Review: 4DX brings the theme parks to your local movie theater

The 4DX cinema experience has been around for five years, but I hadn’t had the chance to experience it myself until last week during a screening of “Terminator: Dark Fate.”

4dx seats

For those unfamiliar, 4DX is described as “the first and leading 4D cinema technology for feature films, providing moviegoers with an immersive, multi-sensory cinematic experience, allowing the audience to connect with movies through motion, vibration, water, wind, snow, lightning, scents, and other special effects that enhance the visuals on-screen.”

I had heard great things about the experience from friends who had gone to our local 4DX theater inside the Regal Pointe Orlando movie theater, so I was excited when the people at 4DX invited us to see a screening of “Terminator: Dark Fate” in the unique format.

As someone who goes to the theme parks in Orlando on a regular basis, my expectations were high. And honestly, 4DX delivered! Right off the bat, as soon as I walked into the theater, I noticed how the seats were all separated into their own mini simulators, generally each one being four seats long.

I sat down and immediately noticed a button where you could choose to turn off any water effects that may occur. Because I wanted the full experience, I kept mine on. Then the trailers started and I was surprised to see all the 4DX effects were also synced to them. Seeing the final “Star Wars: The Ride of Skywalker” trailer in 4DX made me want to come back and see the whole film in this format!

The trailers ended up being a good way for me to start getting used to how the seats move and the effects work so I could pay more attention to the movie once it started. It felt like all the effects were on full blast for “Terminator: Dark Fate.” The chairs moved in all directions during the chase scenes, and there were burning rubber and gunfire smells, light flashes, water, and wind. There is even a point where the Terminator is getting shot in the back, and you can feel the bullet hits in the back of your seat.

In the end, I ended up having so much fun in the 4DX theater. It’s definitely a very unique way to watch movies. However, I would recommend seeing a film normally first, to take in the story. There were times I was a little distracted by everything happening and missed a moment or two.

As for “Terminator: Dark Fate” itself, I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. It is certainly the best of all the sequels that have come out since “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”.

To find a 4DX theater near you, head to CJ4DX.com. If you’ve seen more than one film in 4DX, which one was your favorite?

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