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Thursday, August 9, 2012

"Vanilla" Dark Knight Rises

I went and saw 'The Dark Knight Rises' for the 5th time, and this time it was at my local theater on a standard 35mm projection.

While still a great film (I found myself paying attention to more details since I wasn't too occupied by being "wowed"), I found the experience quite underwhelming. It definitely made me appreciate the IMAX experience that much more.

SPOILERS BELOW


Here are things that I noted:
  • The trailers definitely made me feel like I was there way too long. The film's 164 minute runtime is just right, in my opinion, but I like that there are no trailers attached to the IMAX film.
  • The sound--nowhere close to the IMAX experience. From the opening logo, to the prologue. On IMAX, you feel like you're in the plane. Sounds that are meant to be jarring like gunshots, explosions, aircraft (such as The Bat), and the scene where Bruce Wayne shoots the bow-and-arrow a hair away from Selina Kyle really startle you in the IMAX setting. Furthermore, when Batman saves Blake from trouble, you actually here a hint of The Bat hovering behind him.
  • Color quality. No comparison. I felt like the color here was notably muted. IMAX color really pops and with the high resolution and bright projection, it gives it a more realistic quality. For example, the first time we see Officer Blake on the rooftop with Commissioner Gordon, it was so dark I couldn't see his face right away.
  • Scene cropping. It is known that this movie was filmed for both IMAX and widescreen formats, and while it doesn't take away from the movie itself, the widescreen version doesn't give you that realistic sense of height. Furthermore, the establishing shot of Gotham Stock Exchange is completely different.

 

Bottom line

I'm going back to IMAX for 'The Dark Knight Rises' because I want that to be my last impression. Once it's gone from theaters, it goes to blu-ray and we'll never get to experience it on IMAX again. So, I'm maximizing it now. Definitely worth the extra drive and arriving early to get the best seat.

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