P3D "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" at Disneyland

["Greg Wageman" <gjw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

We finally got down to Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) over the holidays and
had a chance to see this attraction.  Capsule summary: Definitely worth
seeing.  Excellent stereoscopic effects, a clever and imaginative use of
the medium, as well as some surprising mechanical effects, make for a
very entertaining show.

It would be difficult, as well as tedious, to try to recall and describe
everything that goes on during the course of the attraction, so I'll try
to just hit the highlights here.

As usual with Disney attractions, they begin setting up the context
before you even enter the theater.  During the "pre-show" outside the
theater, we learn that the famous inventor, Wayne Szalinski, is to
receive an award.  We, the audience, are attending the awards ceremony.
The polarizing glasses are explained to be "safety goggles", to protect
us from flying objects.  It seems that Mr. Szalinski will be
demonstrating some of his inventions during the course of the
presentation.

The film cleverly begins by making the proscenium-style, slightly-curved
screen, appear to be covered by a red velvet theatrical curtain.  The
"curtain" is drawn aside, revealing a theatrical "scrim" in preparation
for the start of the presentation.  It seems, however, that the
guest-of-honor has gone missing, and the audience is spoken to by one of
the "on-stage" presenters, as a gentle shift of lighting on the "scrim"
reveals the bustle of activity going on "behind" it.  Thus is the
transition from flat screen to 3D-simulated proscenium stage done so
naturally that one is drawn into the story without noticing that the
film has actually begun.

In an attempt to forestall audience boredom until the missing inventor
can be found, the host (played by Monty Python alum Eric Idle) has his
children attempt to demonstrate one of Szalinski's inventions, which
begins making hundreds of instant copies of his daughter's pet white
mouse.  It seems Szalinski showed them how to turn it on, but not how to
turn it off...  In the ensuing melee, the son's pet snake also gets
loose.

In the first startling "in-your-face" 3D effect, the missing inventor
comes flying into the theater in a toy radio-controlled hovercraft.  It
seems he has miniaturized himself and the controls, and he proceeds to
demonstrate its maneuverability above the audience's heads.
Unfortunately, he drops the tiny, radio-control transmitter, and the
hovercraft takes off in random directions, alternately buzzing the
audience and punching several "holes" in the "scrim" in the process.

Eventually he comes in for a landing "upstage", is returned to normal
size, and comes out to demonstrate his shrinking ray, which of course
gets unintentionally trained on the audience.  The now-miniaturized
audience is subject to the booming footsteps of the people on stage, the
reappearance of the missing pet snake, and at one point the miniaturized
"theater" complete with audience is picked up and carried by Szalinski's
toddler.  All of this is accompanied by multi-channel sound and motion
effects (according to Disney, the floor actually rises four inches
during the show).  In the process of restoring the audience to normal
size, the dog gets enlarged, and the show ends with one last mechanical
effect as the enormous dog noses through the now-closed "curtain" and
sniffs at the audience.

I was particularly impressed by the seamless transition into the film,
and by the deliberate use of the space both in front of and behind the
screen plane.  In making the location appear to be a stage, they
eliminated the problem of ever having "infinity" visible on-screen.
There are the expected gratuitous in-your-face effects, but they are
impressive and fun (the "holographic" cat which morphs into a lion is
particularly memorable).  I noticed absolutely no eyestrain or
convergence problems, but that's not surprising given the relative
brevity of the attraction.

Highly recommended.

     -Greg W. (gjw@xxxxxxxxxx)



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