The concept of 4DX is nothing new. It was originally launched by CJ 4DPLEX in 2009 and has been slowly gaining pace as additional theaters decide to adopt the technology into their theaters. The idea is to give the moviegoer an experience beyond a pair of 3D glasses. You still get 3D, but with it, you also get wind, rain, smell, motion and more.
Basically, if you have ever ridden a motion ride at one of your favorite theme parks (ie, Disney, Universal, etc), you have experienced something close to this. Those theaters are typically proprietary to their installation and media. However, with 4DX, that experience can be brought to any film at a local theater.
The chairs can move up and down, tilt left to right, forward and back. They can jerk you around to an explosion or rock you to comfort as if you were on a ship floating at sea. Nozzles that rest within what looks to be handrails in front of the seats, can spray you in the face to mimic a wet scene within the movie. Water can fall from the roof to simulate rain, while fans blow the air around to simulate some wind to go with it.
Strobe lights all over can expand upon explosions and other flashes in the film, and the seats also have a number of things as well. From small bursts of air aimed at your lower legs and feet to the back of your head. Kneading motors that can press on your back from within the cushion to simulate a slight impact. Tactile transducers (butt thumpers) to shake you a little in your seat both below and behind you. Scents can be gently sprayed to create that final touch on what you are looking at (ie, forest).
You still get 3D and your favorite formats like IMAX. However, along with it, you get to have all of your senses overwhelmed and toyed with all throughout the film. It all comes together to create the ultimate movie experience that feels like it goes on forever (unlike a normal motion ride at a theme park).
Of course, with something like this comes many disclaimers, since there are many variables that could prevent you from going. The strobe lights for one would wreak havoc on those with epilepsy sadly, and those with motion sickness should stick to the regular theater room next door (so that staff doesn’t have to delay the next movie as they clean up). Maybe the scents might bother someone. However, if nothing like this bothers you, then you might want to look up the nearest 4DX theater near you!
One of the many theaters starting to adopt the technology is Regal Cinemas, who recently opened a location here in Las Vegas (at Red Rock Station Casino) last month (along with other locations). They plan on opening more 4DX theaters all throughout the U.S. at various Regal locations.
I took it upon myself to see what it would be like to ride a motion ride for two hours straight. The moment I found out that Godzilla: King of the Monsters was playing in that theater, I knew this was the day to do it. What better movie within the current roster of titles to test it out with that that one.
The experience was exhilarating. They really know how to turn it into something rich, as the seats really can throw you all over the place with excitement. Mixed with the transducers inside the seats, the feeling is ever the more amplified. The fans that blow from the roof can be heard but it doesn’t seem to distract you any, and the effect is nice. Then there is my favorite, the water.
At first, I wondered how much water they would actually use. Would it be tiny amounts to mist you a little with, or something that at least feels a little more realistic? Personally, I was hoping to get drenched based on the number of water scenes the trailer showed off (and any Godzilla movie is going to have), but I know that might be a little too much to ask for.
To my surprise, the amount of water that came from the roof was enough to feel like it really was lightly sprinkling rain. Not enough to soak you any, but enough to seal the deal and trigger your senses. The water that sprays from in front of you (the handrails) was a lot less intense. That was more of a spray of mist, but at times it also added a lot (you want the experience, but you don’t want to have to keep wiping down your 3D glasses every 5 minutes). They even seemed to have snow falling from the roof during the snowy scenes (I won’t mention any spoilers of course). They are just racking up the bonus points here.
Of course, nothing is perfect. The scents felt a little generic and it seemed to be the same scene typically used for various situations (usually outdoor scenes like forests and other green areas). The cushions in the seats are a bit stiff. So after awhile, you do find yourself moving around to get comfortable. Hopefully, they just need to be broken in a little.
The only other thing that needed to be pointed out was time alignment. The effects weren’t always in sync with what was happening on the screen or within the sound. There seemed to be a delay of up to a second in certain situations. One second can make a major difference in how your mind perceives it all. Of course, to accurately resolve this, they would have to adjust every single row separately, as each row is at a different distance from the screen and sound, resulting in multiple delay scenarios. So this might be the biggest contributor to this–maybe it just isn’t feasible with everything going on. Did this prevent me from enjoying it all? No. However, certain movies might lose effect if certain things aren’t perfectly times out.
In the end, it all comes down to: would I do it again? There answer is yes, without any hesitation outside of how many times. A 4DX movie is a bit more expensive than your normal movie, or even an IMAX. So it is something you will absolutely pick and choose the movie to, allowing it to be a treat more than something that is going to replace your movie experience every time you go. It’s like a fancy/expensive restaurant. Sure, the experience might be nice, but you aren’t going to go there every single time you want to eat out.
