20 films that never should have been made in 3D

There’s rarely a good reason for using 3D in a movie, but with The Nutcracker: The Untold Story, it’s especially hard to see why that was chosen creatively. This story has been told for over a century — it’s not going to improve with the addition of 3D.  

Superhero movies are often great on their own, and if they’re done well enough, they don’t need 3D to immerse their audiences. Green Lantern used 3D as a crutch rather than a tool, which is the opposite of what you want in special effect. 

Some animation does not need to be made into live action, like The Smurfs. Those little blue creatures are cute in animation and unsettling in live action, and they’re even worse to behold in 3D. 

You shouldn’t judge a movie by its poster, but the poster was enough to tell you that Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore just wasn’t going to be good in 3D. CGI cats are almost always terrifying, and this movie is proof that they’re even worse in 3D. 

What was the purpose of 3D for Conan the Barbarian ? Seeing a topless Jason Momoa in as large a format as possible? Audiences already know his physique; it’s not a surprise to anyone. 

Dancing films are great, and the Step Up franchise has tons of fans. But there’s no reason to make a dancing film in 3D. Seeing limbs come out of the screen while watching Step Up 3D does not make it seem like the dancers are right in front of the audience. 

Jaws was an instant classic. Jaws 2 took a major nosedive in quality. Jaws 3-D is a disaster that people who love movies generally avoid talking about. There’s just no good reason to see a shark in 3D, not even if it’s a sequel to one of the greatest movies of all time. 

Again, sharks just don’t need to be seen in 3D, especially in a children’s movie that isn’t meant to be scary. The same goes for lava. Just let both of these superheroes and their unique powers be experienced in 2D.

It’s easy to see why the third installment of the Spy Kids franchise was made in 3D. It’s an action movie made for kids. Of course, audiences would be intrigued by the three-dimensional prospect. But the idea was better in theory than in execution, making for a disappointing film. 

G-Force had enough to begin with. It’s a comedy about guinea pigs who work for the United States government. It didn’t need to be made in 3D. Guinea pigs are almost too creepy to be cute when seen on the big screen; seeing them in 3D puts them firmly in the creepy category. 

Another movie about the elements aimed toward children, it’s easy to understand why filmmakers wanted to use 3D for The Last Airbender. However, the execution was lacking, and it didn’t make the movie any better, which is what 3D should do. 

Of all genres of movies, action movies have one of the greatest cases of a film being made in 3D simply based on genre, especially an action movie with fantasy elements, too. But being an action fantasy movie alone wasn’t enough for Clash of the Titans to look good in 3D.  

Scarier than usual piranhas seen on a 3D screen? Hard pass. No scary movie needs to be seen in 3D, but there were dozens of reasons for Piranha 3DD to stick to 2D, and most of the reasons were fish. 

Filmmakers are always trying to make movies with swords in 3D, and they have yet to be hits. Leave the swords in 2D. Audiences know what swords do. Making them bigger doesn’t add to their on-screen impact. 

The 2016 remake of Ben-Hur was an immense project with a huge budget, and it failed at the box office. Part of its enormous budget was because of the 3D effects that the filmmakers believed young audiences expected in modern films. But that expectation is not accurate, and the studio could’ve saved some money by excluding it from the film. 

No shade to the Jonas Brothers. They’re amazing, and they put on a great show. But concert films just do not need to be in 3D. 3D doesn’t make audiences feel more immersed in a concert. It just makes them afraid of their favorite artist, who’s become greater than life-size at a movie theater. 

Seeing the Jacĸass gimmicks in 3D is similar to seeing a concert film in 3D. It’s just unnecessary and serves as a reminder of how ridiculous those men’s behavior actually is. 

Again, horror films do not need to be made in 3D, and The Final Destination is a good example of why. 3D makes horror films so ghastly that audiences miss portions, or it takes away from the film, making it seem cheap and not scary. 

The Legend of Tarzan was a flop in just about every way imaginable, and keeping it from having a 3D probably wouldn’t have helped its cause in the end. However, it is a cautionary tale about 3D in general. Most of the time, it’s just not necessary. 

If any film should be made in 3D, it’s an animated film. Audiences have already stepped into a new world, so 3D doesn’t take anyone out of the experience. But with hybrid films like Yogi Bear, it doesn't really work. It often feels like filmmakers are relying too heavily on 3D, in Yogi Bear's case hoping to mask what many audiences found to be a boring story.