A charm tucked from the busy street in Schwabing, Monopol is worth the trek to catch a movie. From…read morethe outside, one wouldn't believe there was a cinema (simply a few "Monopol" signs and stairs to go down to the basement). In the basement, we then saw a small lobby with 3 theaters.
We went to Monopol on a Saturday evening to watch a sold-out movie without reservations. It seemed unlikely that we would be able to get tickets, but Monopol worked its magic. We did arrive at Monopol 40 minutes before showtime, and the staff put us on a waitlist. We were the first names on the list, so we felt that our chances were good. During the wait, we could stand or sit and eat/drink at the small lobby, serving as waiting area/bar. The concession bar is basic (only packaged snacks, no popcorn/nachos--I think they take pride in that.) but offers a good selection of beverages (Hacker Pschorr beers, Fritz Limos, wines, etc).
We did manage to get our tickets, BUT!! we had to "fight" for them. After waiting for 35 minutes, the lobby got packed, and we went to the counter just to check on the status of the waitlist. We then realized that someone else had taken over the counter and were selling tickets to anyone who came up to the counter and asked for tickets (also without reservations). What happened to the waitlist?? We had to quickly interject and explained that we waited more than 30 minutes on a waiting list. Then we got our tickets. Lesson learned: even if you are on a waiting list, check often with the staff to make sure they are aware of the list.
Tickets are reasonably priced (8.50 EUR for regular entry) but are without seat reservations (first come, first served). The theater is small (their largest cinema holds only about 100 people). I was impressed that for a sold-out film, the staff seemed to fit a lot of additional people in these so-called "Notsitze" (foldaway chairs). The film started right away without advertisements and trailers. Good screen, good sound, comfortable seats. It was a pleasant viewing experience.
Pros: Cheap(er), no advertisements, comfortable seat
Cons: Basic concessions, slightly disorganized staff