Movie Review: Super 8 in D Box

Being on the cutting edge of pop culture and movie viewing, I've been aware of the new theater experience of D-Box for some time. It existed in major markets for those movie-goers who felt like they just weren't quite spending enough money on tickets and concessions when they went to see the latest Hollywood blockbuster. D-Box is sort of like those "rides" at an amusement park where the seat moves along with the action and adds a whole other element, an extra "dimension" so-to-say, to the events on the screen.

For Father's Day, my loving family took me to see Super 8 in the only theater in the area that offers the D-Box experience, the Palladio 16. That's not to be confused with the D-Bag experience that comes at many theaters throughout the region. The seats are located in my favorite part of the theater - right in the middle seats of two rows, not quite halfway up the theater. The seats are big, solid chairs that recline are have movable arm rests. I half expected them to have seatbelts.

During the movie, the seat would rumble as if you were in a car with the characters if they were driving down the road. There would even be a different rumble based on the type of car and road you were on. During action sequences, the seats would jerk and bounce with the action, putting you in the same physical state as you might be if you were in the film. It was a pretty cool experience. Here's my criticism... I love movies and I love going to the movies. I like to see movies because unless the movie is really bad, I can get a bit lost in the movie. For the 2 hours that I am watching the screen, I am already involved in the scene emotionally, mentally and in a weird way physically. One of the reasons I like to see movies in a theater is because the screen in larger than life and the sound system is incredible. These facets enhance the "getting lost in the movie" part of the experience. I already feel myself is the characters cars. I already am jerking backward when something blows up because my mind is going to react involuntarily to that stimuli when I am involved in the movie. Having my seat do that seems to just be piling on.

I am very glad I had the D-Box experience it was fun and made the movie and even more physical experience. I recommend it for everyone once. However, I would recommend a repeat visit only for movies that are action packed that you may not be all that interested in. It did not hinder my enjoyment of Super 8 at all, I just don't think the value added was worth the $8 upcharge.

Super 8 is an excellent movie and might be the best movie I have seen this year. I won't go all into the details, but it has a perfect blend of growing up, science fiction, friendship, action and love that you might expect from a Spielberg produced, J.J. Abrahms written and directed movie. All of the young actors were excellent but Elle Fanning stole the show. She is going to be a force. (She was born on exactly the same day as Twin Sexies, so they have an opening line if they meet her.) The interaction between the 13-ish aged characters reminded me of the interaction of the kids in Stand By Me with the addition of teenaged first love. I know I would have really enjoyed this movie in all of my physical reactions were involuntary. Super 8 gets an A.