Titanic 3D Review: What Do You Get For Your Glasses?

REVIEW: Titanic 3D - What Do You Get For Your Glasses?

"Are you ready to go back to Titanic?" Again? I'd already returned 11 times in total as a strangely obsessed teenager. But it had been 15 years, so I was strangely willing to relive the tale that captured, not only my young heart, but millions of others' across the globe.

Since its 1997 release, the film, which shot its stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into the blockbuster stratosphere, has pulled in $1.8 billion worldwide. But is a nostalgic pull enough to get Titanic fans to return to the cinema - in certain cases for a twelfth time - or should moviegoers expect to be wowed by the addition of screen-popping 3D too?

First off, watching a 200-minute long film with tight, plastic glasses digging into the side of your skull is never going to be enjoyable. However, I stuck with them, suffering a mild-headache upon leaving the cinema, as that's what real Titanic fans do. If Jack and Rose can escape an enraged, wealthy fiance shooting at them in a sinking ship, being handcuffed in a room that is quickly filling with ice cold water from the North Atlantic and all the sniping from Rose's awful snooty mother then I figured I could endure the glasses.

The story is, of course, exactly the same as it was 15 years ago. Part of me hoped Cameron would add a cheeky little twist at the end and Jack would eventually wake up from his frozen state. However, if he'd done that, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of being surrounded by dozens of crying men and women at the end of the screening.

There were points where the additional 3D really came into play, especially when the camera was sweeping through the ship, such as the iconic scene where Jack meets Rose at 'the staircase with the clock' next to the first-class dining room.

And when 101-year-old Rose Dawson throws the sought-after Heart Of The Ocean - and all that it embodies - into the sea, it does for a moment feel like it's actually falling towards you. My male companion also pointed out, after Rose told Jack: "I want you to paint me like one of your French women", that Winslet's breasts looked better than ever in the new format…

I'd hoped the infamous scene where Jack and Rose share their first kiss at the helm of the ship as it rides so symbolically through the ocean, accompanied by the unforgettable music from Celine Dion, would also be one of those points where the 3D would make that special difference. However, it felt no more real than it used to when watched without the annoying specs.

Overall, the 3D is a welcome addition to a timeless classic. It's been added tastefully and doesn't jar or mess with any of the things fans loved about the original film. But, for me, the most striking thing about going back to Titanic all these years later is how much funnier it seemed this time around. Rather than finding the scene where Jack and Rose climb inside a car romantic, this time I giggled as Jack asked: "Where to, Miss?" and Rose replied: "To the stars." (The one thing Cameron appears to have changed - read our Nerd Alert story here)

My attitude towards the film may have changed, but James Cameron's Titanic hasn't. Although visually more stunning, it still needs viewing - a delight though it remains - with a massive pinch of sea salt.

The film will be released in 3D, Digital 2D and IMAX on April 6th, will you head to the cinema to see it?

SLIDESHOW: See a selection of stills from James Cameron’s newly re-mastered Titanic

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