Or so goes the logic behind making every movie to follow “”Avatar”” in 3-D. Never mind the extra surcharge on tickets, the headaches or its needlessness in nearly every genre. It’s awesome because stuff comes out of the screen! Except not.

First, your brain already creates the third dimension by using perspective. It’s as simple as your brain registering an object and telling you, “”That thing is small. It’s in the distance. It grows larger as it gets closer.”” Shooting a movie with an artificial dimension just screws with this perspective.

Second, what does 3-D add to the experience of a movie? We have had 3-D film for decades. But did you really leave the theater after seeing “”The Dark Knight”” and think to yourself, “”Well, that movie was OK. Heath Ledger did a pretty OK job. But man, it was really missing a third dimension””? Do I really need to see “”Saw VII”” in 3-D, or perhaps “”Step Up 3″” in 3-D? No, you did not. No, I do not. And no, I really do not. The use of 3-D in torture porn and bad dance movies is a sign that it’s jumping genres, no longer limited to action-adventure flicks. But it cannot be applied so well everywhere. Imagine seeing a drama like “”Precious”” in 3-D. Worse, imagine seeing one of the “”Twilight”” movies in 3-D.

Regardless of how you feel about the Twilight franchise as it is, a 3-D effect would reduce the impact of a romance or drama.

Filmmakers who can successfully use 3-D to enhance a movie experience are geniuses (see James Cameron’s “”Avatar””). Filmmakers who are using 3-D because they know they’ll make more money are also smart, but only because they know that gimmicks sell well (still looking at you, “”Step Up””). Here’s a fun fact: Alfred Hitchcock filmed “”Dial M for Murder”” in 3-D, but its original release was in plain and regular 2-D flatness. Hitchcock thought the 3-D fad was a “”nine-day wonder.””

It’s not that 3-D is never an option. It just doesn’t have to always be an option. As for me, I’m looking forward to the ninth day.

— Kristina Bui is a journalism and political science sophomore. She can be reached at arts@wildcat.arizona.edu