iMax (Parnell St.) -VS- iSense (Blanch/The Point)

cormie

Has anyone been to both and can suggest which is best? Might be going with a few friends to see The Hobbit and want to make the most of it.

We'll either go to iMax on Parnell St. or iSense at the Point.

iMax Pros: Apparently the biggest screen in the country
iMax Cons: Right in the city so heavier traffic and maybe more difficult parking. Higher price (€16.50 I think)

iSense Pros: Probably easier to get to and easier (free?) parking? Brand new cinema complex so maybe nicer seats etc? Cheaper than iMax (€14.50 for premium seats or €9 on a Wednesday!).
iSense Cons: May not be as good an experience as iMax.

Sound is of course important too and with The Hobbit, 3D and HFR quality has to be considered too.

Any feedback welcome and if anyone has been to both and can compare, all the better

Bullseye1

Firstly the IMAX screen at Cineworld is not the largest screen in Ireland. And from memory parking is not free at The odeon Point Village.

I've been to both for different movies, The Dark Knight Rises (iSense) and Hobbit (IMAX) and I would pick IMAX based on seating design alone. There is very chance that you could be looking into the back of someone's head at iSense.

Not a fan of the HFR myself.

Jumboman

cormie wrote: »

Higher price (€16.50 I think)

€16.50 to see a movie is taking the piss :eek:

cormie

Thanks for the replies. Doesn't seem iSense is getting too many pre-bookings so mightn't be too risky with the head blockers, especially in the premium seats?

Screen size and quality wise are they similar? What about sound?

Nonoperational

Jumboman wrote: »

€16.50 to see a movie is taking the piss :eek:

Not for iMax.

johnny_ultimate

Nonoperational wrote: »

Not for iMax.

But Cineworld's misleadingly labeled 'IMAX' is not the IMAX you hear people like Christopher Nolan waxing lyrical about. It's a half-hearted attempt to cash in on proper IMAX through the brand name alone. It's a decent enough digital screen, but the cost is outrageous, especially since Cineworld's standard tickets could by no means be considered competitively priced in the first place.

TBH, I'd just recommend going to the Savoy instead. Much nicer cinema experience.

cormie

What's so special about the Savoy?

Sad Professor

cormie wrote: »

What's so special about the Savoy?

Screen 1 in the Savoy is 2.35:1 rather than 16:9 like most screens. Which probably makes it the largest screen in Ireland for films shot in that aspect ratio.

ted1

Is the IMAX actually new? There was one there when the Center originally opened about 20 years ago

Sad Professor

ted1 wrote: »

Is the IMAX actually new? There was one there when the Center originally opened about 20 years ago

Yeah, Sheridan's IMAX. That was a real IMAX screen and took up a large portion of the building.

cormie

Any idea what the hobbit was shot in? Trying to decide best place to go see it

johnny_ultimate

2.35:1. Not sure if they're still showing it in Savoy screen one, but some of the ones upstairs are really good too.

I honestly don't think it majorly matters where you see it though. The Lighthouse is a great cinema, as is The Savoy. I prefer the general atmosphere in both cinemas, and both have good quality audio/visual setups. Always prefer supporting the more 'independent' cinemas as opposed to the international multiplexes (although the Savoy is part of a wider Irish chain), especially since their prices are much more sensible. Cineworld in general is a fairly bland multiplex I find - decent quality screens, but nothing remarkable either. Super-expensive if you don't have an unlimited pass. The 'IMAX' version of the Hobbit undoubtedly offers a different experience for The Hobbit, but I hated said experience and would not recommend it at all. Others liked it, so make up your own mind if that's how you want to watch it. There's plenty of reports here. I think Odeon are the worst cinemas going - over-priced and poorly laid out with non-tiered seating - so would point blank not recommend going there.

It's just a cinema trip at the end of the day. Most of the city centre cinemas are perfectly serviceable. All have good points, all have weaknesses. It's not all merely about how 'big' the screen is after all, especially since both the IMAX and iSense screens are basically bull**** branding to add a few extra euro to already inflated ticket prices.

ChunkyLover_53

Saw today The Hobbit in IMAX Cineworld.

Well impressed by the movie experience.

I saw The Hobbit on release in iSense Odeon Blanchardstown & walked out with a splitting headache, but suffered for the movies sake as I thought it was excellent. The previous headache experience made me a bit more catious with the IMAX viewing so I went out of my way to take eye breaks & not focus so much during slow bits of the movie.

I found IMAX to be much clearer & crisper than iSense...the audio in IMAX is much better too. The 3D was superior to iSense.

I also found the 3D glasses in IMAX to be of a better standard than Odeon's but found if you don't look directly at the screen with them it can lead to blurry images in the movie, not a major issue though.

Great promo for Star Trek before the movie, at least 5 minutes of the movie & the trailer.

Definitely planning to pay the extra few quid for the IMAX to see Star Trek & The Desolation of Smaug this year in Cineworld. I'll still use iSense Blanch in the future as its local.

Galvasean

I too was quite impressed with The Hobbit in IMAX/ Granted, I have yet to see it sans IMAX so cannot verify how much of the eye candy was down to the screen as oppposed to the film's frame rate. I was very impressed by the audio. It had that great 'rumbly' feel to it in many places.

Sad Professor

Is iSense in Blanch not HFR?

melekalikimaka

saw hoobit in both, imax wins by a good bit, i was surprised by how much better imax was

cormie

Wow, interesting replies folks, great to get feedback from those who have seen the Hobbit in both too.

cormie

Got a bit tied up the last few weeks and never managed to go see it. Seems it's gone from all screens above now. I thought it would have lasted a bit longer

That_Guy

Was in the iSense in Blanch for 'The Impossible'. Thought it was fairly average. Felt really quiet or something and was difficult to hear at times imo.

Went to see Les Mis in IMAX and was rather impressed. Sound/picture quality was superb. I had to pay a surcharge of €4.50 with my Cineworld card but is IMAX worth €16? I don't really think so.