Beowulf 3D - IMAX

Posted by: Mr Underhill on 09 December 2007

OK - not strictly HT, but took the girls up to Waterloo last night. Ridiculous, I go up to Town every day, but have never been to the IMAX.

....and...

They open up with a demo of surround sound, emphasising their 12,000 watt speaker system. So was it better than home? Funnily enough ....no, I don't think so. What was pretty breath taking was the size of the screen and 3D.

With Lucas et al playing with 3D for standard digital projection could this be coming to a home cinema near you in the not too distant future?

One of the demo pieces is a sea borne dinosaur swimming straight at you - impressive stuff. In combination with what is a good sound system, this is something we'll come to at least a couple of times a year, film depending.

Beowulf is a film that I would have gone to anyway, and so was the ideal candidate for breaking my IMAX virginhood. Good? I think it is worth the ticket price, but it is a bit of a curate's egg.

This is NOT the saga as taught in school. The story has been 'sexed' up, after all Angelina Jolie is playing Mumma. The changes don't cause me any especial issues, and do add some interesting overtones.

I thought it interesting that so many parents took younger children. It is a 12A, and probably should be a 15.

The dragon climax in 3D is worth going in and of itself.

M
Posted on: 09 December 2007 by Roy Donaldson
Funnily enough, I went to see the exact same film in the Glasgow IMAX last night. Film was ok, but I enjoyed it being on the large IMAX screen. It's what I think makes going there. 3D was ok, but I'm just as happy at home with a nice bottle of wine and my full Naim home cinema Smile

Roy.
Posted on: 09 December 2007 by Mr Underhill
Hi Roy,

The screen size IS impressive. I enjoyed watching those normal 'full' size adverts taking up such a small amount of the IMAX screen.

My daughter told me that during the adverts some girls sitting in front of her said, 'That isn't going to be the size of the film is it?'.

M
Posted on: 10 December 2007 by tonym
Interesting Stuff! so did you have to wear special specs to see the 3-D?

I remember many years ago watching a crummy old horror film in 3-D. But the effect was actually quite good! And then there was going to be "Smelly-vision". But let's not go there!
Posted on: 10 December 2007 by jcs_smith
The IMAX at waterloo is really cool. The 3d effects when the dionosaur cam out of the creen had me trying to bury myself back into my seat. I couldn't help it - it was an automatic reaction.
However I won't go back again. The seats are so cramped that my knees were pushed hard up against the back of the seat in front of me, so by the end of the film my back was killing me and I had pins and needles in my legs. Shame really because the screen was great, the film was good (The latest Harry Potter - pretty good 3D section) but if the experience leaves you in pain it's not worth it
Posted on: 10 December 2007 by BigH47
How tall are you? Perhaps the question should be do you have particularly long legs?
Posted on: 10 December 2007 by jcs_smith
No I don't. I'm 6 foot
Posted on: 10 December 2007 by Mr Underhill
Hi Tony,

Yep - silly glasses are compulsary!



jcs,

That dinosaur IS damned impressive.

My wife and I found it comfortable - and we go to the local Odeon a lot, no worse than a standard seat.


Got to day that I was impressed, but it won't turn a pig's ear into a silk purse; now Harry Potter I would like to have seen there.

M
Posted on: 11 December 2007 by jcs_smith
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Underhill:


jcs,

That dinosaur IS damned impressive.

My wife and I found it comfortable - and we go to the local Odeon a lot, no worse than a standard seat.

M


Knowing my luck we were assigned the only seats in the building with restricted leg room.

You're right by the way - Harry Potter was as very good film. I've never read any of the books but the films have always seemed pretty good, and suprisingly dark to me