If you’ve just woken up from a coma, you may not be aware that Dune: Part Two is currently out in theatres across the world! I’ve already published my spoiler free review here on Screen Love Affair. In that review I described Dune: Part Two as a generation-defining film the likes of which I haven’t seen since The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s a sci-fi epic that must be seen on the biggest screen and with the best sound possible, so you can be transported away to the spice fields of Arrakis and immersed in the world that director Denis Villeneuve brings to life.
After reading such overwhelming praise you’re probably already grabbing your phone right now to buy tickets. However, you’re now faced with a choice: What format should I watch this movie in?
Depending on where you live, there can be a lot of choices too. On top of a regular theatre, you also have 3D, D-Box, UltraAVX, ScreenX, 4DX, 70mm, IMAX, or some combination of those formats, and each one of them is advertised as the best way to immerse yourself in the movie.
I’ve realized that many moviegoers face the same dilemma of choosing the best format for their viewing experience, so in this article, I’ll give you a comprehensive guide to all of the non-standard formats and give you my personal recommendations!
For reference, a ticket to a regular screening of Dune: Part Two is $14.00. All prices are shown in Canadian dollars and don’t include taxes or Cineplex’s predatory “online booking fee”. It does however include the extra $1 that Cineplex charges for popular movies. If you want to read more about my disappointment with Canada’s largest theatre chain over some of these practices, check out that article here.
The Formats Ranked
#6 – D-Box: $22.00
D-Box is a normal theatre in terms of screen and sound, but some rows in the theatre are special D-Box seats that move and vibrate. These seats can vary in size and looks depending on your theatre, but in Montreal they were just slightly comfier standard seats. Each seat has a settings pad where you can lower or raise the intensity of the experience. The movement isn’t significant even at the highest setting and just more or less can tilt the seat up, down, forward, backwards, and side to side. The movement and vibrations are set for each movie to try and match what’s happening on screen to offer a more “immersive” experience.
Given that this is last on my list though, I can’t say that this makes for a very immersive experience. In fact, I think it actively detracts from the movie.
A certain meme came to mind when reflecting on my D-Box experience:
I’m not sure what I can say beyond this is just watching a movie in a vibrating chair that also occasionally tilts. It’s a pure gimmick and is so distracting that if you’re actually trying to watch the movie, you’ll just want to set it to low or move to a different seat. Unlike 4DX, though, which is also incredibly distracting, this doesn’t change the experience enough to justify doing this after you’ve watched the movie in a more ideal format.
Verdict: 💔💔
I can’t recommend D-Box to anyone for any reason and for $8 more than a normal ticket you should just avoid this at all costs.
#5 – ScreenX: $20.00
ScreenX is a unique theatre experience with two additional projections on the sides of the theatre as if it’s extending the screen. The walls were specifically designed for this projection too, so it’s not just projecting on the walls of a regular theatre. There are two projectors in the middle of the theatre projecting on the opposite walls so the whole theatre is much brighter than a normal screening would be too. I took a picture just before the movie started so you can get a sense of what this looks like:
On the experience itself, I’m more mixed than I expected. Of all these new gimmicky formats, this is the one that has the most potential, I suppose, but also has the worst implementation.
The movie starts with the side screens in full use for the entire opening sequence of the movie and I was very distracted by it. It definitely makes you feel more surrounded, but I caught myself looking at the side screens a few times, and they definitely don’t look great. I’m not sure exactly how they do all of the visuals for the side screens, because the movie certainly wasn’t filmed this wide, but it was clear that they used some very low quality digital effects to try and simulate what would be there. The image quality on the sides is also noticeably lower too, so the image lacks detail and clarity. To make matters worse, the colours on the side screens were noticeably different as well. Shots of the desert in Dune: Part Two are a bit more white than the two side screens, which had a consistent orange tint to them that didn’t match up with the main screen most of the time.
The other issue I noticed right away was that there were noticeable gaps where the edges of the screens meet, which looked incredibly wonky. As people entered the frame on the main screen from one of the sides, there were noticeable misalignments and slight delays that made it feel off. Because the side screens are more squared too, there were issues with shots not being lined up. For example a shot of the planet Arrakis from space very early in the movie doesn’t line up properly so even in my peripheral vision I could see the planet looked jagged in a way it wasn’t supposed to. It’s not the best example, but you can even notice a similar issue on a picture I took before the movie started:
In spite of all of these noticeable issues though, I started to settle in as the opening of the movie continued and became less distracted by the side screens. I was able to focus solely on the screen in the middle and let the side screens just add to my immersion, until . . . they just shut off. I’m not kidding! Right as I got used to it, they stopped using the side screens. Apparently they turn off and on for particular scenes! So every single time they pop back on is incredibly noticeable and once again distracts you from the movie.
There was one scene in particular (which I won’t spoil) that I was wondering why it wasn’t showing the side screens for. Then they do a slow expansion as the screens slowly fill out to try and make it feel epic or something, and I had to catch my eyes because they rolled out of my head. This scene in the movie is particularly epic, and I felt like this was trying to draw more attention to the format, rather than simply enhancing the onscreen action.
It also made me laugh because the sequence where Austin Butler’s character, Feyd-Rautha, is introduced was evidently too hard to add the expanded screen for. The scenes are incredibly unique because they were shot with an infrared camera to give an eerie black and white effect that looks incredible. Most of the sequence takes place in a grand sort of coliseum which would have benefited from the expanded screen, but alas, they apparently couldn’t be bothered to implement it.
It’s absolutely baffling to me that they implement it this way. I understand that not all scenes would benefit equally from it, but that’s not the point. They advertise this as a “270 degree panoramic screen” but can you imagine watching a movie at home and two thirds of your screen were off at certain points of the movie? It’s pretty unbelievable.
Verdict: 💔💔
I hated this pretty tremendously. The only reason this is ahead of D-Box is because there might be some kind of potential here. The idea of a giant screen really does offer the potential for a more immersive experience, but until they’re able to make it a single seamless screen with less of a square look, this won’t cut it. There’s a laundry list of other issues, too, including the gap in projector quality, the bad visuals they generate for the side screens, and the fact that the side screens are off for most of the movie, just to name a few.
I wouldn’t recommend this, even over a standard theatre experience, and ScreenX costs you an extra $6.00 per ticket. It’s just too distracting and implemented so poorly that it will detract from whatever you’re watching.
#4 – 4DX: $22.75
4DX is definitely the most different of all the formats covered in this article. The screen and sound are average, but the projector used in the Ottawa theater where we saw this was incredibly dim and made it hard to see certain scenes (this likely varies from theatre to theatre though). Where 4DX really sets itself apart is with all the extras. There are strobe lights, a fog machine, and the seats are in groups of four and vibrate and move around a lot more than D-Box seats. They also sprinkle water on you, have fans that simulate wind, and to top it all off they have smells they spray out too. Depending on your movie, they apparently also have things that can shoot bubbles and snow out as well.
As for the experience itself, I want to start by thanking Adriana and Nick for making the road trip with me to Ottawa so we could share in our first 4DX experience together! When the movie began, I was surprised by just how much more the seats moved compared to the D-Box seats. They really can whip you around and I was laughing at how crazy it was for a while. Once that initial surprise wore off, I found this to be less fun though and much more annoying. In the same scene I mentioned in the ScreenX section, where they tried to make the expanded ratio feel epic, the seats moved so much that I was so focused on trying not to fall out of it that I could barely pay attention to what was happening on screen. It was also way over done in the hand-to-hand combat scenes as well. I’ve used the word “distraction” a lot in this article but it’s definitely the most accurate way to describe the experience during the fight sequences. During one scene, in particular, the movie drops the music out completely, so the only sound you can hear is the grunts, clangs, and hits during the fight, but to have the seats audibly moving around during this sequence actively took away from the intent and spirit of that important scene.
The rest of the stuff ranged from oddities to awfully bad gimmicks. The smells were fine, I guess, but they were incredibly weird and non-descript scents that definitely didn’t add anything to the experience for me. The fans blowing didn’t really give me a feeling of immersion either, it just felt like the AC kicked on for a second. They would kick on for intense scenes of gusting winds but just felt like a normal room fan. The water was barely noticeable but that sorta makes sense for this movie in particular. I’ve seen some videos where they give people rain ponchos for certain movies because they can get that wet.
The two really bad aspects, though, were the strobe lights and the fog machine. The strobe lights were used very sparingly in this one, but once again, implementation was my biggest issue here. The light was more in the middle of the theatre and only on one side. So during a firework scene in the movie when the light is coming from the right side of the screen, the strobe would flash on the left side of the theatre. It was so bright too that I would squint when it would happen too. I definitely think it would be better if the light was back further in the theatre, so it isn’t as noticeable.
Without question, though, the funniest and worst part was the fog machine. There was a single fog machine that was at the front right side of the theatre, and it would just occasionally gust a big burst of fog that started as a big cloud before slowly evaporating. Every single time it went off, we would just laugh and at one time it even distorted the projection of a location name. The fact it was only on one side meant that on scenes where the whole screen was showing us high winds and sand blowing around there was just some fog randomly on the right side of the theatre.
Verdict: 💔
I can’t say I would ever really want to do this again and I certainly don’t recommend this format for your first watch of a movie, especially one that you’re excited about. It also just wasn’t fun enough to be able to recommend 4DX on a second watch. This probably would be a fun way to watch one of those “it’s so bad it’s good” movies though with a group of friends, but your mileage may vary.
The one thing I will give 4DX though is that all of these factors combine to completely change the experience. That’s the reason why it’s higher than the other formats on my list. While I would consider D-Box and ScreenX pure gimmicks designed to get you to spend more money with no real benefits and some significant drawbacks, 4DX has just so much going on that comparing it to a standard movie experience feels like I’m comparing apples to oranges.
#3 – 70mm: $17.00
This can vary between theatres, so yours could be slightly different, but in Montreal this was just a standard theatre with a 70mm film projector instead of a digital one. I also want to be clear that this was just the standard 70mm and not 70mm IMAX, which is only available in six cities across Canada at the moment.
I don’t have much to say about this because the only real difference is the use of film, which most people probably wouldn’t notice anyway. I’m a sucker for classic projections and I love some film grain, the hum of a projector, and the slight wobble to subtitles and credits. It just feels right to see that in a movie theatre, and I’m glad I got to experience that again, because it’s been too long since I’ve watched a movie on real film.
One negative thing I will note, and this is perhaps more theatre specific, is that this theatre had probably the smallest screen of all of the ones I saw Dune: Part Two on and, without a doubt, the worst sound, which is very disappointing.
Verdict: ❤️
Despite being lackluster in screen size and sound, I love seeing a movie on film. However, unless you also appreciate that old school feeling of watching a movie on film, the extra $3.00 cost over a standard theatre experience is probably not justifiable for most people.
#2 – UltraAVX: $20.00
UltraAVX is free of all the extra gimmicks and is otherwise a simple theatre but with much better sound and larger screen.
I must say, I love UltraAVX. When you watch a movie in an UltraAVX theatre you don’t need to worry about falling out of a vibrating seat that’s swinging you around or two extra screens that are only on part of the time. No, with UltraAVX the gimmicks are gone and you just have a big screen with some of the best sound available. If your seat vibrates in this theatre, it’s because of the deep bass the sound system in here can produce.
Verdict: ❤️❤️
Listen, I don’t have much else to say about Ultra AVX. This is one of the biggest screens available, with sound that’s better than most IMAX theatres. If my pick for the number one slot isn’t available to you but UltraAVX is, don’t think twice. UltraAVX is one of the best ways to watch a movie!
#1 – IMAX: $21.00
IMAX is probably the most familiar format on this list. Despite being around since the 1970’s, IMAX only started taking off commercially in the last decade or two. What makes IMAX theatres different are the screens, which are the largest screens available, and the improved sound. IMAX screens are taller and more square compared to the wider and more common movie screens you’re probably used to. There can be a lot of variance unfortunately with IMAX, though, as not all screens are the same size and content not filmed specifically for IMAX may not take advantage of the entire screen. In Montreal there are three IMAX screens, but the Scotiabank Theatre downtown has the biggest one.
In Canada, there are only six 70mm IMAX screens, which are the biggest and best versions of IMAX available.
Before I embarked on this journey for this article, IMAX was my preferred method to watch movies. I watched Dune: Part Two three times in IMAX all during the movie’s opening weekend. There’s a reason that people say “see this on the biggest screen possible”, and experiencing this movie in IMAX will make that clear to anyone who goes.
See, good cinema doesn’t require a wind machine, bubbles, vibrating seats that move, fog, rain, snow, flashing lights, or smell-o-vision for you to be immersed fully in a movie. I should be looking at a screen so large in a room so dark that the world around me simply fades away, as if I’m alone to escape the limitations of the real world and be transported to another. If I feel a rumble, it should be the bass from the movie itself causing that sensation, not a motor in my seat.
Verdict: ❤️❤️
IMAX strips away all of these gimmicks and lets the filmmakers deliver everything they need to. The impeccable visuals of Dune: Part Two will leave you breathless at how great they look while the sound elevates every emotional beat perfectly so you can feel the right things at exactly the right moments. I teared up watching this movie in IMAX at a part that’s not even meant to be sad, because I was so overwhelmed by the power of cinema and how everything from the sound to the visuals to the performances can come together to make me feel something so strongly.
That is the IMAX difference and that is why it’s my favourite way to experience movies.
Conclusion
What this whole thing has proven to me is that there truly is magic in cinema. Dune: Part Two is undeniably special, but don’t just take my word for it. My friends JS and Nick joined Adriana and I for the opening night screening in IMAX. Nick, who loves movies but despises the theater experience, rarely attends, while JS, who watches the occasional blockbuster, isn’t a frequent moviegoer. Remarkably, Nick saw Dune: Part Two three times in theaters, and JS went twice, and I will never forget when JS turned to me after and said “This was the greatest cinematic experience of my life.”
I truly believe that had he watched this at home months later, or gone to see this movie with all of these gimmicks involved, he wouldn’t have had that same feeling. The gimmicks of moving chairs that vibrate and extra screens are all just distractions that pull your focus away from the movie you’re there to watch.
That’s also why I would put a standard theatre experience above D-Box, ScreenX, 4DX, or even watching something at home. I’m confident enough after all of these viewings to declare that movies are best enjoyed on the biggest screen with the best sound that is available to you.
A bigger screen and better sound means a more immersive experience and seeing a movie in theatres and in IMAX only amplifies what you’re able to feel. Sure, not every movie you see in a theatre will be as good as Dune: Part Two, but every movie you watch in theatres will be the best version of that movie.
So, grab your tickets for Dune: Part Two on the biggest screen you can find, and remember: Long live cinema!
Adriana Wiszniewska
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