With the recent loss of SilverCity and the area’s only IMAX theatre, Windsor movie fans have had to rely solely on Cineplex Odeon Devonshire Mall or Imagine Cinemas Lakeshore locations for a dose of Hollywood magic; and until now, neither location could offer an IMAX presentation.
Enter Cineplex Odeon Devonshire Mall Cinemas, which recently opened a newly renovated IMAX auditorium just over two weekends ago. IMAX combines proprietary software, architecture, and equipment to create experiences that take the audience beyond the edge of their seat to a world they never imagined. The company that invented the IMAX technology, brands the screenings as the World’s Most Innovative Movie-Going Experience.
The combination of a perfectly tuned integrated sound system and precise speaker orientation ensures audiences can hear a pin drop and be able to tell exactly where it landed. Every note of the soundtrack and every scuff of a shoe is clearer in IMAX, with a complete overhaul of each movie’s audio overseen by the film’s director. All of this pristine sound is then pumped into a theatre, like the new one at Devonshire Mall in Windsor, that has been customized for an optimal experience.
If a film like Jurassic World Dominion, which was designed to be screened in an IMAX auditorium, is truly better than a regular screening, the results should be obvious. We never expected the results to dramatically shine as well as it did.
With Jurassic World Domination, the first blockbuster shown in Windsor, the thrills were rampant and the chills were wild. In Windsor, the new IMAX attracted a near capacity crowd for the latest installment of the Jurassic Park series. Although the film has been receiving a mixed bag of reviews, none of the bad ones were coming from those that experienced the IMAX experience the night we were there – even the usher was impressed with the smiles and looks of satisfaction on the faces of everyone leaving, telling us he hadn’t heard a bad word about the IMAX film. The after-show chatter was strictly on how good the movie actually was. In comparison to the regular theatrical presentations, Jurassic World Domination was getting poor marks and extremely negative reviews, calling it the worst of the franchise and an all-around bad film, with not enough dinosaurs and little to boast about.
Apparently, an IMAX experience does make all the difference in the world. The same film, presented in IMAX, appeared loaded with dinosaurs, burst with sound, dripped with sweat and boosted the body’s adrenaline, much like the first film in the series did all those years ago. All the complaints of no dinos, seemed almost foolish, as we watched a film packed with tons of new animals, and some old favourites smashing across the screen.
IMAX really is an immense explosion of sound, visuals and vibrations and Windsor finally has a new one. The bass rumbles and even the slightest of whispers, or grass flutters in the case of Jurassic World, are as clear and precise as can be. If a film was meant to be shown in IMAX, it can’t be beat. The Jurassic World Dominion test has shown that a movie can become more than just a movie, it can become an immersive trip to another world.
There are only 13 IMAX theatres in Ontario and just 25 across the Cineplex circuit in Canada. The Devonshire Mall cinema also provide screenings in ATMOS, UltraAVX, RealD 3D, D-BOX and full recliner seats. The choice of experience is yours to make, but if a film is designed with IMAX, be sure to take in the full experience.
The Devonshire Mall IMAX is currently screening Minions: The Rise of Gru. For more information on the IMAX or Devonshire Mall cinemas, visit cineplex.com.
