MX4D Experience: Justice League

So recently we went on a field trip to a local theater to see Justice League. The theater we went to had recently remodeled to include an MX4D room, a brand new movie experience. Today, I'll talk about that, and how it enhanced the movie.

What it MX4D?

Have you ever been in a 4D theater at Disneyland or somewhere like that? Well, MX4D is basically that with big production HD movies. The seats move around, air and water spray at you, a grass smell effect, and there's even sparse snow and rain. Currently, there are only 5 theaters in the nation to have this technology (the one we went to is the first in the midwest). The reason a lot of theaters are going to start building them is because many are in a financial struggle right now. Most people don't go to the movies anymore, they use Netflix and other streaming services. The goal of MX4D is to give viewers a movie experience they can't get at home. This is the future of movie theaters.

What do I Think of MX4D?

When I first heard about this, I loved the idea of it. For one, it sounded very fun, like an amusement park ride and a movie all in one (which it basically was). I also thought it was great to revive the glory of movie theaters. Don't get me wrong, I still thought this was pretty darn cool, but after experiencing MX4D first hand, my opinion changed a little.

One small fear I had was that it would be uncomfortable. It wasn't too bad. Although my friend, who wears glasses, said that whenever water sprayed her glasses would be fogged up. So if you're going to ever see something like this, contacts are probably better.

A small issue: I don't think I was fully invested in the movie. It was exciting to be moving around with the movie, but that amusement park ride and movie comparison I made? This leans more towards the ride part. Unlike 2D or 3D movies where I can talk about all my favorite and least favorite parts immediately after the movie ends, most of the plot details seemed to go in one ear and out the other. Looking back, I remember the movie is about DC superheroes. If your going to experience MX4D, it's probably best to also see the regular movie earlier.

Also, MX4D seems limited on what movies would be showing. For Justice League, we were completely still, watching the movie during the non-action scenes. Mrs. Smith also said that the theater has played horror movies like It in the MX4D room. So if a movie has no action or scares, it seems like an MX4D experience would be slightly awkward with it.

However, I still thought it was a lot of fun to go see, just mostly for the moving seats. The grass smells, well, those could be improved.

MX4D And Filmmaking

Before and after seeing Justice League, the class discussed that if this is the future of movie viewing, then what does that mean for us, future filmmakers? Well, it's to include more sensory imagery. Crane shots are also great, because the MX4D seats will move with them.

Conclusion

Well, that day was very cool to experience something that was previously only available in California and the northeast. It's also good to know where movies are going, and I'm excited to see this in other theaters, and go to an MX4D movie again.