When you’re talking about a series of films based on a wildly popular series of books which, when the producers ran out of books to make films of, decided to simply split the final book into two films, complaining about their decision to also screen these final two films in 3D is perhaps being a bit rich. I won’t let that stop me however.

Warner Brothers has released a trailer for the final two Harry Potter films, and it looks great. They seem to really be sticking to their cover story for the two-film trick, and including as much of the book’s set-pieces as they can. Though this is the first I’m hearing of it (also the first I’m paying the slightest amount of attention to it), the announcement that the films would be in 3D came in January, as Hollywood was shitting itself over the insane amount of money Avatar was pulling in.

While I enjoyed that film (less so the headache it gave me), it was a native 3D production. Unless they were just sitting on the announcement throughout the two films’ 54-week shoot, it seems a safe bet that Deathly Hallows will be a victim of the 3D conversion process that studios are going nuts over at the moment. So while I hate 3D exactly as much as I hate month-long headaches, there remains the strong possibility that when I go to see it in its original (correct) 2D presentation, I won’t be subjected to shots that serve little purpose but to show off a 3D effect.

I repeat the acknowledgement that yes, I am complaining that a couple of films that are already incredibly commercial are falling victim to more crass commercialism. But barring the first two lifeless efforts from Chris Columbus, it has been a very enjoyable (if highly nonsensical) series of commercial products.

Roger Ebert tears into the 3D movies. Actual 3D movies that is, like the recent Journey to the Center of the Earth, and not “3D animated” movies like Wall*E. Which is good, because if he disliked Wall*E I’d question the existence of his soul.

There seems to be a belief that 3-D films are not getting their money’s worth unless they hurtle objects or body parts at the audience. Every time that happens, it creates a fatal break in the illusion of the film.