There was a time when the movie scene, including theatre halls and films themselves, were rapidly evolving and transforming to better suit changing cinematic tastes. However, after a while, when IMAX got figured out and a few key adjustments were changed to the halls, it seems as though the world of cinema stood still for a moment. After all – what more could be done to enhance your everyday cinema experience?
That’s where Aurum Theatre’s ScreenX hall comes into play! This massive hall boasts not one but three massive screens that will further immerse you in whatever film you happen to be watching, leaving you at the edge of your very comfortable seat. However, three displays do not necessarily make a good theatre experience great, which is why we will be reviewing the overall viewing experience – from the waiting time all the way to the end of the flick, so that you can decide whether or not you should take your movie viewing to the next level.
Like any movie day, your experience begins right before you even enter the hall. Traditionally, you’d have to secure your ticket a while before you enter the movies. The same can be said for ScreenX, but what sets it apart is what you can do in your downtime before the movie starts. The Aurum Theatre doesn’t just contain some rooms for you to watch your movies in – it also has full-blown restaurants and even a cafe. Rather than buying your ticket ahead of time and then wandering around the mall to find a place to eat before the movie, you can enjoy a sweet treat, be it a light or heavy one, without leaving the space.
Just across the ticket counter is the fabled cafe, Kissa. There, you are treated to a whole selection of sweets, coffee, and many more. It has the perfect range of food items to choose from, which is great if you’re feeling like something light or heavy. If that isn’t enough for you, then you can go over to the restaurant below, the Hokkaido Table, for even bigger meal choices. The food trip does not end there, however, as you’re also greeted by a large selection of snacks at the ticketing counter itself. From the classic popcorn, available in all sorts of delectable flavours, to fried classics and even sweet and savoury pastry options, the meals can easily tide you over throughout the movie.
On to the hall itself. As advertised, ScreenX is a massive space with three equally large screens that are plastered on three out of its four walls. With this setup, you can easily enjoy a new, 270-degree viewing experience that will only further immerse you into the film you’re watching. Of course, to take advantage of this, the films have to be specially designed with ScreenX in mind, which includes additional footage that widens the field of view.
Naturally, all of this would not matter if the seats did not do it justice. Thankfully, we are happy to report that the seats are out of this world. The moment you sit down, you’re immediately sent into a world of comfort thanks to the ultra-plush seats. It’s thanks to this that we were able to truly enjoy the recent “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” and its almost three-hour-long runtime in full comfort. Furthermore, the seats feature ample legroom as well as reclining seats, letting you fully melt and relax into your seat. Additionally, in case you happen to get hungry while watching, you can quickly scan the QR code on your personal table and order any snack you want, which is great for those who immediately start chowing down on their popcorn before opening credits even begin.
But with all the preamble out of the way, it’s time to discuss the highly advertised 270-degree experience and how it fares. ScreenX is truly a unique way of watching the hottest films on the market. As mentioned earlier, the additional screens extend the visuals to the left and right of the auditorium. This further enhances select moments of the film and engrosses viewers in ways never seen before.
A prime example of this was during our viewing of “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning”, specifically the opening scene where The Entity is talking to the audience in a quick refresher. This introduction makes use of the additional screens, bombarding us with this otherworldly sense of awe and dread as we are fully mesmerised by The Entity’s grand plan of world destruction and domination. But when it’s not threatening us, it’s enchanting us with gorgeous visuals of wide shots of wide grasslands, portions of the film that we may have never gotten to see had it not been for ScreenX. Though they are only auxiliary screens, they are still treated to an incredibly potent projector that makes sure that we are viewing nothing but the best visuals possible.
However, this feature is not without its flaws. As you may have guessed, this is a totally unique experience and may leave some viewers completely disoriented. Be it from the additional visuals to the audio bombardment or even the bright projectors at the ceiling, there are several things that can snatch your attention away from the scene at hand. Sure, the screens can pull you in further than film ever could, but they are hardly necessary.
Furthermore, a key issue we had with these screens is their positioning. Had it formed a trapezoid shape rather than commit to its almost box-like form, we might have been fully immersed further, as we are able to take in the entire scene without having to turn our heads. Another issue we had with this is that the movie we were watching didn’t really take full advantage of this setup, and the auxiliary screens were largely off for most of the film and only woke up during certain moments. This further ripped us from the immersive experience, as we could see the projector come to life and slowly adjust its brightness to match with the main screen. If the film had accounted for two more screens and had them running for a large portion of the film, then this would be a completely different situation. Of course, this is a nitpick more than anything, so we’ll leave the final verdict to those who will experience ScreenX for themselves.
Overall, the ScreenX and the Aurum Theatre experiences are events all on their own, as they are truly gripping and unique takes compared to your usual movie day. From the food to the seats and even to the viewing itself, if you have the opportunity, get your ticket and enjoy this unique movie sensation yourself. Of course, it’s not for everyone for various reasons, but it’s something worth trying before making your final verdict.
The Review
Aurum Theatre ScreenX Review
Overall, the ScreenX and the Aurum Theatre experiences are events all on their own, as they are truly gripping and unique takes compared to your usual movie day. From the food to the seats and even to the viewing itself, if you have the opportunity to spare, get your ticket and enjoy this unique movie sensation yourself. Of course, it is not for everyone for various reasons, but it is something worth trying before making your final verdict.
