Telford Cineworld 4DX launches with Aquaman – review
You're in the middle of a storm. Wind batters your face, cold water soaks you through. Suddenly it starts to snow. This is not your normal trip to the cinema.
Telford Cineworld has just opened a new 4DX screen, promising to build on 3D to tap into your other senses. In that regard it really works.
The chairs shake, wind blows from every direction and water falls all around you. It turns a nicely shot storm on screen into something far more real, something that actually gets your heart pumping and sends a shiver down your spine.
From a design standpoint, the experience really is incredible. The chairs seem more subtle than the old D-Box at quieter times, but then more rough during action scenes. It feels like a rollercoaster.
And the way that smoke, rain, wind, flashing lights and snow sync up with the film is fantastic to see. From sea spray to lighting storms, it works very well – too well, in fact.
Sitting for two hours in cold wind and rain makes for a chilly evening, even if you're wrapped up warm, and the shaking chairs mean you're on the edge of your seat for the entire thing, waiting for the next time you'll feel like you're being thrown across the room.
It turns cinema into a theme park ride. Under the right circumstances, it will definitely enhance the film, but it could so easily distract.
Even with Aquaman, which is a fairly easy to watch blockbuster, there were times when too much smoke, water and wind made it tough to see the action on screen. That's especially true for 3D showings, where you'll find yourself wiping off the glasses more often than is ideal.
4DX is really cool, and I'm convinced it'll make for a fun family alternative to IMAX for roughly the same price. It's a great experience, but it's certainly not always going to be the best way to enjoy a film.
