The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in IMAX 3D

Hi Readers,

I am glad to report that I just came back (relatively) from a screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in IMAX 3D at Sunway Pyramid. I can say I had my mouth open in amazement for a good duration of the movie, right up till the end. I did not have the best start to watching this much anticipated movie; I walked in a few minutes late, I have no idea how late. Suffice to say it was still during the 'prologue' sequence, so I hope not too much was missed, but I am the sort to watch a movie from the very start to the very end, so I am actually planning on watching The Hobbit again!

It wouldn't be smart to watch at the same place, now would it? So that set me off on a journey. The journey to find the best Hobbit experience. But what triggered me to actually yearn for a better experience? It would surely be because I found something lacking in the screening that I just sat through. After all, if one were fully satisfied, and the 'thirst' is quenched, why would one still ask for more?

What I found lacking was the much talked about 48fps that The Hobbit was shot in. You will find more explanation on this here. Feel free to use Google to find out more, if you so desire. I accept the fact that perhaps I was a little too confident that the IMAX 3D experience would have been the best experience with regards to 'new technology' pioneered by Peter Jackson, The Hobbit's director. I should have done more research. Also I assumed that all versions of The Hobbit would feature the 48fps, or to use the official term, High Frame Rate (HFR).

It turns out I was wrong. The IMAX 3D version that I watched lacked the clarity that I was promised by the hype surrounding the HFR version of The Hobbit. I knew straight away as I sat in my seat that I wasn't going to get the much talked about HFR in this sitting of The Hobbit. I was disappointed but thankfully the movie was good enough to whisk me away on its adventure. That said, I would be reminded from time to time that I wasn't watching the much touted HFR version by the many action scenes presented throughout the movie. Yes, the motion blur was there (supposedly reduced or eliminated by HFR) and very noticeable in the action scenes.

Anyway, it just gives more to aspire to in the 2nd screening. And that leads to the question, "Do Malaysian cinemas even offer HFR?" I immediately sought out the answer to this question. On the way to finding out the answer, I 'dropped by' IMAX's website to find out whether what I just watched was actually in HFR. I had to verify, because one can never be too sure of oneself. I could be wrong. Perhaps the HFR didn't offer much improvement over the standard feature presentation? But I was proven right. Apparently, there is IMAX, IMAX 3D and now, even IMAX HFR 3D. Click here to read more on this. That article on IMAX's website lists down the IMAX theatres around the world that are screening the HFR 3D version of the film. And sad to say, Malaysia was not on the list, folks.

With no IMAX HFR 3D option here, unless we travel down to Singapore for a screening (Congrats Singaporeans!), we would have to take IMAX out of the IMAX HFR 3D equation, which just leaves us with HFR 3D. Again, we have to ask ourselves, is such an experience available to us Malaysians?

Once again, I journeyed to find out. It wasn't a long journey. Google now lists down the movie screening times for you as you type out the name of the movie that you would like to catch, and after I typed out "The Hobbit" (it works even without the quotes, try it), the following options appeared underneath:

See showtimes for (3D), (2D), (HFR 3D), and (IMAX 3D)

So Google tells us that there is in fact a HFR 3D version of the movie being screened in Malaysia. And where would we be so lucky to be able to catch it, you ask? Well here you go, but do feel free to look it up yourself. Clicking on the HFR 3D link yields the following result:

Golden Screen Cinemas - Signature Gardens

Golden Screen Cinemas - Pavilion KL

I tried many times to see if there were more than the 2 given options, but I was unsuccessful. Please do update me if you, dear reader, have found anywhere else that screens the movie in HFR.

So the standard procedure now applies. Select a suitable cinema, with a suitable time and purchase the ticket (probably the most painful part nowadays as ticket prices seem to be on the up, why is that? Anyone know?) and once again, look forward to a new experience. Hopefully.

It appears that while TGV has gotten its hands on exclusive rights to IMAX in Malaysia, GSC is the first to pioneer HFR. Competition is a wonderful thing, and it is the customer that benefits in the end. Till after I catch the HFR 3D experience...

IMAX in Malaysia is dead, Long live GSC MAXX

Dear readers,

I guess it would be right to comment on my recent re-visit of the 'IMAX' theatre at Level 10, Berjaya Shopping Centre. Wow, so I haven't revisited it since my experience with Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen!

To be frank, my friend had already visited the newly refurbished "GSC MAXX" earlier, and he was pleasantly surprised, so I took the opportunity to give it a whirl too.

Yes the signage pointing you in the direction of GSC MAXX are now in trademark yellow GSC colours (sorry no photos). The counter and concession stand remain largely unchanged though. The staff was quite pleasant when I asked whether the movie I was going to catch was any good or not.

Amazingly, I chose the latest Narnia movie to 'test-out' GSC MAXX. Perhaps not the best movie in the world to choose, right? But it was supposedly in 3D, so there you go. The ticket price is RM20. There is only 1 hall, containing the BIG-used-to-be-IMAX screen. The 3D specs look something like this (kudos to another friend on Facebook who detected the similarity) which to me, looked pretty good!

The seats were pretty decent too. When I booked the movie, there weren't many seats taken but as I walked in to the theatre, there were quite a few people (children in tow no doubt) already. The leg room is pretty spacious, I would say. That's because when I had to walk in front of some seated people, they didn't have to curl up like a ball to allow me to pass! So that's a plus point right there.

So, let's get down to the movie.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

First off, let me just say that this is not the most objective review. Secondly, I liked the book (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and when I watched the first movie in this Narnia series, I didn't have any expectations. Really. I just walked into the cinema and let the movie wash over me. Except it didn't feel like I had a great 'wash' at all. There's something missing about that movie, and skipping over Prince Caspian, I unfortunately found Dawn Treader much the same. It is strange and I can't quite put my finger on it, but there was just something that should have been in the movie, but it just wasn't there. I suppose you could say, it is missing 'the spark'.

Worse, the 3D was not well done. Take note (and if you don't believe me, try it out yourself) that certain portions of movie was not done in 3D. I don't know about other 3D movies out there (as studios just slap 3D on their originally very 2D movies), but if you just remove your 3D specs at some parts of the movie, thereby ruining your virtual reality experience (right..), specifically during the less action oriented scenes, you might find that the double-vision like characteristic of 3D images is not there! Maybe my eyes deceived me, so that is why I encourage you all to try it out yourselves.

Simply said, I didn't feel "wow-ed" at all. There are much better 3D movies out there. I surmised that perhaps the 3D was tacked on at the last minute. Or am I already a jaded 3D movie-goer? You decide. Basically, don't take a friend/family to this movie if you want them to experience 3D movies for the first time. Please.

Overall, GSC have done a great job in sprucing up the ol' IMAX. The movie certainly looked and sounded good as well as the overall ambience and experience of being there (right down to the Oakley-like 3D glasses) and I am thankful for that!

I look forward to watching TRON later this month and hopefully that title will be more deserving of 3D than Dawn Treader was.

Bottom line; YAY for GSC MAXX, nay.. for Dawn Treader.

Thanks for reading!

Email to IMAX and their reply regarding Malaysia's IMAX theatre

Hey readers! I actually read my 1st comment on my blog today, so kudos to bewok kabo! Anyways, my intention for blogging about the defunct IMAX theatre was just that; to shed light on what happened to it and to make others aware too. I scoured the internet for news about what happened to that theatre, but I could only find an article in The Star Online (look under the "Cost Factor" heading). And a couple of weeks ago, I decided I would have to email IMAX to get some kind of answer. Below is the correspondence:

Thank you for your email to info@imax.com. The IMAX theatre in Kuala Lumpur is not longer operating as an IMAX theatre and has been removed from our website. Each IMAX theatre is individually owned and operated. At this time, we do not have a client interested in opening a theatre in Malaysia.

Best regards,

Sarah Armstrong

IMAX Corporation

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From: Abdul Hayy Zulkifli
To: Info at IMAX
Subject: IMAX Theatre in Malaysia

To whom it may concern,

I am an avid IMAX fan, and I was really hoping to catch the Transformers 2 movie in IMAX this June in my country, Malaysia. However, when I went to the theatre in Kuala Lumpur, the lady at the counter said that it is no longer an IMAX theatre, since 2008. I looked up Malaysia on the IMAX website and you still list that Malaysia has a 3D IMAX theatre. What gives? Is there any way you can guarantee a decent experience for me when I watch Transformers at this 'ex-IMAX' theatre come June 24th? What happened to IMAX in Malaysia? So sad to see it go. Perhaps you will consider opening an IMAX theatre elsewhere in Malaysia? There are lots of enthusiastic movie fans in Malaysia, I assure you. Especially in the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor area.


Looking forward to receiving a response from you soon.


Thank you for your time.


Regards,
A disappointed Malaysian IMAX fan

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Yup, that's pretty much it, folks. Perhaps contacting DiGi wouldn't be a bad idea either..anyone out there up for it? ;) Of course, finding out what happened is one thing, but trying to get IMAX to come back to Malaysia is another. We should also look into whether the IMAX experience is really worth the trouble? Was it really ALL THAT? What do you all think? Are we better off with the current 3D direction that the Malaysian cinema companies have undertaken (e.g.3D movies, digital projection for select titles like Angels & Demons)? Sound off below!

Have a great day!

Thanks for reading!

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen @ GSC Signature, The Gardens

Hello again readers!

Yea, the experience at Cosmo's World Theater (formerly known as the IMAX theatre) in BTS was a let down. I came in there not expecting much, so it was not too bad, but to know that all Malaysia has right now are the regular theatres is a bit of a let down, don't you think?

Anyways, caught my second viewing of ROTF at GSC Signature recently, and it was definitely a better experience, but was it just my imagination, or was the surround more discrete in BTS? Meaning if the sound was supposed to come from the rear left, it sounded like the rear left in my first viewing, but at GSC, it seemed to just blend in...

The audio, video were pretty good otherwise. Now if only we could get a digital screening of ROTF, (much like Monsters vs Aliens or..Angels and Demons) but I doubt it. I looked around for the nearest IMAX available to us deprieved Malaysians, and I came up with Bangkok at the Krungsri IMAX Theatre. Expect to pay ~RM25 for the cheapest ticket and maximum about RM40 though. Yeah, they have ticket classes..strange. Of course, you'd have to get to Bangkok first, so...Bangkok anyone? ;-)

In summary: I'd recommend heading to GSC Signature for your ROTF fix, but if anyone out there knows of a place better than that in sunny ol' Malaysia, please leave your comment. :-)

Thanks for reading!

Transformers 2: Revenge of The Fallen @ Defunct IMAX Theatre, Berjaya Times Square

Hello readers!

I don't really blog a lot but here goes. Last night, 23rd June 2009, 2000hrs GMT+8 Malaysian time, I managed to watch Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen (ROTF) at the former IMAX Theatre in Berjaya Times Square. Yup, for those of you not in the know, Malaysians can no longer claim to have an IMAX theatre. So let me enlighten you about that first.

Around May, I started to feel the Transformers fever, so I decided, what better place to catch ROTF than in an IMAX theatre, rite? And our beloved Malaysia happens to have 1 such theatre in the heart of the Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur. As "gempaq" as the IMAX theatre is, it never did have an online booking system (despite it being owned by DiGi? hmm) so we had to call to book the tickets.

When I called them up, they told me that this is a "2D show sir, not 3D", to which I said "Fine, no problem". Definitely, there are no 3D versions of ROTF out there. But she also used the words, IMAX closed already, which got me thinking.."What? No IMAX?" Since my lovely wife and I had yet to confirm the number of people we wanted to watch the movie with, and with my having doubts about there still being an IMAX theatre to go to, we put off buying any tickets on that day.

The Friday that week, I did go to Berjaya Times Sq (BTS) and (wow, 10th floor really is far up if you walked all the way from KLCC to BTS!) as I was arriving at the cinema, the signs weren't good. I didn't see many people hanging around there, there wasn't a single IMAX written anywhere, be it on the walls or on the posters, and sure enough, right above the ticket counter, the words IMAX were also removed. There was a comparatively small "Pawagam" wording instead. What pawagam? I have no idea.

Upon chatting with the ticket-seller, I discovered that the IMAX contract had ended in Sept. 2008 and was not renewed (she didn't know why). Curiousity got the better of me, so I still went ahead and bought 8 tickets for ROTF on the 23rd of June. I realised, I may get disappointed come 23rd, but I just had to know whether the cinema is still worth going to, or whether we should just leave the old 'relic' alone. As a small bonus/compensation rather, depends on how you look at it, I got 8 vouchers for free Coca-Cola from the snack bar!

And came the 23rd did. There was a good crowd, but not as many as during the IMAX era. As we entered the cinema, it was still as awesomely huge as it was before, that has not changed. They started showing some trailers but the picture was somewhat squashed, and the audio quality was not great! It was like watching a very big video presentation but with tiny sound. The audio could be heard from the front and the rear but not necessarily from the sides. In short, no immersion. The bass was good though. I hoped that when the feature presentation was played back, it would be different. Unfortunately, only the video got bigger (so yes, I saw Optimus real huge like) but the audio quality was still the same lame thing. Having said that, though the video was huge, it was perhaps a bit blurry. Perhaps it is the result of projecting the video presentation onto a surface larger than intended? To understand what I mean, try playing back an average quality Youtube clip in full screen. Doesn't look so sharp now, does it? Then multiply that by a 5 storey sized screen and you can imagine what we experienced that night.

To summarize: It is simply NOT worth paying RM11 for an "overstretched" movie with muffled, non-immersive audio, especially when we have 1 GSC theatre just couple of floors downstairs in the same building!


Oops..have to blog about the movie later then... ;) thanks for reading!