Elysium - IMAX or Cinerama?

For those of you that are trying to figure out exactly which movie theater will give you the most bang for your hard earned buck when you head out to see Elysium featuring Matt Damon, I have put together some information that I hope will help you make the right choice.

Now, I'm not going to compare every screen in the greater Seattle area, but I am going to give you the lowdown on the two big players. The Seattle Cinerama and the Pacific Science Center IMAX theaters. Right off the bat, you're thinking..."No contest, IMAX wins every time!".

Clearly you need to read my other blog post regarding IMAX.

You can read it HERE, but finish this article first.

Normally, I would agree with the IMAX sentiment assuming the movie is playing in the unbelievably awesome "Boeing IMAX Theater", but keep in mind there are some movies, such as the huge mega blockbuster The Avengers, that have been playing at the Pacific Science Center's still-awesome-but-not-nearly-as-impressive "PACCAR IMAX Theater".

Oh wait...you didn't know there was more than one IMAX screen at the Science Center? Well, now that you know, I'm going to keep this simple and just throw down some basic theater screen stats for you to review.

Also, you can rest assured my friends, I do have confirmation that Elysium is indeed showing in the Boeing IMAX Theater so here goes.

The Boeing IMAX Theater:

Height: 60 feet

Width: 80 feet

Capacity: 405

Adult Ticket: $15.00

The Seattle Cinerama:

Height: 30 feet

Width: 68 feet

Capacity: 808

Adult Ticket: $11.00

For those really wondering, here's one more.

Regal Thornton Place IMAX Theater:

Height: 28.5 feet

Width: 48 feet

Adult IMAX Ticket: $16.50!!

(Yes, that says $16.50!)

The last set of stats is basically what you will also find at the Southcenter Mall IMAX, Alderwood Mall IMAX, and any other "IMAX" theater that is in a mall. If you live in one of those areas, save yourself some cash for popcorn or candy and see the movie on a non "IMAX" screen. You really won't miss anything.

If you are basing your decision on screen size alone then the Boeing IMAX theater is the easy choice. The screen itself literally towers above anything else and the sound is also unparalleled even when stacked up against the Cinerama's state of the art sound system.

What the Cinerama has going for it is double the seating capacity, more comfortable seats, fold up armrests, cheaper ticket and concession prices, and it is simply the coolest theater you will ever walk in to.

Another key decision-making factor is that Elysium does NOT contain any scenes that were filmed using IMAX cameras. The movie went through a digital post conversion process which is the standard way to get a movie on to IMAX screens. In fact the only major motion pictures ever to have any actual IMAX footage to this point are:

• The Dark Knight
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
• The Dark Knight Rises
• Star Trek Into Darkness.

My recommendation would be to see Elysium at both venues so you can judge for yourself, but if you can only see it once then you will have to make the decision on your own. Hopefully I have given you enough information to help you make the right choice.

Want to know more about IMAX screens that aren't even anywhere near as big as the non-IMAX Cinerama screen? Go back to the top of the page and check out that other blog post. You may never go back to any of the mall "IMAX" theaters ever again. At least I hope you don't.


Check out our review of the movie HERE!