A 4DX movie theater put me so close to 'Batman v Superman,' I could smell their super-sweat
I have seen the future of movie-going, and it is water-spewing, butt-rattling theater seats.
That's what an $8 ticket surcharge gets you when you book reserved seating in a 4DX-enhanced movie theater. 4DX brings the motion simulation of theme park rides like Disney's Star Tours to your average summer blockbuster.
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Here's where you sit when you spring for 4DX:
The seats are fancy, but they're not particularly comfortable. Comfort isn't really the point with 4DX. You feel all sorts of hard bits just beneath the cushions, but they're necessary for knocking you around when big things happen on the screen.
Each seat is actually part of a bank of four, and they all move in tandem according to whichever movie they're programmed for. The seat movement is the coolest part.
The opening scenes from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice run through (light spoiler alert!) the Batman origin story and a retread of Man of Steel's final showdown, this time seen from Bruce Wayne's perspective. It's a healthy mix of slow, sweeping tracking shots and frenetic action.
Surprisingly, the moving seats enhance the slow moments very effectively. They glide left and ride, forward and backward as the camera pans around each scene.
It's a subtle shift, slight enough that you might not notice it's even happening at first. But when the seat ever-so-slowly tilts forward as a low-angle camera ascends into a bird's-eye perspective, you feel it.
Action sequences work similarly, but with greater intensity. The seat leans hard to the left or right as cars take sharp turns. A concussive blast slamming into the foreground of a scene angles you back sharply.
4DX is unkind to fans of movie popcorn, or any unboxed, non-lidded food or drink.
But movement is only part of the experience. 4DX delivers a multisensory punch, combining motion simulation with effects like water spray, blasts of air, whiffs of burning fire and smoke effects.
Water is potentially the most touchy component of the experience, and 4DX is aware of that. Some people don't go to the movies to get wet. Others are blood relatives to the Wicked Witch of the West.
Fortunately, every seat is equipped with a button that lets you turn off the water completely. (And when it's on, it's only ever a light spray.)
The button is lit well enough to be visible in the dark, but it doesn't distract from the movie-watching experience.
That said, it's worth leaving the water on. At worst, you'll get a few fully formed drops on your face and upper body. No one's leaving any 4DX movie completely soaked (unless there's some hilarious malfunction).
Not all of the multisensory elements of a 4DX showing work, however. Theater-wide effects like simulated smoke or gusts of wind are great, but each seat is fitted with air jets situated next to each of your ears. They're more disruptive than anything else.
If a bullet whizzes by, one of the air jets triggers.
If a bullet whizzes by, for example, one of the air jets triggers. Unfortunately, the airflow out of these jets is very noisy. They pull you out of the experience.
Early in BvS, a Metropolis skyscraper comes crashing down and Ben Affleck charges directly into the billowing white cloud of dust and debris.
At the precise moment he steps into the cloud, several things happen: a gust of wind blows through the theater, and the seats rumble as they tilt back. You feel the transition from open air into suffocating debris cloud.
The devastation of Metropolis effectively demonstrates the range that 4DX is capable of. A departing helicopter produces wind inside the theater. There's a faint smoke smell when the camera pans past burning buildings. Burst water pipes let loose the water sprays.
All of these effects are wired directly into each seat. Look underneath one, and you'll see this:
Is 4DX a game-changer for the movie-going experience? Not quite. But it is a unique way to enhance that experience when you're seeing a big summer blockbuster. And that's the focus for 4DX: big, effects-heavy spectacles. Quiet moments work surprisingly well, but the big moments are what sell it.
There aren't many 4DX-equipped theaters in the U.S. just yet: one in Los Angeles, one just outside of Chicago and -- as of Mar. 2016 -- one in New York, at the Regal Union Square Stadium 14. (Another Regal theater in Times Square is also adding 4DX soon.)
Wherever you live, you can check to see if a theater is close by on the 4DX website.
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Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
