“Titanic” was the biggest movie of all-time (with $600M) from 1998-2010 before James Cameron’s next movie – the overrated “Avatar” – took over. “Titanic” is the top movie to stay consecutively at the #1 spot at the box office (15 weeks from Dec. 19, 1997 to Mar. 29, 1998). It won 11 Oscars (tying the all-time record) including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Visual Effects and Best Song and was nominated for 14 (Kate Winslet and Gloria Stuart both lost, though Stuart won a SAG award).
Now, one of the biggest, most respected (and longest) films in movie history is back on the big screen for its 15th anniversary and the historic 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the actual Titanic. And Cameron has resurrected it in 3D. I was really disappointed by 2009’s “Avatar” but am amazed at what Cameron was able to do 12 years earlier with “Titanic”.
This is the first time seeing the film and one of the most impressive things for me about “Titanic” is the storytelling. The challenge for Cameron: making a compelling movie about an event that everyone already knows so much about. Well, he succeeds by telling the story in a non-traditional fashion. The introduction (in present day, with the explorers searching inside the sunken Titanic and Stuart – “Old Rose” – coming on board to tell her story) was a stroke of genius. And the fact that Cameron allows this section of the film to last for half an hour is amazing, something most directors would never have the guts to do.
In preparing to see “Titanic 3D” I was thinking about the film’s length (3 hours and 15 minutes) and wondering if I was going to be able to get through all of it. But the movie is so engaging with its story, likeable characters and intense and dramatic scenes that I never once thought about the length. The film flows (not pun intended) timelessly and you just want it to keep unfolding.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Winslet have great chemistry on screen. A young Leo may not have given the best acting performance of his career, but you can’t help but care about Jack and Rose while they’re falling in love on the ship and you’re rooting for them to stay together and get off the ship alive. The visual effects are breathtaking, especially the scenes of chaos on deck when the ship is going down. Some of those shots of the lifeboats and the passengers floating will stay with me for a long time. And having the “Titanic” theme (Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go
On”) sprinkled in throughout the film and then having her sing the full song over the credits at the end at the end is yet another fantastic decision.
As for the 3D post-conversion (which is probably what many of you mostly care about since you’ve already seen the film several times) – it works! The 3D is not overwhelming, but it enhancing the storytelling and the action (especially the water sequences). No gimmicks or tricks, so the effect should not be distracting to any “Titanic” diehards who might be worried that this new version will spoil the film.
“Titanic” is rated PG-13 for intense action/violence, peril, disturbing images, some language, brief nudity, and some smoking. It’s appropriate for kids 12 and up. If you’ve never seen “Titanic” before (like me), you’re a huge fan who can recite the lines by heart or somewhere in between this is the perfect opportunity to take another memorable voyage.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Titanic 3D” gets a B+.
Though Cameron promised that he didn’t change a single frame of the original film I couldn’t help but look for him inside his one-man submarine during the scenes at the bottom the ocean. Who knows what he’s got planned for his next underwater adventure film, but he’ll have a hard time coming-up with anything as great as “Titanic”.