Saw "Superman Returns"

[Woochifer]

Taking my dad to see it this weekend. I'm pretty excited about it. Mainly cause I'm seeing it on IMAX. My dad saw it once already and he enjoyed it the first time so I'm hoping it's worth the drive.

Some friends of mine in the Bay Area had talked about seeing it as well, so I might see it again at the Dublin IMAX (which is where I presume you'll be watching it). The IMAX screenings have scenes in 3D, so that might be make for an interesting viewing (some of the action scenes indeed are spectacular enough in 2D).

[L.J.]

Went to see it today. I forgot how big that dang IMAX screen is (Yeah Wooch, I went to the theater in Dublin). I really enjoyed myself. I thought the movie was good and the sound was great. There were no empty seats to be found. One thing I noticed was during tense scenes in the movie, there was dead silence. Not even the sip of a soda, or ruffle from a bag could be heard. I was not thrilled about the ending but I'm not complaining either. I will surely be picking up the DVD. The 3D scenes were enjoyable as well. My dad said he enjoyed it even more his second time around. I may start taking that 45 min drive to the IMAX more often.

[GMichael]

Went to see it today. I forgot how big that dang IMAX screen is (Yeah Wooch, I went to the theater in Dublin). I really enjoyed myself. I thought the movie was good and the sound was great. There were no empty seats to be found. One thing I noticed was during tense scenes in the movie, there was dead silence. Not even the sip of a soda, or ruffle from a bag could be heard. I was not thrilled about the ending but I'm not complaining either. I will surely be picking up the DVD. The 3D scenes were enjoyable as well. My dad said he enjoyed it even more his second time around. I may start taking that 45 min drive to the IMAX more often.

Hmmmm.... There's an IMAX about 45 minutes from here too. Now you have me wanting to try it out again. I was there once a few years ago but didn't like the movie. Maybe now that there is more to see at IMAX it's worth another try.

[Woochifer]

Went to see it today. I forgot how big that dang IMAX screen is (Yeah Wooch, I went to the theater in Dublin). I really enjoyed myself. I thought the movie was good and the sound was great. There were no empty seats to be found. One thing I noticed was during tense scenes in the movie, there was dead silence. Not even the sip of a soda, or ruffle from a bag could be heard. I was not thrilled about the ending but I'm not complaining either. I will surely be picking up the DVD. The 3D scenes were enjoyable as well. My dad said he enjoyed it even more his second time around. I may start taking that 45 min drive to the IMAX more often.

Did the IMAX version present the movie in a letterboxed widescreen format, or does it fill the full height of the IMAX screen? I remember watching the IMAX version of Attack of the Clones and it got truncated into a more squarish aspect ratio in order to fill the full IMAX screen. It looked and sounded great, but it was like watching a giant pan & scan video with a lot of the action missing. Other IMAX releases like Batman Begins got it right by letterboxing the image into the original aspect ratio. But, last year the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory IMAX release apparently went to the truncated "full screen" aspect ratio.

Hoping that Superman Returns did the IMAX release the right way. I do plan to see it again, since I've heard great things about the 3D scenes and I'm curious as to how the IMAX presentation compares to the 4k DLP digital projection that I saw down in LA. (In general, I'm not sold on digital projection)

Otherwise, glad to hear that you had a good time. I think a 45-minute drive is well worth the time to get a big step up in presentation quality. Aside from the larger film print format, IMAX also uses uncompressed 24-bit audio and point source surround speaker clusters rather than the more typical speaker arrays that snake down the side and back walls (uniform auditorium dimensions and acoustics allow for this). With single-screen showcase theaters disappearing fast (the Coronet Theater in San Francisco, which was the preferred location in the city for big budget blockbusters, is the latest casualty), IMAX is one of the few things left that can make movie-going an event again, rather than some generic diversion.

As an aside, I much prefer the flat screen at the Dublin IMAX over the dome screen that they use at the San Jose Tech Museum's IMAX theater.

[markw]

Saw it in Nashville two weeks and again yesterday in NY with some out of town visitors that wanted to see it. Both were full screen and, but the theatre in NYC claims to be the "biggest screen in the world".

Still not too impressed with the movie, but the guy does do a bang up Chris Reeve impersonation.

As for Superman himself, well, the ending didn't offer too much hope we'll be seeing him again but they did leave the door open a crack. It looks me like they are trying to set the stage for a "next generation" Superman, or boy, take your pick.

Slightly different 3D coming attractions, though. Same movie, but some things were missing here in NY

[Kam]

Saw it in Nashville two weeks and again yesterday in NY with some out of town visitors that wanted to see it. Still not too impressed, but the guy does do a bang up Chris Reeeve impersanation.

It looks to me like they are trying to set the stage for a "next generation" Superman, or boy, take your pick.

Slightly different 3D coming attractions, though. Same movie, but some things were missing here in NY

which imax in ny did you go to? i saw it at the Lincoln Center one and it was letterboxed. so far Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the only fullscreen movie i've seen at that imax screen. the others (batman begins, spidey, polar express, and supes) were all letterboxed.

[markw]

which imax in ny did you go to? i saw it at the Lincoln Center one and it was letterboxed. so far Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the only fullscreen movie i've seen at that imax screen. the others (batman begins, spidey, polar express, and supes) were all letterboxed.

I don't think it was letterboxed but, then again. maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me.

[Kam]

I don't think it was letterboxed but, then again. maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me.

i could be wrong too, haha i was pretty hopped up on sugar and chocolate while waiting in line to go in, but i thought it was letterboxed. now i'm thinking maybe it was full frame...? mind playing tricks on me. might have to just go check it out again!

[L.J.]

Did the IMAX version present the movie in a letterboxed widescreen format, or does it fill the full height of the IMAX screen? I remember watching the IMAX version of Attack of the Clones and it got truncated into a more squarish aspect ratio in order to fill the full IMAX screen. It looked and sounded great, but it was like watching a giant pan & scan video with a lot of the action missing. Other IMAX releases like Batman Begins got it right by letterboxing the image into the original aspect ratio. But, last year the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory IMAX release apparently went to the truncated "full screen" aspect ratio.

Hoping that Superman Returns did the IMAX release the right way. I do plan to see it again, since I've heard great things about the 3D scenes and I'm curious as to how the IMAX presentation compares to the 4k DLP digital projection that I saw down in LA. (In general, I'm not sold on digital projection)

Otherwise, glad to hear that you had a good time. I think a 45-minute drive is well worth the time to get a big step up in presentation quality. Aside from the larger film print format, IMAX also uses uncompressed 24-bit audio and point source surround speaker clusters rather than the more typical speaker arrays that snake down the side and back walls (uniform auditorium dimensions and acoustics allow for this). With single-screen showcase theaters disappearing fast (the Coronet Theater in San Francisco, which was the preferred location in the city for big budget blockbusters, is the latest casualty), IMAX is one of the few things left that can make movie-going an event again, rather than some generic diversion.

As an aside, I much prefer the flat screen at the Dublin IMAX over the dome screen that they use at the San Jose Tech Museum's IMAX theater.

It was widescreen. I was curious about that since the screen was so tall and square. Would have been strange if that whole screen were filled.

Yes, there was a huge diff in sound. This was my first IMAX movie in years so I really didn't know what to expect. I was really impressed and will be going that route more often. I thought it was well worth the money

[Woochifer]

It was widescreen. I was curious about that since the screen was so tall and square. Would have been strange if that whole screen were filled.

Yes, there was a huge diff in sound. This was my first IMAX movie in years so I really didn't know what to expect. I was really impressed and will be going that route more often. I thought it was well worth the money

Thanks for the info! Believe me, it was strange watching the IMAX Attack of the Clones in "full screen." It felt like a pan & scan video with my face only a few inches from the TV screen. I avoided the IMAX Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I read that it was done without the widescreen letterboxing. The only excuse for doing it that way would be if the original film was shot in Super 35 (where the filmed image actually covers a larger area than the widescreen image area, which gets matted later on) and the "full screen" IMAX print would actually unveil more of the image than the widescreen presentation does. I know that the original 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was done this way, and the "full screen" DVD actually shows more on screen than the widescreen version. But, from what I read, the IMAX version of Charlie did truncate the image.

It's a good bet that more movies will get the IMAX treatment. Superman Returns has been dropping off fast at the box office, but the numbers from the IMAX screenings have been holding up much better.