RtS: IMAX at GardenWalk, Anaheim
 

Rank the Swank - Theater and Movies


Overall Swank Rank

IMAX at GardenWalk, Anaheim
GardenWalk Anaheim
321 W. Katella Ave
Anaheim, CA
July 19, 2008
http://themovieexperience.com/tme-gwalk.shtml


The Lowdown
Not exactly the IMAX I expected

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The Scene
I've been to IMAX twice before at the Spectrum in Irvine. There, the screen is all-engulfing, and the seats are beyond-stadium, right up near the screen. This place is not like that at all.

The theater itself is medium sized and the layout is just like a regular stadium seating theater. The screen is definitely larger than usual - floor to ceiling. However, you are no closer to it than you normally would be, and there is no wrap-around to speak of.

We saw The Dark Knight there and I have to say, the print was DIRTY. There were very large specs of dirt distracting from nearly every scene. It was as if they were trying to emulate old-timey filmmaking. No hairs or lint but these large dots were inexcusable.

Sound was excellent, probably the only thing it's got going for it.

The dinky website sells tickets without service charges but it's still $13.50 for an evening show. NOT WORTH IT. I really couldn't say it was any better than a regular showing. I'd definitely say I wished I saw it in a digital theater for less money instead...or waited to see it in real IMAX in Irvine.

Don't go there expecting to be blown away.

I was thinking of posting a RTS as well. I agree with everything CP said, and I'll add the GardenWalk parking structure is a total nightmare.

Maybe this is the "new style" of IMAX, maybe it's the theater. Regardless, I'm going to go see it again at the Spectrum IMAX this week.

You forgot to mention the rather laborious pre-show lecture from the theater manager telling us how awesome his theater is.

Were you tempted to find the manager after the show to tell him he was wrong?

The so-called IMAX at the Bridge in West L.A. is the same. Just a regular theater with a large screen.

The "regular" theater I saw Dark Knight at (the Village in Westwood) has a larger screen than that "IMAX" screen.

The action sequences in Dark Knight were filmed in the IMAX format, so I'd like to see the film in real IMAX ... but I'm not driving to Irvine just for that.

As I haven't seen the film "normal", I can't truly judge, but it did not seem to me that the sequences were extra-special in any way. Next time something like this comes out, it's Spectrum fo sho.

I don't think I could have tolerated IMAX for 150+ minutes.

It didn't bother me, and I'm pretty prone to motion sickness. Dunno if it'd have been worse in a "proper" IMAX theater.

I don't have issues with motion sickness during IMAX presentation (I don't have issues with it anywhere) but rather I just don't like sitting so close to such a big screen.

When I'm by myself I'm the guy sitting in the last row of the theater. IMAX is like sitting in the front row. Just not my taste and it quickly wears thin with me. I unexpectedly watched Kung Fu Panda on IMAX and that was a bit too long for my preferences.

Slow nature photography is generally ok with me but for real movies I'm not a fan of IMAX.

Heheh, I'm so the opposite. I've been known to sit in the front row of the Cinerama Dome so the screen will literally wrap around me and extend past the edges of my peripheral vision on both sides.