Hobbit Nausea: Movie Might Make You Sick

Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” has been screening in New Zealand, and fans have had an unexpected reaction: dizziness and even nausea over the film’s high rate of speed.

Jackson chose to film the epic movie at 48 frames-per-second–double the usual amount–because of fast-paced action sequences which often become blurred when filmed at the regular rate. The faster pace means the image comes across in higher definition, which some fans enjoy and some are on the fence about; higher definition can sometimes take the cinematic look of a film and make it look like something one might watch on television. Also, the action scenes can be a little dizzying for those who aren’t used to seeing the new method on a big screen.

“It’s a little bit different and anything that’s different visually can be nauseating,” said Alex Block of The Hollywood Reporter.

But despite the woozy reactions of some moviegoers, Jackson insists it was the best choice for the film. Warner Brothers released a statement about the complaints recently, saying the incidents were isolated:

“We have been screening the full-length HFR 3D presentation of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY extensively and feedback has been extremely positive, with none of thousands who have seen the film projected in this format expressing any of the issues described by two anonymous sources in media reports. We share the filmmakers’ belief that by offering filmgoers the additional choice of HFR 3D, alongside traditional viewing formats, they have an opportunity to be part of a groundbreaking advancement in the moviegoing experience and we look forward to having audiences everywhere share in this new way of storytelling.”