Today I saw two very different movies that are hoping to attract kids. “Son of Rambow” is a Sundance-tested British indie about two boys who make a cheapo version of a Stallone movie. “Journey to the Center of the Earth” is a 3-D extravaganza that’s pure Hollywood.

One is a celebration of the handmade. The other is a glorification of the computer-made. It’s clear which way the industry is heading.

Notwithstanding that visually rich “Speed Racer” tanked last week, Hollywood seems convinced that kids raised on video games want spectacle more than story. And the kind of spectacle the studios are betting on is something you can’t get from a computer or home theater: big-screen 3-D.

“Journey to the Center of the Earth,” starring Brendan Fraser in a modern update of the classic Jules Verne story, is the first feature narrative filmed entirely in 3-D; but this trend has been building for a while. In 2005, the success of the 3-D version of “Chicken Little” opened a lot of eyes. Then earlier this year, the 3-D Hannah Montana concert film made a fortune, partly because guilt-ridden parents were willing to pay the premium ticket prices). Hannah’s corporate benefactors at Disney, and their Pixar division, announced last month that all of their future animated movies will be released in 3-D versions. James “Titanic” Cameron is always tinkering with 3-D–his next project is a 3-D sci-fi flick called “Avatar”–and George Lucas is remastering all the “Star Wars” movies for 3-D projection.

This trend seems unstoppable. Don’t worry–the 3-D glasses, like the images, look really cool. And if you wear them long enough, you might start believing that’s all that matters.