“Fasten your seat belts” flashes on the big screen at the Pix 5D cinema hall at Brookefields Mall. Then the countdown begins, five, four, three, and two….
I put on a yellow 3D glass and grab the arms of my chair. A collective cheer goes up when the chairs begin to shake. The chopper begins its chase in IceFighter and the chair moves up and down in sync with the movement. We trudge along the ice capped mountains and forest terrains, block the firing of enemies, experience the momentary jerks, and end on a triumphant note. The effect of thunder and lighting adds to the thrill. It’s a tough fight from start to finish, but the experience leaves you totally refreshed.
The roller coaster begins almost immediately. I scream and shut my eyes briefly while the kids in the audience roll in laughter. Their enthusiasm rubs off, and soon I am cheering too. The roller coaster journeys across the rails, flies off the edge, enters a tunnel and goes in a loop (there are spiders too staring at you in 3D!) and land back on the tracks with jolt.
“That’s 5D for you,” says Rave Shankarr, director of Pix 5D Cinema. After a successful launch at Chennai, he brings 5D Cinema to Coimbatore. “The seats at the theatre have three DOF (degree of freedom). It gives you the freedom to move in any direction along with the movement of the story on the screen. We have installed pneumatic technology to ensure jerk free seat movement. We pay attention to the environment, rains, snow, thunder…whatever happens on the screen is replicated for a real-time experience,” he explains.
5D takes movie watching to a different level, says actor Arun Vijay, who has experienced 5D cinemas at studios in Hollywood and at the Universal studios. “I am a regular at 5D cinema in Chennai. Even small things like the movement of ants can be felt at a 5D.”
Arun Vijay and actor Janani Iyer watched the show in Coimbatore. “The virtual reality brings out the child in us,” says Janani Iyer.
Rave Shankarr says such experience-based entertainment concepts are catching up in India. “The Indian middle class is willing to spend on entertainment. Weekends are decided by kids and importance is given to options that suit the entire family. For those who are short of time, it’s like a quick 10-minute meditation that leaves them recharged.”
They source movies exclusively made for 5D entertainment and screen two movies in every show, each lasting about 10 to 15 minutes.
They have films that are a mix of adventure and ambience, such as a film about dinosaurs in pre-historic forests. Anyone between the ages of four and 80, except pregnant women and heart patients, can watch the films. The cost per ticket is Rs. 120. Open from 10.30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on all days. For details, call: 9626262616.
Visit: www.pix5dcinema.com
