"Where are you?"
"I'm in the movie."
No, this isn't a text message conversation between friends trying to meet up in a movie theater. That's the tagline for one of the newest ways in which you can see a movie: 4DX.
Sadly the fourth dimension added into 4DX movies is not spacetime. Instead, imagine seeing a movie in 3D (glasses and all) but with added physical sensations like wind, rain, and a moving seat.
The US recently welcomed its third 4DX theater at Regal Cinemas' Union Square location in New York City. Though the experience was also offered for DC's "Batman v Superman," I opted to test the technology for the first time through Disney's new release, "The Jungle Book."
The short of it? 4DX is unlike anything I've felt in a movie theater before, and it was just cool enough that I would recommended splurging on a great movie.
Expecting the unexpected
The website for CJ 4DPlex promises "the ultimate in state of the art technology delivering a fully immersive cinematic experience," complete with "motion chairs and environmental effects such as wind, bubbles, and scent work in perfect synchronicity with the action on screen."
Wind? Bubbles? You had my curiosity, 4DX. Now you have my full attention. As I watched a simulation of four seats moving up and down, the word "heave" featured on their website gave me pause. I decided to go for it anyways.
The last time I was in a similar experience was for Disney's "Honey I Shrunk the Audience" — a theme park "ride" at Disneyland that was closed in 2010. Seeing "The Jungle Book" in 4DX felt appropriate, as it would bring back those Disney memories despite the technology and theater being totally unrelated to the theme park brand.
So, my fiancé and I forked over $59.20 for two tickets, and settled in for one of the strangest (and coolest) movie-watching experiences of our lives.
Arriving
After printing our tickets and heading to the theater section, we were directed by the ticket taker in the same manner as any other movie. Outside the designated theater was a warning sign, most of which consisted of "make sure your valuables and clothing are protected" as well as language regarding the physical risks associated with 4DX.
At the top, the poster showed off the different sensations we may experience including rain, fog, wind, lightning (Um. What?), vibrations, and scents.
The poster also warned against bringing hot liquids inside, and cautioned to "not eat or drink during intense scenes when the motion chairs will be most active." Unfortunately, moviegoers have no way of knowing when an "intense scene" is about to begin, so this warning seemed a bit pointless.
A glaring hole in Regal's plan for the 4DX theater was the lack of additional security at the entrance. Theater-hopping is a popular form a movie theft, and there were no extra employee standing outside to make sure only those with the $28 ticket came inside. The need for 3D glasses might hinder some movie-hoppers, but people may have theoretically held onto theirs from past movies.
There is assigned seating, which means fellow patrons might be the ones kicking out seat thieves, but if a movie isn't sold out the would-be vagrants would merely have to wait until the movie started to find open spots.
Assigned seating means arriving early and locating your seat is essential. After the lights were turned down, we spotted several confused moviegoers wandering around in the dark, disrupting those nearby as they tried to figure out where to go.
The seats are connected to each other in groups of four, but upon first look the theater layout looks totally normal. You still have to make your way down rows to get to the seats in the center. Here's a look at one seat cluster:
The first thing I noticed was a button for "Water On" or "Water Off." Feeling committed to this experience, I decided in advance that I would leave it on, no matter the cost.
Almost as soon as the theater lights went down, a loud commercial for 4DX began. A crazy car chase was happening on screen, and our seat began jumping and vibrating aggressively. Nearly everyone in the theater either yelped or laughed, looking around at each other with a "Whaaaaaat?!" expression.
The kids in the theater were particularly delighted, and my fiancé was excited right along with them, saying "This is awesome!" over and over.
A couple next to us, who settled into their seats late with huge sodas, popcorn, and hot dogs, were merely concerned about how they were supposed to eat food in their jostling seats. This was likely one of those "intense scenes" the warning sign was referring to. Thankfully, we had opted out of movie snacks that day.
The movie begins
"The Jungle Book" starts with a sweeping pan through a lush, tropical pathway. Our chairs smoothly leaned backwards and sideways, swooping along with the camera motions. Then, protagonist Mowgli leaps into frame and takes off running. The chairs began rumbling and bouncing, as if we were on a jerking roller coaster.
The sensation took some getting used to, but it was exciting and placed me into "kid-mode" at the movies, an appropriate head-space to be in while watching a Disney film.
About 15 minutes into the movie came the moment I was sold on 4DX. Shere Khan, the villainous tiger voiced by Idris Elba, arrived on screen to an ominous soundtrack with deep bass and haunting notes.
Our chairs vibrated, making his rumbling growl literally send chills down my spine. Everyone around me was dead-silent, captivated by the stunning visuals of the film combined with a physical sense of dread coming from our seats.
Then came the rain.
As if we were sitting in the splash-zone at Sea World, heavy droplets of rain fell onto my head as Mowgli weathered a storm in the movie. This was no light misting, and the need for the "Water Off" button immediately became clear.
The water shoots up into the air from the seat in front of you, and several seconds later it falls down onto your head as if it was coming from the ceiling.
People around me gasped, laughed, or yelped. I checked to make sure my phone was safely in a covered pocket, and then grabbed two bobby pins to secure my hair back from my face (avoiding having a frizzy hair stuck to my cheeks was important for my comfort).
The water effect lasted far longer than I expected it to, and by the end of the scene my shirt and jacket were damp, and I had to remove my 3D glasses in order to wipe away the beads of water collected there.
But honestly? I didn't mind. If anything, it made me empathize with the soaked critters on screen, and I shivered along with Mowgli as he made his way through the storm.
4DX is clearly not meant for someone concerned about their overall appearance, or someone who might have their phone out in the open during a movie. I personally think a splash of water on your phone is ample punishment for trying to text in a movie theater, but soggy popcorn is a travesty. Skip the concession stand on your way in.
The other notable effects were wind and fog. At one point in the movie, Mowgli stands on the edge of a tall cliff, and industrial size fans began whirring on either side of the theater. As his hair blew in the wind, I could feel the breeze on my face in a pleasant, relaxing kind of way.
The fog was a little less successful, with a few spurts visible at the front of the theater during a spooky swamp scene. The puffs of smoke evaporated pretty quickly, leaving no lasting effect for the rest of the scene.
At no point during "The Jungle Book" did I notice scents coming from the seats. Either the film didn't call for it, or the effect was nullified by the popcorn and hot dog my seat neighbor was enjoying (with some difficulty, as noted above).
Movie selection is key
The film itself, "The Jungle Book," was largely responsible for my overall enjoyment of 4DX. This is likely because it reminded me of being on a theme park ride, and the 105-minute runtime was just short enough that I wasn't tired of feeling bumped around or damp and chilly.
I don't typically pay extra to see movies in 3D, let alone 4D, because the visuals often aren't worth the added cost. But "The Jungle Book" used CGI masterfully, and made the added depth worth it. If you see the film in 3D, make sure you stick around for the credits for some clever animation.
The tone and subject matter was perfect for the somewhat silly sensation of being jostled about in your movie theater chair. I still haven't seen "Batman v Superman," but I personally might not have endured the 4DX effects for a three-hour movie, especially with a darker subject matter. Feeling emotionally stressed and physically involved in a movie could worsen the experience.
The $28 ticket is well worth it for a movie-lover who isn't above getting damp or feeling like a little kid again. If you choose the movie carefully, and go in with an open mind, 4DX will be worth it. Plus, at the very least, you'll have a great story to tell the next time someone asks if you've seen any movies recently.
