Titanic Even More Impactful as 3D Re-release on Centennial

Rating: 7/10 (12 September 2012)

The 3D re-release of James Cameron's 1997 big screen epic based on the R.M.S Titanic's 1912 sinking, starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet—to-date, has received the most acclaim of any of the other nearly 30 film, documentary and made-for-television productions.
His initial 2D version of the modern classic Titanic saga snagged a record 11 of its 14 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director for Cameron, whose cinematic achievement ignited renewed interest in the most infamous maritime disaster in history for another generation of ardent viewers.
The very fact that the strategic timing of the digitally enhanced movie coincided with the 15th anniversary of the original picture and the 100th year commemoration of the incident that occurred at approximately 2:20 am on April 15, 1912, set the stage for local and international observances. Reports cited 25 million people visited centennial exhibits worldwide.
Although the exact numbers are slightly skewed, over 1500 of the more than 2,200 passengers and crew on board were tragically lost at sea after the luxury ocean liner struck an iceberg in the icy waters of the North Atlantic. Billed at the time as "unsinkable," the ship, built at a cost of $7,500, 000 was bound for New York harbor when it sank on its maiden voyage from England, four days into the estimated 137-hour trip. The sinking garnered huge headlines around the world largely due to widely publicized advance launch announcements by the White Star Line.
Numerous depictions of the colossal tragedy quickly followed with two produced the same year. The first completed just 29 days later: Saved from the Titanic, was written by a survivor who also starred in the silent film destroyed in a studio fire. Similar titled features included a 1943 Titanic that emphasized the president of White Star urging the ship's captain 'to make the fastest possible crossing to NY,' a second in 1953 and A Night to Remember in 1958, which depicted the facts from the standpoint of the most senior officer to survive the ill-fated shipwreck.
The addition of special effects to the heart-tugging, romantic blockbuster delivered even more impact to put you right there amid the action and drama. While it may not have been as effective in early scenes, it improved the quality of the sequences leading up to the fateful night. Given the new discoveries, as well as discrepancies uncovered in "Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron" during the 30 plus dives he's made to the wreckage since serving as screenwriter, producer and editor of Titanic, this upgrade didn't lengthen the minute runtime—much.