Hot because: In a year when digital 3D alone should have been a big deal, IMAX stole the spotlight with its specific version of the spectacle, and made it a HUGE deal. Of course the format wasn't new to this year -- in fact it's been around since way before 35mm 3D, but it did make more of an impact than ever before this year. First there was the ending of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which simply HAD to be seen in IMAX 3D or else you wanted to just be a plain old muggle moviegoer. More recently, of course, was Beowulf, completely in IMAX 3D and completely changing lives.

How to stay hot: Fix what little is broken. Redesign the glasses so they look cooler, and more importantly, are more comfortable. And when you have some better, yet disposable frames, let the customers keep 'em, or throw them out. Just don't recycle them and end up handing out scratched lenses. And don't continue charging more than non-Hollywood-released 3D movies; keep it hot by keeping it regular -- attractions belong in an amusement park, while movies belong in movie theaters.

Next up: A cartoon transformed a into monster hit!

Where did they rank?