In an ever-changing landscape of cinematic experiences, a high def projection and some 3D glasses just aren’t cutting it anymore. You might have seen a ScreenX mega widescreen presentation or noshed on over-priced eats in a dine-in theater, but if you haven’t experienced a 4DX format picture before you’re truly missing out on a really fun way to enjoy blockbuster movies.
The 4DX format has been around for a few years and avid MouseInfo readers are no strangers to 4D movies, attractions, and previews in the theme parks. The idea of a 3D movie paired with special in-theater effects is not exactly a new concept; but the notion of having that custom tailored experience over the full length of a big budget blockbuster movie — one that is lighting up box office records with each passing day — was a concept we found too tantalizing to pass up when we received an invitation to check out Marvel’s AVENGERS: ENDGAME in 4DX.
Short of a safety spiel and a safety lap bar, the 4DX experience is a theme park attraction in its own right. Sure, it’s visually about the same as any theater you’ve encountered in the past few years but these plush comfy sweats have a wide range of motion and are also equipped to vibrate. We’re not talking gentle rocking here, we’re talking rocking, tilting, jerking motion that you *literally* will want to hang on to your popcorn for because it WILL go flying if you’re caught unaware.
It sounds gimmicky — and truthfully it is — but it’s handled so well that it typically only works to enhance the experience without distracting too much from it. Soft, tender, emotional moments are motion-free but battle scenes in particular are especially thrilling. The film’s climactic battle in particular was one bumpy ride. You almost feel like you’ve been part of the action as you bump with on-screen characters into walls, recoil from massive explosions, rumble in rickety spacecraft, and hurtle through the quantum realm. It’s truly engaging and a bunch of fun.
But moving seats aren’t the only effect here; this is a multi-sensory experience and during our screening of AVENGERS: ENDGAME we also had gusts of wind and sprinkles of rain in Tokyo, deceptively gentle snowfall on the planet of Vormir, and blasts of fog during battle explosions. Although we didn’t notice their usage for this picture, 4DX theaters are typically also equipped to deliver additional effects including scents, hot hair, strobe flashes, and bubbles.
By this point, it seems that the number of people who haven’t already seen AVENGERS: ENDGAME is fewer than the number of people who were snapped out of existence by Thanos in the first place but whether you’re opting for a repeat or inaugural viewing, you’re bound to find one hell of a ride with AVENGERS: ENDGAME in 4DX.
