The 30 best 3D movies of 2013

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2012 was a phenomenal year for 3D movies, with the likes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Avengers Assemble and Brave all making a big impact on the box office. And the movie industry has certainly not fallen out of love with stereoscopic 3D yet, with plenty of great new releases coming our way. Here we take a look at some of the most exciting 3D movies you can look foward to in 2013, including full details and sneak-peek trailers. Which ones will you be watching?

• Check out the best 3D movies of 2012
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01. Smurfs 2

The sequel to 2011's The Smurfs, Smurfs 2 is based on the comic book series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo. Whilst the storyline is strictly family-friendly, the 3D animation work is seriously impressive. Directed by Raja Gosnell (Scooby-Doo, Mrs. Doubtfire), Sony Pictures Imageworks are taking on most of the special effects.

Rob Engle worked as the 3D visual effects supervisor and rightly so, as he has previously worked on the likes of The Amazing Spider-Man, Pirates of the Carribean and The Chronicles of Narnia. The film stars Hank Azaria, Sofia Vergara and Christina Ricci and is set for release later on this year.

For more information, head to the Smurfs 2 website.

02. 300: Rise of an Empire

After the success of 2007's 300, relatively unknown director Noam Murro takes the reigns for the film's sequel - 300: Rise of an Empire. The original film quickly became a cult classic when it came to special effects so we have high hopes for film number 2. Starring Lena Heady of Game of Thrones fame as well as Eva Green, 300: Rise of an Empire looks set to focus on the ladies.

Unsurprisingly, the film boasts a huge list of technical and speical effects teams. Special effects senior technician comes in the form of Nikolay Furtunkov, who has previously worked on The Expendables films. We certainly can't wait to see what this sequel will bring.

For more information, head to 300: Rise of an Empire on IMDB.

03. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Another sequel here that will have fans of the Percy Jackson books every excited indeed. The first film released back in 2010 proved popular with special effect critics, so we can't wait to see what the sequel comes up with. It continues the adventures of Percy Jackson and his friends and is based on the book The Sea of Monsters.

Logan Lerman returns to play the part of Percy and will be joined by fantasy heroes Sean Bean, Anthony Stewart Head and Nathan Fillion. Lead 3D matte artist Juan Jesús García has a heap of experience after working on the Harry Potter films, Kingdom of Heaven and Troy. He's the perfect choice to lead the 3D extravaganza that Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters will no doubt deliver.

For more information, head to the Percy Jackson website.

04. Planes

Planes is the sequel to Pixar's 2006 release Cars although the renowned animation studio hasn't actually had any part of it. Instead, it has been produced by DisneyToon Studios and was initially set to be released as a direct-to-video film. However, Disney seems to have changed their minds as the film is now going to be theatrically released by Walt Disney Pictures in August.

The effects are in great hands in the form of Nickie Huai, who worked on the award-winning Avatar as well as the Ice Age movies and Night At The Museum 2. It might be yet another sequel but we're sure this will be a fun-filled one.

For more information, head to the Planes website.

05. Storm Surfers 3D

Telling the story of best friends and professional surfing legends Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones, Storm Surfers 3D is all about that elusive rush of adrenaline and the hunt for the ultimate wave. This looks set to be a 3D event to get excited about, as we witness these incredible waves in the most realistic fashion.

The incredible cinematography was taken care of by Dave Maguire and we have a feeling that he'll be working on lots of projects in the future if Storm Surfers 3D is anything to go by. Kirstin-Marie Cetinich worked on the special effects and proves that you don't need to be part of a huge studio to produce great results.

For more information, head to the Storm Surfers 3D website.

06. Oz: The Great and Powerful

Have you ever wondered how the Wizard came to be in Oz? Well, wonder no more as Spiderman and Drag Me To Hell director Sam Raimi takes on the prequel to one of the most beloved stories of a generation.

The film will benefit from a star studded cast, including James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. The trailer doesn't give away too much but it's clear that the visual effects, cinematography and costumes are going to play a key role. The colours are simply breathtaking and it's interesting to see a new take on the environment of Oz.

Saga holiday

3D scanning is being taken care of by Frederick George Stuhrberg, who's already worked on the hugely successful Twilight Saga as well as Avengers Assemble, Iron Man 2 and X-Men: First Class.

Sony Pictutes Imageworks is in charge of the technical aspects including lighting and production and Luma Pictures are responsible for the digital and CGI factors. Both companies are hugely respected in the film industry, so this looks set to be a belter of a 3D movie.

For more information, visit the Oz: The Great and Powerful website.

07. Monsters University

In recent times, Pixar has been known to indulge a little too much in the whole prequels and sequels thing. Some have faired better than others - so once the prequel to the hugely successful Monsters Inc. was announced, there were some yelps of joy and some groans of disappointment.

However, when the teaser trailer was released everyone was very much in the same boat: this looks to be one of Pixar's funniest films. Monsters Inc. was a feat for Pixar in itself; released in 2001, it was the first time the animators tackled fur and hair in the form of Sully and boy, did they nail that one!

Uni freshman

It's exciting to see what the animators will bring to the table this time not to mention Dan Scanlan, for whom Monsters University will be his first major directorial role. Happily, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Billy Crystal are all back to reprise their roles.

Michael Stocker is acting as directing animator and is certainly the perfect choice if his past successes on The Incredibles and Toy Story 3 are anything to go by. We can't wait for this one! (In the meatime, check out the brilliant spoof website.)

For more information, visit the Monsters University Facebook page.

08. Epic

A look at this trailer and you may think two things: one, it looks like yet another reincarnation of FernGully. And two, the graphics look incredible! Whichever one you go with, there's no denying the extensive work that the animators and CGI teams have put into this new animation from Twentieth Century Fox.

Starring Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson and Colin Farrell, Epic tells the story of a teenage girl transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group of characters in order to help save their world.

Game on

Jonas Avrin is the animation technical director and with his extensive experience in the games (Grand Theft Auto, Assassins Creed) and movie industry (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ice Age) he seems like a fine choice.

Materials technical director Audry Bagley is a newcomer in the animation world, having only been working since 2010.

For more information, visit the Epic website.

09. G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation

The G.I. Joe films may not be winning any Oscars for acting abilities or storyline but the high quality of the CGI and 3D work is undeniable. Although the release of G.I. Joe 2 has been pushed back a few times, there'll be plenty of excitement once it arrives.

In this sequel, the G.I. Joes find that not only are they fighting their mortal enemy Cobra, they're also forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardise their very existence.

Action man

The talented team at ILM are on hand to provide most of the visual effects, including Michael Balog, who's worked on the Harry Potter, Pirates of the Carribbean and Transformers franchises. 

Digital Domain, Luma Pictures and Method Studios Vancouver are also all involved, which proves the extensive knowledge and talent that will be featured within the film. Only the best for the Joes!

For more information, visit the G.I. Joe: Retaliation website.

10. The Great Gatsby

Another novel turned movie, and many fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel will be trepidacious about this 2012 adaptation. Movie fans, however, will be excited that arty director Baz Luhrmann - the man behind Moulin Rouge and the Leonardo diCaprio version of Romeo & Juliet and reboot - is the man in charge. His decision to revive the story in 3D has caused some controversy but after seeing the trailer, we feel showcasing 1920s New York in this way will really resonate with cinema audiences.

The Great Gatsby tells to story of Nick Carraway (Toby Maguire), a Midwesterner who becomes fascinated with the lavish lifestyle of his neighbour Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). He's soon drawn into Gatsby's circle and begins to witness the tragedy and obsession that taints Gatsby's seemingly perfect life.

Great expectations

Arthur Spink Jr. is one hand as the special effects supervisor, after previously working on the Matrix trilogy and the likes of Superman returns and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Lawrence Andrews, who was responsible for the awesome effects in Sucker Punch, is in charge of the visual effects lay out.

For more information, visit The Great Gatsby Facebook page.

11. The Croods

Hotly tipped by us back since last October, this Dreamworks animation follows the story of a prehistoric family who are forced to explore beyond the world of their small cave.

Voices are provided by Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone, with the animation in the capable hands of Jamaal Bradley and Dave Hardin, who've worked on such movies as Puss in Boots, I Am Legend and Alice in Wonderland. We're excited by the scintillating use of colour, and it looks like this quirky film is set to kickstart a year to remember for DreamWorks.

For more information, visit The Croods official website.

12. Turbo

Another promising DreamWorks release, Turbo is a supercharged animated comedy about a snail with a need for speed who dreams of competing against the greatest Indianapolis 500 racers.

It's the first feature-length animation for director David Soren, who took charge of the short Merry Madagascar, and he'll work alongside screenwriter Robert Siegel of The Wrestler fame. Ryan Reynolds will voice the lead alongside a cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Giamatti and Maya Rudolph from Bridesmaids. 

For more information, visit the Turbo official website.

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