(Ed. Note – If you aren’t caught up on our Endgame coverage yet, make sure to check out our spoiler-free review & guide to 5 MCU films you should brush up on, before heading to the theater! Enjoy)
Do you have your Avengers: Endgame tickets yet? Are you planning on waiting a week or two before checking it out? Do you plan on seeing the film multiple times? If you said yes to the last question, then we have but one suggestion to you: variety is the spice of life. Sure it’s a proverb that gets added to just about everything, though in this case, it’s a good way to heighten your theatrical viewing experience. When a film is almost three hours, changing things up can only help. So, as Endgame is one of the two biggest movie releases this year, there’s a lot to choose from. Which is why we naturally put together a guide of the different offerings you have. Just make note that not every one of the options that follow may be available in your region.
IMAX
There’s no better place to start than what was considered the “gold standard” for many years, outside of your traditional multiplex. For good reason, too. The main difference used to sell these screenings is that the film is projected horizontally, so that the image width is greater than the width of the film. Technical jargon, not the biggest selling point. What will sell you is that many filmmakers have made movies, partially filming with IMAX cameras. The Dark Knight, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Interstellar, The Force Awakens, Catching Fire and The Last Jedi are just a few titles. Directors Anthony & Joe Russo took things one step further, filming the entirety of both Infinity War and Endgame with IMAX/Arri digital cameras. The results speak for themselves. They even a whole page dedicated to going into the whole process, that’s surprising well worth a read.
Maybe this is a case where it’s just better to see it in action.
To find out where the nearest IMAX showtimes are near you, click here.
AMC Dolby Cinema
The main reason we placed this one second, is because most AMCs equipped with an IMAX also have a Dolby Cinema screen. While traditionally equated to theater sound systems, Dolby has upped there game the last few years, as far as screen technology goes. Brighter, more vivid colors! The inkiest blacks imaginable! You get the idea. Dolby pairs all this with their trademark Atmos audio mixing for a fully immersive experience. And it’s true to its word. Things are absolutely better when viewed in this format. Should you want to see the film in one of the best “presentations” available, this is your best bet. Just remember that little bit your losing in optimization, won’t lessen the film, overall. It’s the “classy” option, if you will.
For showtimes at the nearest Dolby Cinema screen, check here.
4DX
Maybe super big screens and sound swirling around you isn’t your thing. Maybe what you crave is something more EXTREME! (insert metal guitar riff and lighting effects here. 4DX is what you’re looking for. It’s…well to be honest, 4DX is probably better suited for when you are seeing the Endgame the third or fourth time. When you know all the beats that are coming. The ability to see the future will likely come in handy when going to a show like this. While the other choices are enhancing your theatrical viewings, this option is very much like watching a movie, strapped to a roller coaster. For. Three. Hours. There’s something genuinely terrifying about all this. Whenever you have to sign a digital waiver, to see a movie, you may want to think twice. That’s also the thrill, though, so maybe just don’t get blotto before choosing this route.
Again, seeing is better than reading words.
Credit where credit is due, the team behind 4DX clearly worked hard on this. Seats pitch and a gust of wind blows when Iron Man takes flight. Seats steadily sink and rise whenever Ant-Man performs a coordinating action. If you have the stones (yup!), it might be worth the risk. At worst, you’d end up as confused as the Russo Brothers appear, in this interview:
Check out the small number of locations, utilizing 4DX, here.
MX4D
At first glance you may be slightly confused by these last two entries. Granted they share many of the same letters and even the same number. That’s just how it goes when you have companies competing with the same gimmick. The difference here, is 4XD specifically invested money in making Endgame an extra special event. Outside that little piece, the experience is virtually the same and operating on the same principles. In an MX4D theater chairs rock and rise. Lights flash to simulate lightning and explosions. Water mist is sprayed for rain, spit takes, water sequences. Fog is pumped out of the front of the screen, whenever smoke is present in the movie. Fair warning though, when smoke is present they also spray a scent, pumped through the chair. It’s best described as “burnt day old bbq meets wet dog”. Maybe best saved for your 10th viewing.
You can find tickets for an MX4D showing near you, by looking at the small list here.
Do any of these options float your boat? Are you game enough to see it on every one of these screens listed above (where you live)? Do you already have tickets to one of these theaters for your first viewing? Be sure to share your thoughts down in the comments. Regardless of what you choose, Endgame is precisely the kind of film to see with friends. As streaming services continue to rise and rise, people sometimes forget what a thrill it can be to see a major cinematic event such as this on the big screen. Trust us when we say you’ll remember where you were and how you saw Avengers: Endgame, for years to come.
