February 22, 2018
4DX Review – Black Panther
This is a *mostly* spoiler-free review of Black Panther in 4DX format. This isn’t designed to a be a review of the movie as much is it’s a review of the 4DX experience for this movie.
Calling Black Panther a blockbuster is to downplay just how huge this movie is. Ushering in a new era for Marvel films it brings a unique African inspired sci-fi aesthetic that’s both refreshing and captivating. The film starts with some classic hip-hop music and here we experience the first of many unique ways to make the 4DX effects shine. The vibrations in the seats are set perfectly to the beat, making it seem like the bass is much higher than the volume was. This vibration to the beat continues with drums during a few key scenes. Having the chairs ‘bump’ to the music enhanced the music in ways that the no sound system alone can.
Another well-used effect was the leg ticklers. This effect, which is typically used as a scare tactic, was used during both crash scenes and ones where the character on the screen is sliding down a hill. The effect was timed perfectly and made much more sense in these scenes than in nearly any that I’ve experienced it in before.
With the film set in Africa, there were plenty of large vistas where the camera flew over fields, skylines, and mountains. With each of these, the fans were used. There were a few times where it felt unneeded since the vistas were on screen for such short amounts of time but those times can be easily overlooked since it was used just right so many other times.
After more than a dozen films viewed in the 4DX format Black Panther comes in a strong third for me, just behind Guardians of the Galaxy and Blade Runner 2049 (which are tied for first place for me). Black Panther comes in just above the live action Beauty and the Beast. One of the few effects lacking in Black Panther is scents, which Beauty and the Beast used so well, making this more of a tie between the two. The other effect not used in Black Panther is no snow effects, an odd choice since there are scenes that take place in snow-covered landscapes. The lack of these two effects, both of which could’ve been used in the film, are the only reason why this film isn’t tied for first place with Blade Runner 2049 and Guardians 2.
Smoke effects are used just once in the film and at a minimum in that scene. There were many other scenes where smoke could’ve enhanced the film, but it wasn’t.
Some effects, like the air cannons in the seats, where used in nearly every action scene but even in high use they held their power working to enhance the scenes exactly as intended. Other effects, like the water, were used in fewer scenes but still were perfect. A fight scene in the water, similar to one found in Ghost in the Shell, was enhanced with water effects but unlike Ghost in the Shell, which left viewers pretty wet (though nothing like the non-stop water effects found in Kong which made me feel like I was on a water ride), here the water was turned down but still kept the impact of the effect.
Overall, Black Panther was an incredible film enhanced perfectly by 4DX. It’s a great first introduction to 4DX, even though a few of the effects weren’t used. As I said in Maze Runner’s 4DX review, the experience “shines best in science fiction films,” and that proves true Black Panther more than nearly anything I’ve seen.
-Review Summary-
- Use of 4DX Effects- 4 out of 4
- Movie Overall- 4 out of 4
Other 4DX Reviews
- Maze Runner: The Death Cure
- Coco
- Interview with June Hyuk Yu- Sr. Manager, Brand Marketing Team at CJ4Dplex
