooms spring off the screen in 3D. Cameron and the technical team know that audiences are familiar with the story, and nothing is changed in terms of the scenes, but everything feels more “complete” now.

The establishing shots of the ship are also wonderfully recreated. They were excellent first time around, but now they are flawless. You are there on the Titanic with these characters, and get swept up in every moment with them. The computer effects never feel at odds with the 3D, and that is to the credit of the filmmaker. 
 
George Lucas recently attempted to polish a huge misfire by converting 'Phantom Menace' into 3D. He failed because the film is dire. But there is no doubt that the quality of 'Titanic' is what makes this the triumph that it is. The fact that Cameron and Co. have enhanced the movie in almost every way in the conversion process only adds to the aura around this timeless romance.
 
Despite the gargantuan runtime, and 15 years of technological advancement, 'Titanic' is able to rise above the cynicism of modern audiences. The original effects look flawless and the 3D works a special charm.
 
Essential big screen viewing.

Rating: 5/5