Social media is filled with memes that are a variation of, “Find a man who looks at you like …” accompanied by some image from pop culture.

If it doesn’t already exist, someone should make, “Find a man who loves you like James Cameron loves 3D.”

Moviegoers have a fling with 3D every 15 years or so. A filmmaker embraces the technology in a way that makes a new generation go, “This is so cool!,” followed by lesser copycats that make audiences eventually realize, “This is … just more expensive.”

3D movies haven’t disappeared. About 20 movies released in 2025 had 3D versions, but in most cases, it was an afterthought, not an integral part of the artistic vision.

That doesn’t apply to Cameron. His “Avatar” franchise seems to exist primarily as a vehicle to explore the possibilities and push the boundaries of 3D. He went back and retrofitted his most beloved film, “Titanic,” in 3D. He’s even produced documentaries using the format.

For a man who’s been married five times, Cameron’s longest love affair may be with 3D.

His latest foray into the format is “Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” a concert film shot near the end of the pop star’s 2024-25 international trek.

The documentary primarily is a straightforward concert film, but there also are making-of and behind-the-scenes elements incorporated into the story. There are scenes where Cameron and Eilish talk about what they hope to accomplish with the film and the technical details of how to achieve it. There are shots that Eilish filmed herself and reverse-angle shots that show Eilish as a camera operator and performer.

The interview segments don’t add much. Cameron’s questions to Eilish are about as probing and insightful as the ones Chris Farley asked Paul McCartney in that famous “Saturday Night Live” sketch.

The best of the behind-the-scenes moments is the “puppy room” Eilish has. Animal shelters bring in pets for the performers and crew to spend some time with and get a break from the rigors of the road.

Reviews of concert films are somewhat pointless. Most of them are some variation of, “If you like the performer, you’ll like the film.” Every once in a while it’s, “Even if you like the performer, you’ll be disappointed.” If there’s ever been a concert film that made me think, “I never cared about (fill in the blank) before, but now I’m a big fan,” I’ve forgotten it.

The big question raised here is whether the 3D elevates the concert film to something closer to the experience of seeing an artist live?

At times the 3D is freakishly good. At an advance screening on Monday, at least once I thought someone in the row in front of me was standing up to head to the bathroom or concession stand before realizing it was a 3D fan moving at the bottom of the frame.

There are moments where it feels like the energetic Eilish is going to leap off the screen, and the movie also captures her ability to create an intimacy in concert, despite the arena setting. And moviegoers may be tempted to reach out and try to grab the confetti that fills the screen for the concert finale.

Tickets to see the film locally this weekend are $16.99, and I’d recommend a theater with a larger screen and the best sound system to see it.

Tickets to see the tour live were all but impossible to find for less than $100, and that was for the seats farthest from the stage. For those who couldn’t get or couldn’t afford a ticket to see Eilish live, the 3D technology does bring moviegoers a step or two closer to the sensation of attending a live event than a traditional concert film does.

But “Hit Me” also is filled with shots of those fans right up front who are overcome with emotion and sobbing at nearly every song Eilish performs. If it was like that at every performance, folks with floor seats should have worn boots.

I doubt the movie will have that same impact on viewers. It’s still several steps away. Concertgoing, at least to see the world’s biggest stars, is out of reach economically for many in 2026. A 3D movie isn’t the same as a concert, but neither is the ticket price.

The budget hasn’t been publicized for “Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” and the box office returns will determine whether this becomes a new trend or a one-off experiment driven by 3D’s biggest cheerleader.

Andy Gray is the entertainment editor of Ticket. Write to him at agray@tribtoday.com.