‘Titanic’ stunningly tragic in 3D

James Cameron’s wildly successful “Titanic” is back in theaters, giving audiences a whole new perspective with the magic of 3D. But is the transformation worth another trip to the movie theater? Absolutely.

For those who don’t know the story, “Titanic” is a fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic that follows Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet), two passengers from different social classes who fall in love during the ship’s ill-fated maiden voyage. But it’s more than just another sappy love story. “Titanic” humanizes the tragic events of the night an iceberg took down the unsinkable ship.

This tragedy is successfully enhanced in 3D. It places the audience on the ship with the other passengers. The audience is in the crowd waving goodbye to the ship in the beginning scene and stranded in the water when the ship goes down near the end.  

Some of the best scenes are even better in 3D. Remember the infamous “king of the world” line DiCaprio shouts from the bow of the ship? The effect is twice as cool in 3D. The scene where Rose almost falls off the stern of the ship is even more terrifying. The chaotic flailing in the water at the end is claustrophobic enough to make the audience feel trapped in the icy ocean with the rest of them.

It’s too soon to determine if “Titanic” will be a hit the second time around, but the movie industry seems to have found something that works in 3D. Older films are appealing to a new generation. In the last five months, 3D re-releases have taken theaters by storm. Disney classics “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King” collectively earned $141 million at the box office. The re-release of “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” earned $43 million. Not bad for movies people have already seen.

Hollywood is hanging onto the success of 3D. Over the next two years “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Jurassic Park” and “The Little Mermaid” are all set to be revamped for a 3D release.

“Titanic” already has a leg up on these classics. It held the title of highest grossing movie of all time for 13 years, making $600.8 million in the box office. The only movie to top it was “Avatar” in 2010. “Titanic” also garnered 14 Oscar nominations and 11 wins in 1997. The formula is all there for “Titanic” to have a successful second run. If the 3D re-release does well, “Titanic” could leapfrog “Avatar” and reclaim the box office throne.