The IMAX Experience – Skyfall

The IMAX Experience

Nov 15 2012 – Although we do review movies here at T-MAK World, today we take a different approach. We just came back from watching the newest James Bond movie Skyfall and instead of reviewing the movie (great movie, standard Bond formula, blah blah blah) we will review the cinematic experience of the movie – namely IMAX.  Our chosen movie theater tonight was Empire Theatre’s Empress Walk in North York. 

Lets start with ticket prices – $12.99 for a regular movie vs $17.99 for the IMAX version. That is a 40% premium of $5 for a movie. If the cost was the same it would be a no-brainer to watch the IMAX version but read on as we explore if a $5 premium is worth it.

Empress Walk Theaters feature an IMAX in theater number 1

When one hears of IMAX, their mind’s eye will conjure a massive cinema hall with a massive screen and massive sound. In the days before Apple claimed stake to any brand beginning with the letter i, IMAX chose their company name wisely. It is truly the maximum that your eye can have watching a movie. Growing up in Toronto, IMAX was always a part of our cultural fiber as the omnipresent Cinesphere down at Ontario Place has been an IMAX cinema since 1971 – in fact the first permanent IMAX projection system in the world. As such Toronto has once again been privileged with cultural experiences most other cities can only dream of. Up until 2003 IMAX movies were usually documentaries (I can just picture the underwater scenes, or the panoramic sweeps of mountain ranges as I write this) but in 2003 Matrix Revolutions became the first movie to be released simultaneously to regular cinemas and IMAX. For me the IMAX experience was taken to the next level 3 years ago when I saw Avatar on IMAX 3D. Watching movies at regular cinemas just wouldn’t cut it anymore.

IMAX – IS BELIEVING

So what is IMAX and what makes it so special? The answer can be found on IMAX.com but we will attempt to summarize the 7 elements of what makes IMAX:

Digital Re-Mastering -The process to transform normal film digitally where every frame is adjusted for maximum visual and aural experience. Bottom line the film either gets retreated to IMAX standards or is treated from the beginning as an IMAX film.

Projection -The projectors need to be more powerful than regular projectors to be able to show IMAX content both in analog or digital format. You cant simply play an IMAX film on a normal projector so the bottom line is that you get better more powerful projectors as a result of the need to increase the experience.

Sound –  IMAX does not give many technical specs on their sound system except that they feature wider frequency response. Bottom line is that the IMAX sound is unlike any you have ever heard with its full surround setup (is there a speaker up on the roof also – it sure seems like it)

Theatre Geometry – The screens are huge and usually wall to wall and the screen is also curved giving the viewer better peripheral experience. The theaters are also wide and short rather than narrow and long – this brings the viewer closer to the screen. Bottom line – IMAX requires specially built movie theater halls to enhance the viewer experience even more.

3D – 2 projectors run simultaneously to produce a 3D image which is much clearer and brighter than traditional cinemas. However this one is not of interest to me as wearing 3D glasses to watch a movie for the gimmick effect of 3D is not realistic. The current buzz of stereoscopic 3D was created from an attempt of TV manufacturers to start increasing their margins, but consumers have shown they are not interested in it. Bottom line – if you are into 3D then IMAX is the best way to experience it.

IMAX at Empire Theatres

Aspect Ratio – While most cinemas are 2.40:1 (meaning the screen is 2.4 times wider than it is tall), IMAX is shot at at the more realistic 1.43:1. The screens are also curved as opposed to being flat. Bottom line is with IMAX the movie engulfs and surrounds you by giving you more screen to watch.

Camera – The cameras used to film IMAX scenes use 70mm film (rather than standard 35mm) but more impressively have huge resolution. To put it in perspective analog TV is 640X480, Blu-Ray is 1920X1080 while the IMAX camera shoots at 10,000X7,000. Bottom line is that the higher resolution cameras produce much clearer footage.

IMAX

At this point it should be clear IMAX is not just a bigger screen but a bigger experience. When we walked into Skyfall last night it was immediately satisfying to sit in the big wide stadium. Pleasing blue lights set the mood for what was sure to be a spectacular ride. As the opening scene rolls your eyes and mind need about 5 seconds to re calibrate. As creatures of instinct and habit, no matter if this is your first or your one hundredth IMAX movie, you are used to a certain cinema experience and IMAX is not what you are used to. It takes a few seconds to process and train your sensory system for the better experience.Your whole peripheral vision gets filled, the sound blasts your soul, and you relax your neck muscles and lean back. Special effect movies are the natural forte of IMAX, and James Bond was a perfect fit for the experience tonight. One standout scene was the climactic explosion of Bond’s childhood manor where the sound system must have left the whole Empress Walk complex shaking.

Verdict: We initially posed the question if a $5 premium was worth the IMAX experience. The answer is a resounding yes. Instead of buying that ridiculously overpriced popcorn combo, do yourself a favor and buy the IMAX ticket instead (and save yourself a thousand calories in the process). It’s like going to a concert of a band you love and having the choice of floor tickets or 300 level seating where even your binoculars can’t help you capture the intensity of the concert. There is no doubt whatsoever that the IMAX experience is the best cinematic experience possible and we stand by that statement (until holographic surround experiences come to our lives).

Movie combo prices

For more information on IMAX you can check out their website, Twitter, and Facebook.