In June I wrote about the ways that movie theater owners are coaxing people away from their big screen TVs at home and into their theaters with bigger screens, bigger sound, and bigger seats, including recliners.
But Theatres at Mall of America packs a punch literally in its D-Box seats. They move in tandem with the action on the screen, varying from vibrations when a spaceship explodes to a backward jolt when a character is walloped on screen.
If you haven't ever sat in one of MOA's 30 D-Box seats, the newly-released "Guardians of the Galaxy" is like a ride at Valley Fair with D-Box. "It adds another layer to enjoying the movie," said Chris Grap, business development and project manager at the mall theaters. "Guardians is the perfect type of D-Box movie. It's got laser blasts, ships flying, ground level hand to hand combat, and vehicular motion."
"Guardians" is the new summer popcorn hit that had a record $95 million opening this past weekend (biggest debut on record for an August release). The movie earned a 92 percent thumbs up from Rotten Tomatoes. It stars Chris Pratt as Peter Jason Quill, Vin Diesel doing voiceover as the tree-like Groot, Bradley Cooper doing voiceover as Rocket the raccoon, Zoe Saldana as green-faced Gomora and former wrestler Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer.
Mall of America is the only theater that has D-Box in Minnesota. It has 30 D-box seats in one theater that can be reserved only at the theater's Guest Services desk (to the right of the box office window). Guests choose their reserved seats, which can be done the day of the show or several days in advance. Grap said that nearly all D-Box seats were sold out over the weekend.
Tickets are premium-priced. Since "Guardians" was shot in 3D, tickets cost an extra $3.50 for the 3D plus an extra $8 for D-Box on top regular admission ($6 for matinees or $10 for evening shows). So a matinee D-Box seat for "Guardians" will cost $17.50 and up to $21.50 for evening shows. (On Wednesday evenings it's $17.50.)
Only select movies are shown in D-Box. Usually, it's an action movie such as "Fast & Furious." The next new release expected to bring in the D-Box fans will be "Expendables 3," released Aug. 15.
Those worried about motion sickness can dial down the action a notch or two or turn it off completely. My Vertigo-challenged partner enjoyed it thoroughly. One dad brought an infant, which I assume was gently or not-so-gently lulled into slumber by the movement. I never heard a cry or wail, except from the speakers.
