Cineplex's D-BOX experience isn't worth paying extra just for your seat to move and occasionally vibrate.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Cineplex has introduced D-BOX seats in select theatres offering a "hyper-realistic, immersive entertainment experience," according to their website, but there's no way I would spend that money again.
When it comes to the immersive experience, the seats use "haptic technology to move people beyond sight and sound by connecting content and body."
This basically means along with watching and hearing the movie, you'll experience the sensation of touch your chair moves in sync throughout the film.
I decided to try out the D-BOX experience at Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, and It was underwhelming, to say the least.
I saw Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and regular AVX tickets were $16.50, and D-BOX seats were $24.50 before tax.
What does D-BOX feel like?
D-BOX seats at Scotiabank Theatre.
My D-BOX seat had three levels of intensity, so I cranked it up to the highest one to fully immerse myself in the experience.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is an incredible film and offered plenty of high-intensity battles to sync up with the movement of the chair, but instead of pulling me into the movie, the movement took me out of the moment.
The chair would tilt up and down and vibrate at different speeds and levels in accordance with high-speed chases and fight scenes in the movie, but every time it would start, it would break my concentration on the film, and all I could think was, "Why is my butt vibrating?"
The movement of the chair didn't always feel appropriate to the moment in the film since the only two sensations I really felt were vibration and the chair tilting.
So it basically felt like trying to watch a movie in a low-powered mall massage chair.
What Are D-BOX seats like?
D-BOX seats at Scotiabank Theatre. Right: Regular seats at Scotiabank Theatre.
D-BOX seats are located in prime rows toward the back of the auditorium and offer a great view of the screen with a slightly bigger seat than regular rows.
My seat was super comfortable, but the regular seats in the theatre aren't bad themselves, and the extra cushion wasn't worth the ticket price.
However, if you were someone who needed the accommodation of a bigger seat, I could see how this upgrade could be useful.
Is D-BOX Cineplex worth it?
After tax, I paid $27.69 for my ticket, and the value of the experience wasn't worth the upcharge.
The movement of the chair only synced up to certain scenes, and while the initial novelty of it was interesting, it just became a distraction a quarter way through the film.
The additional space and comfort of the seat were nice, but I'd rather stick with a regular seat and spend that extra cash on snacks at the concession.
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