"Titanic" 3D review: magnificent as always and the 3D is pretty good too

Even though we're very done with the whole 3D fad, there's one filmmaker I knew would completely step up to the plate when it not only came to this format, but in the normally less-than-perfect conversion process: James Cameron. "Titanic" would be the one exception in today's crop of films presented in converted 3 dimensions which, no matter whose had a hand in it, has only ever looked like glancing into a View Master.

Always bringing the highest level of perfection to everything he creates, Cameron and his technical crew have done a a great job at enhancing what was already an incredibly beautiful, harrowing and extremely emotional film. I'd probably have to say the one thing that resonates more in this new outing for the classic movie is the sense of tension, peril and anticipation of doom as the great ship strikes the iceberg and begins it's lengthy death.

This movie fast became one of my all time favorites so to go into how good it actually is would be redundant. Needless to say the 3D nicely enhances the emotion and spectacle within. This was the first time I'd seen it on the big screen since it's initial release and when I heard they were going to be presenting the movie in the Arclight Dome I was ecstatic! We HAD to go there!

The movie sports only one visual change. Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson commented to Jim Cameron that the star field that appears above Kate Winslet's character as she looks up from the icy sea was incorrect. Once again, Cameron being the ultimate perfectionist, changed the star field shot for this 3D version to make even the heavens above that final stamp of accuracy on that cold April night. Now that's devotion!

One of my absolute favorite sequences in the movie is right after Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) yells "I'm the King of the World!" and a giant tracking shot lifts us up from the bow of the ship cutting through the waves, continuing over two of the boiler funnels, flying high above passengers on deck, settling down once again to the surface of the water as we see the sterm of the great ship moving away from us. This one shot, beautifully photographed and seamlessly married with top notch effects in 1997, is even more spectacular and resonant now in 3D.

Definitely check out this enhanced re-release before it's limited engagement ends.