Here we are, 2012, and already we're seeing a bunch of movie trailers indicating upcoming projects that will be in 3D.  Disney has already confirmed that Marvel's The Avengers will be in that format; the upcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance from Sony will benefit from the third dimension; and remakes of Titanic and Beauty and the Beast will soon hit theaters with the 3D touch.  But perhaps the biggest title to use the format arrives next month, when Star Wars officially steps into the 3D realm with a re-release of Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Originally released in 1999, the prequel stars Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor in a tale that eventually tells the upbringing of Anakin Skywalker, who would become the most feared villain in the galaxy for some time, the devastatingly powerful Darth Vader.  The story begins innocently enough, with Anakin simply being a young kid with hopes and dreams of his own, and Neeson playing the Jedi who feels a strong presence of the Force.  McGregor plays the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a role that was portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness in the previous trilogy.

Though the movie did major box office upon its release ($461 million), many fans complained that it was nowhere near the quality of the previous films, due to some lackluster performances (mainly Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala) and the virtual presence of Jar Jar Binks, who would quickly become one of the most hated characters in George Lucas' space universe.  Regardless, it's kept a good amount of popularity over the years, and many fans discovered it again for the first time recently on Blu-Ray -- even with the digital recreation of Yoda, in CG form (replacing Frank Oz's puppet, though not his voice).

We recently caught a glimpse of the trailer in 3D, and, to be honest, it actually looks like it uses the format particularly well, especially during sequences like the pod race (it looks like it was built for 3D enjoyment) and the final lightsaber battle involving the wily Darth Maul.  However, this was just a mere glimpse, and the fact that the same old transition scenes will sit between the major set pieces may leave fans feeling a little uneasy about seeing the film again.

This is supposedly the beginning of a run of all six Star Wars films in the format, though a schedule hasn't been revealed as of yet, outside of the first film.  We're interested to see how the later films turn out, but first we're guessing that Lucas and company are seeing how the film does in theaters, to figure out if it's worth reprocessing them in 3D format to make a profit.  Releasing The Phantom Menace first may not be the best idea (we would've preferred the likes of A New Hope), but considering how digitally remastered it is, it's probably their ideal choice for the experiment.

Will the film succeed?  Well, fans will probably go check it out, mainly because a. it's Star Wars on the big screen again, and b. that 3D will be pretty neat in certain scenes, as we've said before.  But outside of that, with the rising costs of tickets ($13 for 3D shows, a little higher in IMAX) and the fact that, well, only so much Jar Jar can be taken in one sitting, it's still a toss-up.  We'll find out how it fares next month.  Check out the trailer below.

About the Author

Robert Workman

Senior Writer/Editor

Robert has years of experience in the video game industry, writing for such sites as AOL GameDaily, PlanetXbox360 and Comic Book Resources.  He can also outdrink you any day of the week.  And twice on Sunday.  Follow him at www.twitter.com/thedcd.