Definitely a cut above the average movie-going experience…read more
I rather like this theatre, even if it is a little pricier than some of the others in the area, but the positives definitely outweigh any of the negative aspects.
Pros: it has an actual full-service bar, so I can get my drink on- I mean serious drinks, too, not just beer and wine, but full-on mixed drinks/specialty cocktails. The drinks are not cheap, though. Let's just call it what it is- "convenience prices," particularly for the beers on tap. Case in point? $10 for a short Angry Orchard??? Yep, that's what I paid. I don't know how much the taller version cost because I didn't bother to ask. Honestly though, the cocktail prices are in line with some of the casinos in Vegas, but we all know the old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," so there's that.
Beyond being able to drink here, they have a decent restaurant with regular food, like pizza (i.e. not just popcorn and Twizzlers movie theatre junk). Again, high prices, but you can actually say it's real food, not just candy and junk food. If you're adverse to eating popcorn or fried mozzarella sticks, it might be the way to go. Oh, and for the popcorn noshers, they had a huge variety of cheese/seasoning shakers located in the lobby to season popcorn. I liked the extra options because plain salt is boring. Unfortunately, they are attached to the backboard on a wire, probably to decrease the occurrences of theft. Seriously, who the heck steals popcorn seasoning?
As for the theatre itself, this one has super comfortable reclining seats with foot rests. These are the best movie theatre seats anywhere. They were so comfortable, I almost fell asleep during a screening of Alien:Covenant- almost. It's obvious this particular Emagine location was renovated pretty recently. Those seats were new and I could tell. The upgrades were nice and definitely needed. It's obvious this particular Emagine location was renovated recently. I've been here a few times before, but it's much nicer than it used to be, although it always had the bar and whatnot.
They also had wait service during the film. Seriously, they took food and drink orders from inside the theatre and brought it to our seats! Emagine staff would drop by and ask if we needed anything from the bar or grill. I liked that! It's the best appointed movie theatre in the area, without a doubt.
Getting through ticket purchase and concessions in the lobby was a breeze. Despite the crowd, those lines moved at a lightening pace. I was surprised because I thoroughly expected the line from hell.
The cons: there really weren't many. Yes, the ticket price was very slightly elevated (no doubt, to defray the costs of such a nice upgrade), but it was worth it. Plus, they don't have traditional IMAX screens, either, like NCG. Instead, they have 3D and DBOX, which isn't exactly the same.
The only other potentially negative aspect (and I'm not even sure if it couldn't be either a pro or a con, depending upon the situation) was that now you have to select your seats on a screen during ticket purchase. Hmm. It remains to be seen whether I really like that change or not. I can totally see why they are doing it- to prevent overselling of tickets and ensuring that groups/couples can sit together. I get it. I just don't know if I love it yet. I also wonder if this new method might cause more headaches or delays during ticket purchase, but I'm not sure. It wasn't a big deal to us at that time, but I could see it potentially becoming a bit bothersome down the line. Like I said, I see why they're doing it, I just don't know if I like it or not.
Overall, great theatre with excellent service and amenities. I know I'll be going back.