Editor Note:
Late this summer, AndersonVision decided to give time to coverage from a variety of readers and friends of the site. We have everything from killer conspiracy theories to family reviews and things truly bizarre coming up. For now, The Howell Family (mother and 7 year old son (Sam)) will be reviewing The Lion King 4DX.
The Howell Family reviews The Lion King 4DX
After finding out Lion King would be shown in 4DX I audibly sighed. Why remake what was already good in the first place. But at the request of a 7-year-old with a killer smile and the ability to whine without stopping the decision was made. We WOULD be attending.
First impressions mean a lot in any venue for sure so even though most theaters are cookie cutter my son and I took note that the 4DX screen had seats grouped in 4’s. We assumed to make movement easier or more efficient. Seats were lighted at the end of each group so finding them in the dark was a cinch. When ushering around a 7-year-old in the dark, it’s a life saver. My son, Samuel and I both were worried that the live action part of this remake would be less than impressive.
We were both proven wrong almost instantly. The animals appeared life like even when speaking with no seemingly no issues with the speech being sync’d. Samuel did note that to see real animals talking was a bit strange but didn’t affect the film negatively. In this version, like the original, Timon and Pumba are a highlight with both young and old. While I enjoyed the small changes musically, Samuel was less than thrilled certain songs were left out of from the animated film. The only issue I had, and it’s not the films fault, was that certain characters voices were very different.
4DX was a concept I had heard of and honestly, I was skeptical, but Samuel convinced me that technology had advanced enough since my last 3D experience, so I decided to go in open minded. Pleasantly surprised is an extreme understatement. Samuel’S first comment after the movie was that at one point, he thought the bugs flying across the screen were right in front of him. Here’s the thing, he’s not wrong.
The 3D is effective and did not feel like a gimmick at any time during the movie. Both of us really enjoyed it and at no time did we experience any blurring or have any issue wearing the glasses. Attendants handed out glasses and they made sure children received smaller glasses and adults the larger. I wear prescription glasses and the 3D pair fit over them perfectly.
Now the selling point for this showing was the FOUR-D, not 3D. The lighting effects that are shot against the walls/ceiling for the movie were well done and added to the ambience of the film. At no time did it take away from the movie for Samuel or me. The seats moving during the film is a nice touch, and it is done very well. It’s not overly jarring and at points is minute to where you almost forget about it altogether.  That’s not to say they stop moving, but more so that it fits the movie perfectly.
Samuel did get a huge smile the first time the air blasted, and when he got slightly misted with water matching the action on screen. As someone who generally finds theaters far to chilly, I was happy to find out that you can at any time turn the mist off or on to suit your preferences. This minor point made a huge difference in my enjoyment of the film. Samuel did note that the mist was very minimal, but I enjoyed not having to find out through experience that it was not.
Overall the experience was truly pleasurable and both Samuel and I were impressed with it. Having three children and a spouse, I’m not sure I would see a lot of movies in the format as it is a bit pricier than a normal ticket. However, for special occasions and/or date nights I would certainly enjoy seeing another film in the format. If all 4DX films are handled as this one was, then I for one welcome the option.
The Lion King is now showing in 4DX in select markets.
