Something special occurred at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Square, London on Friday and we were there to witness the very first evening showing on their tremendous all-new IMAX screen. They picked a perfect film to kick it all off as well, with the new Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt action-packed thriller EDGE OF TOMORROW that took full advantage of its new surroundings IMAX 3D in both sound and visuals.
As much as THN has fond memories of the old Screen One, it’s now made way for a lush, comfortable and Empire Cinema-branded experience that’s instantly impressive from the moment you walk in. The twenty-sixth IMAX screen in the UK boasts to not only be the first for Empire, but also the first in the West End – and that’s the biggest cinema place to be. The 87-foot wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling curved IMAX screen has a seating capacity of 751, which also makes it the biggest auditorium in Europe and so the (also lovely) BFI IMAX unquestionably has a rival with shiny wooden floors, your seat number embedded there and a truly crystal clear watching experience.
I occasionally find the IMAX experience can initially be overbearing but once you’re focused into this specific cinema, it actually gives you enough space and to quickly adjust. The 3D was by far the crispiest and richest I’ve seen in London, and so gives very encouraging signs when it comes to choosing how and where you want to see the biggest new films in London.
In terms of EDGE OF TOMORROW, there couldn’t have been a better choice to kick off with. The vibrant, action-packed, time-jumping movie fully complimented both the huge IMAX screen but also the 3D worked to maximum effect. I’m still in-between on my feelings for 3D but the immersive experience here is never undervalued and came across effortlessly. THN highly recommend heading to Empire Cinema’s next IMAX screen to check out the latest big movie releases, go book now and then reveal in the comfort and experience unlike any other.
Click here for the latest releases at Empire IMAX, but also head here for our review of EDGE OF TOMORROW and give us your feedback once you’ve paid them a visit. We also think you’d like to take a look at the process of getting the screen to the UK, with some great insight from the Chief Technology Officer of IMAX:
