ne of the great leaps in filmmaking in generations has been the advent of computer-generated imagery, or CGI. While some consider it a gimmick or a fad, there are very few CGI films that have been anything but stellar in quality and popularity. Mainly these techniques are used as special effects superimposed upon live-action films, but when Disney introduced Tron in 1982, it suddenly became possible for an entire film to be planned, written and realized for a completely imaginary world existing only as digits on a computer disk.
Popularized by exemplary spaceships in The Last Starfighter and also by shorts introduced by Pixar, CGI films became more feasible and more complex.
But there has always been one thing missing from these 3-D films—the third dimension. While they are conceived and rendered in a full 3-D world, they are projected on flat screens, which seems kind of contradictory, and something of a waste.
The sheer amount of effort that goes into creating a virtual world complete with skin wrinkles, chips in wood surfaces, greasy floors and fur is partially lost on a flat 2-D image. The excellent work of the many artists who create these worlds is not fully visible unless seen in full three dimensions.
A mainstay in toys has come to the rescue. Since 1939, View Master has been bringing fine quality 3-D images to the masses, from images of Carlsbad Caverns and Mount Rushmore to Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers, to Batman, Star Trek, Space 1999 and Thunderbirds, always keeping up with the times, providing kids with full 3-D images of their favorite places, characters and films.
In recent years, View Master has introduced reels rendered from Toy Story, Toy Story II, A Bug's Life, Dinosaurs, Monsters, Inc. and Jimmy Neutron.
Packaged in sets of three reels and viewed with an inexpensive viewer, these reels bring the third dimension to the viewer cheaply and with great quality.
Thrills from the third dimension
Disney's Toy Story becomes even richer visually when you can see Woody and Buzz standing on Andy's bed complete with wrinkles, dirt, shadows, reflections and the textures of each character. The one problem with this set is that on hardwood floors reflections are actually 2-D, which can be quite distracting.
Toy Story II is a gorgeous set. In the years between the first film and this sequel, Pixar had pioneered new rendering techniques that allowed fur, dust and other previously difficult surfaces to be rendered realistically. This set shines.
A Bug's Life, also from Pixar, is another beautiful set. Seeing the lovable characters in full shiny 3-D is a joy. Each rich environment shows itself much more completely in 3-D. Each detail stands out, and it is through such scrutiny that the viewer can see just how much effort and attention to detail went into the creation of this film.
The set based on the Disney film Dinosaurs is another triumph. Please note the gorgeous skin textures on each and every dinosaur, as well as the depths of the sets, the effects and environments that make up the world. The only complaint about this set is that some backgrounds are flatter than others.
Monsters, Inc. comprises another fantastic set of reels. Each and every frame is lit gorgeously and shows the intricate detail of life in the world of monsters. Each detail is vibrant and compelling. It's hard to look away. Flipping to the next picture brings a new treat. It's hard to get enough.
Jimmy Neutron is a film that uses much more minimalistic rendering and texturing. Not every CGI film is created in such detail, any more than every traditionally animated feature uses the same level of quality in drawing, backgrounds and animation. While the lack of detail is quite obvious when compared against the others in this review, the 3-D effect still brings something extra to the scenes.
CGI sets are fairly recent for View Master. Another fine series to recommend is the live-action Harry Potter reels. Not one set of three reels, but three, making for a total of 63 individual 3-D images based on the incredibly popular film. While these reels are stunning in places, they show little in the way of special effects shots—no shots of the Quidditch match, for example—but they do show the sets and characters of Hogwarts quite beautifully.
