4D is terrible and bad

Something a tad different this week. Because Solo, Deadpool and Infinity War are still stomping all over the box office, there are no new releases I’m interested in seeing. And I’m not seeing Show Dogs or Sherlock Gnomes and you can’t make me. So there.

With that in mind, I thought I’d give my thoughts on another aspect of last week’s cinema experience. This being Cineworld’s relatively new 4DX viewing option. This is what I paid £15 to see Solo in.

Now, I’m not a huge fan of 3D at the best of times. I think paying more to watch a film darker is nonsensical. 4DX takes the 3D experience and adds the dimension of motion and sensation. What this equates to is basically that your seats move, poke your back and spray air jets past your ears. This is all designed to fit what’s happening in the film. So when Han Solo turned the Millennium Falcon, the seats jerk you in the direction he turned.

So would I recommend it? Not really no. It’s not the worst thing in the world but, for the first 30 minutes at least, I found it incredibly distracting from the movie. You sort of settle into it but until then it’s difficult to focus on what’s actually happening as you’re tossed around like disgruntled laundry. And you know how we all love that sensation of a child kicking the back of our seat? Me neither, but that’s part of what you pay for.

Its sort of like a simulation ride at a theme park except the filmmakers didn’t design the film with that purpose in mind. So there are weird approximations for stuff. Laser blasts apparently feeling like cold air jetting past my head. A crashing star-ship equates to a hilariously pathetic plume of pale smoke below the screen. It seems like an afterthought and it adds very little to the filmgoing experience.

So, my advice. Save your money, watch stuff in calm, comfy 2D. At no point should any sane person with to feel nauseous in a movie and pay for the privilege.