At the moment, the 4DX bells and whistles feel clumsily tacked on, but perhaps film-makers will start to incorporate it into their films more organically, or even shape their stories to the format’s strengths.īut is this the future of cinema? Perhaps not, but 4DX could be seen as a sign of cinema worrying about its future. If you’re in the mood, it’s a novel thrill-ride if you’re not, it’s like being assaulted by your own cinema seat. The red velvet chairs regularly erupt into a frenzy of shudders, which make it harder to focus on the screen there are those water nozzles and mechanics inside the seat prod your lower back. It’s more ghost train than flight simulator. To be honest, rather than putting me “in the movie”, 4DX often threw me out of it. At my screening, it’s Rampage, in which Dwayne Johnson and a giant white gorilla save humanity from skyscraper-toppling mutant monsters. Future 4DX releases include Avengers: Infinity War, Solo and Jurassic World. Needless to say, the treatment favours a certain type of movie. Now the Cineworld chain has opened a 136-seat 4DX auditorium in Leicester Square, central London. Developed in South Korea, 4DX has been gradually rolling out around the world: first in Asia and central and south America, reaching the US in 2014, and the UK (in Milton Keynes) in 2015. What that means in practice is a more rollercoaster type of cinema experience: the seats move in all directions, fans blow wind through the auditorium, there are water sprays, scented air, smoke, strobes, snow effects and more. If Imax and 3D were the beginning of a new multiplex arms race, 4DX is the nuclear option, supposedly “a revolutionary cinematic experience which stimulates all five senses”. That’s what maker of new cinema technology 4DX claims happened, at least. Cinema chains have struggled to compete as home entertainment systems have improved, and 4DX unquestionably offers something you can’t get at home.I didn’t just go to a movie the other night, I was “in the movie”. I wouldn’t want to go every week, but as an occasional novelty it’s a way to make a big movie feel more special. For a little more money, you get a slightly more intense experience that enhances a movie without overpowering it. It’s a gimmick, but as gimmicks go the price isn’t too obscene. With that said, 4DX is worth the price of admission. If a movie is well made – and Doctor Strange is well made – you’ll have just as much fun in 3D (or even 2D) as you will in 4D, which is to say that 4D does not make all other types of theatres obsolete. At $25 for a single seat, the 4DX theatre is far more expensive than your average ticket, and the upsell is by no means mandatory. Sometimes it feels like you’re focused on either the movie or the 4D trappings, but for the most part the two complement each other in an organic way. Some of the effects are better than others – you feel like you’re falling into the frame whenever the seats tilt forward in conjunction with the camera – but the sensation is not so extreme that it distracts you from the movie (I had no trouble following the mind-bending logic of Doctor Strange). We were hit with wind and fog on multiple occasions, while the seats vibrate like massage chairs that are synchronized with the fight scenes (the sensation is actually rather relaxing).Īll in all, it makes for a more immersive movie going experience. Later, snowflakes drifted in front of the screen when he made a short excursion to the Himalayas. We were sprayed with water when Stephen Strange crashed his car during a rainstorm. The motorized seats are organized in banks of four that shake up and down throughout a film, while the auditorium is packed a slew of other tricks. It’s basically the next IMAX, with a rapidly expanding number of locations.Īs for the details, 4DX is a new premium screening format that blends conventional cinema with theme park practical effects. Though 4DX is new to Canada, the concept was developed in South Korea by CJ 4DPLEX and there are already hundreds of theatres in dozens of countries around the world. We were invited to the ceremony for a screening of Doctor Strange, and now we’re back to tell you everything you need to know about the latest trend in cinema.įor starters, the fact that Toronto’s first 4DX movie is about a man with the ability to manipulate time was merely a coincidence. On Friday, The Cineplex VIP Cinema at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto opened up its latest attraction, cutting the ribbon on the first 4DX auditorium in Canada.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |