Terminator Genisys is coming down the dark and unknown road from the future, and the closer it gets, the bigger it looms. Kind of like the effect a good 3D conversion has on an audience full of eager fans who pay an extra premium to get things expertly thrown at them. Yes folks, it's time for another installment of To 3D Or Not To 3D: the feature that tells you if you should spend a little extra on the facial furniture, or if you should skip the third-dimensional treatment.
If you're looking for our review on the movie itself, switch to our review over here. Otherwise, we're about to travel into the future to see Terminator Genisys, so we can come back and tell you whether you should dare to look beyond the window, or if you should just stick to a typical theater screen. So without further ado, prepare to loop your favorite version of the Terminator theme, as we pass judgement on To 3D Or Not To 3D.
Fit Score
5/5
If a Terminator movie isn't a good fit for a proper 3D presentation, then I honestly don't know what is. With explosions, bullets and robots all crossing the screen at some point in the film, 3D seems like one of those movies you end up wishing was in 3D, right before they make the announcement. Bringing Terminator Genisys into the 3D spotlight is like artificial intelligence and a hatred for humanity. It fits well together.
Planning & Effort Score
4/5
Terminator Genisys is a work of post-conversion 3D, and from the looks of the pre-production announcements, that decision might have been made during the film's production period. Even later in the game came the announcement that the film was going to be released in IMAX 3D, so there's a good chance that these format changes were made after some deliberation along the way. Still, hiring a house like Stereo D is a good call, particularly after their stellar work on Mad Max: Fury Road, so that goes a long way for confidence.
Before the Window Score
5/5
Be prepared to enjoy some stuff getting thrown at your face with Terminator Genisys, because there is some really good action before the window. Right from the beginning, with Judgement Day and the assault on Skynet, you get a lot of objects and debris coming at you in believable 3D. But that's not all, because minute effects like smoke, dust and flames are also manipulated to a point where they float in front of your eyes on different plains of depth. Also, prepare yourself for more T-1000 nightmares. Just saying.
Beyond the Window Score
4/5
While Terminator Genisys isn't the deepest 3D I've ever seen, it most certainly provides a superb degree of depth to the picture you're viewing. In a movie that’s weapons heavy, you can actually see the physical depth of the weapon that’s being carried. Really good depth isn’t always about the background picture, it’s also about the objects and persons the characters are interacting with, and Terminator Genisys does a pretty good job rendering these fields in their own individual space.
Brightness Score
5/5
This is going to be the biggest surprise to all of you, because it's surely my biggest compliment on Terminator Genisys's 3D. That surprise is, I didn't think about the picture brightness once. Normally you can tell if something's too gray or muddy, but with this movie there really isn't any darkness to complain about. If anything, the film's cinematography and the general look of Terminator movies themselves require a sort of darker, muted tone – making whatever darkness accompanies this film a welcome companion. Still, the action is clear as a bell.
Glasses Off Score
5/5
Terminator Genisys is blur city! While a lot of movies tend to have a couple of elements in the foreground in pretty clear focus, Terminator Genisys seems to avoid that pretty well. Even more interesting are certain scenes where the memories of a character are being altered due to the timeline being skewed, which have a blur of their own.
Audience Health Score
5/5
Even if your stomach isn't made of cast iron, Terminator Genisys pulls off some pretty awesome 3D feats without making you sick. Just by the helicopter chase alone you’d think that this film would be a pain to sit through without some sort of medication, but there’s no strain on this film’s third dimensional presentation.
3D SCORES RECAP
3D Fit
5
P & E
4
Before The Window
5
Beyond The Window
4
Brightness
5
Glasses Off Test
5
Audience Health
5
Total Score
33/35
Final Verdict: Terminator Genisys is a hell of a 3D experience. For a franchise that’s always thought of, but never gone the 3D route before, this is a momentous occasion. Better still, the film is perfectly suited for large screen presentations in formats like IMAX or any other Premium Large Format presentation. It is highly recommended that you spend the extra money to go the 3D and/or Large Format route with this one.
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