'Journey' Does OK, But Did the 3D Matter?

Kevin Maney cuts to the chase: Last weekend, Brendan Fraser's 3D movie, Journey to the Center of the Earth, came in third at the box office behind Hellboy and Hancock. Journey earned a solid $21 million. About 55% of that came on 3D screens.

The harder question is whether the 3D mattered. How many people went to see Journey in 3D who would not have seen the movie otherwise -- or waited until it was out on DVD? There's literally no way to know. Reviews of the movie barely focused on the 3D, except to point out the rather gratuitous 3D effects like showing a yo-yo coming right at your nose. If reviewers are recommending Journey, it's because the film is fun and the actors are appealing -- not because of the 3D.

As I pointed out in a story for July's issue of Portfolio magazine, Hollywood is ga-ga for 3D, believing it's a way to stop the erosion of customers at movie theaters. But it's not clear the tactic will work. Journey is the first test. Starting next year, get ready for a flood of 3D movies. Then we'll start to see what kind of power 3D has over audiences.