I managed to catch the last 3D Imax screening before they switched over to Ready Player One. Someone mentioned that it would be like watching life-size kaiju. I wish I could agree with that.
My expectations weren't high, but it started out better than I anticipated. For the first maybe 10 or 20 minutes I was enjoying the world they'd created and thinking about the potential. Somewhere along the line it shifted into a very contrived teen cadet training drama, full of silly conflict and characters apparently selected to give the film cross-global appeal.
The visual effects are on an epic scale, but, like most kaiju films, are not especially convincing. The shots are very detailed, but feel very artificial. The designs were impressive. There's quite a substantial amount of bot/monster footage. It's the main reason to see the film.
I found the 3D very average. It serves the film alright, but if there was anything jaw-droppingly stereoscopic, I missed it.
This is a film that can be commended for delivering on a very over-the-top premise, but which never transcends that premise and is unlikely to surpass expectations.
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