There’s a perfect way to watch Twisters

I had no reason to take advantage Tornadoes as much as me.

For one, I’m not a fan of disaster movies. I also have no connection to the original 1996 film. Tornado — although it turns out you don’t need to know anything about the first film to watch this standalone sequel. I didn’t come away from Tornadoes I thought it was particularly good. The performances by Daisy Edgar-Jones and (sorry) Glen Powell were mediocre. The dialogue was silly. The musical cues were laughable. Every aspect of the film seemed to be focused on, including the omission of a climactic kiss between the two “romantic” leads.

So how did I manage to leave? Tornadoes You might say I’m thrilled? I paid $6 extra to see it in 4DX, an “immersive” cinematic experience that seems to be the only way anyone can consume this ridiculous film.

For the uninitiated, 4DX is a bit like watching an entire action movie inside one of those virtual reality space shuttles at an amusement park — but much more visceral. The experience at Regal Cinemas includes motion-enabled seats that shake and swivel. In the case of TornadoesThere are gusts of wind, raindrops and fog. It also provides a heightened communal experience. During my screening, several scenes were followed by loud applause, especially after a tragic scene where innocent characters die. By the end of the film, I wasn’t sure if everyone was reacting to the events of the film or to the chaotic bodily experience we had all endured together.

Tornadoes has already generated a lot of good publicity for the limited format. The film earned $2.1 million in 4DX tickets during its opening weekend, and moviegoers can’t stop raving about the experience on social media. It’s certainly good publicity ahead Deadpool and Wolverinereleased this weekend, which can also be experienced for a limited time in 4DX.

4DX is just one of many movie formats that have made moviegoing more exciting, but also a lot more confusing—and expensive. With streaming forcing more people to stay home, theater chains seem to be focused on selling premium experiences. But are they improving the moviegoing experience or complicating it with all these different options? The answer could be both.

If you’ve purchased a movie ticket recently, you’ve probably noticed the growing number of premium formats available. The list of options for Tornadoes The film is comically long and completely confusing in the New York area. In addition to 4DX, you can also pay to see the film in IMAX, Laser at AMC, IMAX with Laser at AMC, Dolby Cinema at AMC, Prime at AMC, RPX, and Screen X. You can also see it in standard 2D digital format, the least expensive of all these options. However, when compared to all these formats that seem inherently sophisticated—even if you have no idea what they mean—a standard screening can seem less than ideal.

What exactly are these formats? Most of the time, they amplify the way you see and hear a movie. IMAX, shot with IMAX cameras on 70mm film, is probably the most well-known. A more exclusive format like RPX is a little stranger still. RPX (Regal Premium Experience) is Regal Cinema’s in-house big-screen format, which features an updated audio system. It’s not as high-quality as IMAX, nor as premium as Dolby Digital Cinema, which is found in AMC theaters. Dolby Cinema uses two 4K laser projectors, which have four times the resolution of a standard movie projector. These theaters also feature Dolby Atmos, an ultra-surround sound system that includes speakers in the ceiling and transducers in the seats.

The AMC Laser uses laser projectors in place of digital projectors, while the Laser with IMAX simply combines their respective technologies. The AMC PRIME features Cinionic laser projectors, better acoustics, and “sublime seats.” (On paper, it doesn’t sound all that different from the Laser.) Finally, the Screen X is a more immersive experience, using a 270-degree panoramic presentation system. Like the 4DX, it’s an export from South Korea. It’s equally clever, blowing up images along the walls during key scenes to make the audience feel like they’re inside a room or on a battlefield.

As confusing and unnecessary as they may be, the advent of these trendy new formats makes perfect sense at a time when people need an extra incentive to get off their couch and into a movie theater. With the popularity of streaming and the speed at which movies are moving from theaters to VOD, it seems that theater chains need to market themselves differently, not just with their movie offerings, but also with a unique experience that can’t be replicated at home.

The strategy of selling a film in a special format seems to have worked for Oppenheimer. While IMAX isn’t exactly a new format, Christopher Nolan’s appeal to audiences to see Oppenheimer Much of the film’s success seems to have been tied to the film’s showing on the largest screen possible, whether it was IMAX 70mm or not. Not only did IMAX theaters sell out quickly, especially in New York, but the level of demand prompted an extended run of the film. It also reminded audiences how much the size of their screen and the quality of the image can enhance a good film.

4DX, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely. Its goal is to entertain audiences, not elevate art. While it could become a huge cash cow for theater chains, it’s hard to know if it’s ultimately what’s best for moviegoing as a whole.

Tornadoes could do what for 4DX Oppenheimer Critics and casual viewers are raving about the online format, and screenings are selling out. It’s certainly the most PR 4DX screenings have garnered since they arrived in the U.S. in 2014. But is it something the film industry could reject?

4DX technology is designed to awaken the viewer’s senses and place them inside the movie. But it’s safe to say that all the movement and effects distract from the story being told on screen. I spent most of my time Tornadoes I was waiting for the action sequences so I could shake in my seat and laugh with my friends. Plus, it was hard to pay attention to the film’s direction, dialogue, or the science behind storm chasing while I was being shaken.

In the case of a silly movie about tornadoes, I didn’t feel like I was being robbed. My friends and I agreed that we would have been bored to death if we had watched Tornadoes in any other format. Yet we came away with a reaction that wasn’t exactly sincere. Nor did we respond adequately to the tone the film was trying to create at certain points. For example, a devastating opening sequence that sets up a post-traumatic arc for Edgar-Jones’ character, Kate, was met with enthusiasm and laughter. Who knows if being more locked into that moment would have made the stakes of the film more real. It’s hard to argue that one must respect the gravity of a film like this Tornadoesbut for a better quality film with good performances, one can imagine that a certain amount of seriousness is lost.

It remains to be seen whether 4DX will pose a real “threat” to movie theaters. Currently, there are only 50 4DX theaters in the United States. Additionally, the higher ticket price, averaging $8 more than the price of a standard ticket, may not appeal to some moviegoers.

Still, it’s not hard to see this debate becoming the next great debate about cinema. Given the panic filmmakers have already expressed about young people watching movies on their iPhones, one can imagine the kind of uproar that would erupt in Hollywood if 4DX became a bigger phenomenon. For now, though, it seems Americans have never been more excited about a new filmmaking technology since before the pandemic. If movie executives are going to feed us terrible intellectual property, they might as well give us a chance to sway in their seats.