Visually arresting sci-fi suspense with great 3D visuals

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2014)

When I saw Avatar in 3D, I thought, this 3D adds nothing to the movie at all. Since then I've avoided the more-expensive 3D films, but I wound up watching Gravity in 3D, and I have to admit that I find it difficult to imagine how it would be without it. Directed by Cuaron, this is an artist really thinking through the technology rather than simply tossing out cool effects. The opening space walk scene is amazing not because a bunch of things fly at the camera, but because you just have this amazing sense of floating in 3D space.
The movie is stunningly filmed, and its suspenseful story of survival is consistently engrossing and well paced. It is so well written and filmed that it is probably quite good even in 2D, but if any movie makes the case for 3D as a tool for serious film making, it is this one.