Most people in some time have gone to the IMAX theater. But what makes it so much better than the regular movie theater that admission is almost double? Is it the large screen, or pounding audio? What drives people to sit in a theater for $11 per person? Is the IMAX better than the regular theater? I’m glad you asked because that is what I am here to answer.
The regular movie theater has been around for a long time. Just how long I don’t know, but that is beside the point. The normal, regular, old movie theater gets a lot of bad comments sometimes when compared to an IMAX. But lets think about how good the theater really is. First of all the cost is a main component in going to a movie. The normal price in Oklahoma ranges from $4.50- $5.00 for a matinee. And then goes up to $8.00 for adults and $6.50 for students and less for children of different ages. And I also know that different states charge different rates. But the ratio is usually the same, about double the cost for IMAX against the base price of a regular movie ticket. Now back on track, the regular theater has its concessions, restrooms, and the movie screen. Now here is where the choices come into consideration. The IMAX offers the exact same things, but on a different scale.
Concessions are a must when it comes to seeing a movie. Regardless of them being bought or snuck into the theater, people love to snack while watching a movie. The regular theater and IMAX have about the same concessions. The regular theater has more people and more registers to move the traffic flow. While the IMAX has one stand and maybe three registers at most. Now on behalf of the IMAX, the concessions are set to handle the amount of people coming to the IMAX theater. Most IMAX theaters have one or two screens. Usually one is the most a theater can afford. And the concessions are prepared to handle the hundred or so people coming for each show. The same rule applies with the regular theater concessions.
They have more room to accommodate more guests. So both theaters are set up for the groups of people coming to the show. Now think about this, even though the ratio may be correct to serve people, registers can break or cashiers can be slow. And in that case which would be the better place to get your snacks? The regular concessions. From personal experience the IMAX has problems like every other business. But if one or both scenarios happen then getting snacks will be slow to impossible. So remember this little fact when going to the IMAX concessions.
Bathrooms are another public convenience that we all use. And as before the same ratio applies. The IMAX and regular theater have restrooms to accommodate the approximate amount of people coming to the theater. But the IMAX only has one restroom for men and one women. In a usual setting the restrooms will have three stalls and two or three urinals. For women I don’t know how big the restrooms, as I am not a woman. But my point is this, lines can be long and clean bathrooms can be difficult to find. The IMAX staff is usually very small since there is only one theater. Therefore, the concessions, movie reel person, janitors and ticket taker jobs are all thrust upon five or six staff members working. So if there is a mess in the restroom, you might have to wait a while.
Conversely the regular theater has staff specifically for janitors and bathroom cleanup. And they have more bathrooms than the IMAX on any given day.
And now for the big cheese of this article. The movie screen. This is where the IMAX theater takes the cake, and reasoning for charging so much to sit in squishy chairs. The size of the IMAX does dwarf the regular movie theater. But not too bad. The IMAX has a big screen and big speakers. I have been to IMAX theaters and regular theaters. The IMAX is worth seeing some movies every now and then. But the regular theater has pretty good sized screens also. And in some theaters the regular theater has surround sound.
The IMAX here in Oklahoma uses giant speakers in the front of the theater, so surround sound is not optimum. Although it sounds like surround, it is not true surround. Just the loudness of the speakers in the front. Also the theater for the IMAX is small and can be hard to watch a movie in the first four rows. Considering the screen is as big as the room you are sitting in, getting a sore neck from looking straight up is not something I enjoy.
In a nutshell each theater has its ups and downs. I believe the IMAX has more downs than ups. That is my opinion, take it as you want. But before you go see a movie, think about what you get for what you are paying.
