"Ferdinand" is the new family comedy from Blue Sky Studios that opened this weekend to pretty decent reviews and two Golden Globe nominations. Yeah...really! While not being advertised on any of the posters, it WAS made in 3D, and the trailers even did a good job showing off some really nice 3D effects and making it clear this is the format to see it in! Yet (as some readers have said on my Facebook page) they are having a difficult time finding the 3D version. Some didn't realize it was supposed to be in 3D, but the movie goes so much out of it's way to BE an effective three dimensional experience, that most have figured out what format the movie is really supposed to be seen in! So, the question many have is this: If "Ferdinand" was meant to be in 3D, why can't I find it? Was the release cancelled? No, I can assure you it wasn't. It is playing in 3D in my area...though only at a couple of theaters, and very few show times.
Are theaters prejudice against family films? Is this a '3D is dead' thing? The answer to all these questions is no, no, and no. Honestly, this isn't so much a '3D is dead' thing as it is a...well, 'it's not 'Star Wars' so screw you' thing. I'm sure most of you are aware that "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" hit theaters this weekend (and is on it's way to a $200+ million dollar opening). It's such a big deal that I'm starting to think the reason my blog numbers aren't very good at the moment is because I'm not writing about it (and if I did it would likely get swallowed up in all the other articles being written on the movie). Honestly, I'm sort of impressed people brought up their difficulty in finding "Ferdinand" in 3D at all. But the sad reality is that while "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" might be a good movie, the franchise is (on a whole) VERY detrimental to the movie business! I know it's not the movies fault that everyone and their mother wants to see it, but this is a franchise that is so huge, it swallows the industry whole whenever a new installment comes out.
It commands over 4,000 screens. People don't see other movies. The Walt Disney Company is making HUGE demands on theater owners in order to make sure NOTHING pushes it off screens for a whole month! Theaters are getting more wary of showing too many 3D movies, so they limit screen time to just a few screens a day (and guess what movie gets to use those screens). It doesn't matter if people were still seeing "Coco" in RealD 3D; 'Star Wars' is in town, so get that much loved, highly original movie off the screen ASAP. Oh, you mean you've got all these great movies like "The Disaster Artist," "Lady Bird," and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" in theaters? Well, see them before 'Star Wars' kicks them out of town. I understand that people like what they like, but it is so frustrating that every two Decembers the whole world basically acts as if there is only one movie worth seeing (and seeing again, and again, and again, and again...).
The obsession with this franchise really is unhealthy, and it made me want to pass on the movie altogether (though I didn't do that, so, you know, part of the problem and all that jazz). What was I talking about again? Oh, yeah, "Ferdinand." Anyway, it's a cute movie. Nothing revolutionary, but it is cute, and it's more than worth seeing in 3D if you can find it. It's a shame you are unlikely to find it, but hopefully those of you reading this who want the opportunity to see it this way will have the chance to do so. And, yes, I will mention that "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" is a GREAT 3D experience! I have to say that to be fair. It's just a shame "Ferdinand" got screwed by it's mere existence.
