Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic
When Tom Hanks starred in 1998's Saving Private Ryan, the movie shocked viewers with its realistic depiction of war. Now Hanks plans to single-handedly one-up those scenes with a dubious new technology: the "4D" war movie.
Beyond All Boundaries, produced by Hanks, opens today at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The film will be a montage of key battles in World War II, including Pearl Harbor and Battle of the Bulge, all projected onto a 120-foot screen. But wait, that's not all! Audience members watching the archival war footage will also get "animation and sensory efffects" so they can "feel the rumbling of tank treads and booming of anti-aircraft fire." Viewers can also interact with "life-sized props," like a concentration camp guard tower modeled after the ones at Auschwitz.
So basically, it's a 3D IMAX movie... from hell.
Seriously, why did Hanks think this Smell-O-Vision approach to war was a good idea? The National World War II Museum's mission -- to honor U.S. troops who fought around the world -- is a noble one. Why risk giving our troops post-traumatic stress disorder (a frequent occurrence when Private Ryan was in theaters) by asking them to "re-live" wartime battles? And are fake snow and vibrating seats really the best way to "make sure the story gets told in a way that will live on for future generations"? We're talking the sacrifice of 70 million Americans here, not the adventures of Captain EO.
Do you think Tom's new movie is creative or crazy? Chime in below!
