Well, I have recently enjoyed a night out with dinner and a movie. And I have to be purely honest, as an adult with a child and responsibilities I thoroughly enjoyed my "night out". But even when I am out enjoying a movie or two - I can't but be responsive the theater that I went to - and I have to say, despite the short comings this theater is impressive with two attributes that are entirely different to the Oklahoma movie theater make-up. And this single idea, that is probably already incredibly evident everywhere else in America, is a true draw from the casual movie goer.So, let's break this down first. When looking at the AMC theater in Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City, there is really nothing that draws you to the theater such as the other large cinemaplex's that the state has to offer within a twenty minute drive north, south, east or west on any given highway. Even AMC offers a more intriguing movie going experience with it's location at Quail Springs mall, just thirty minutes away from the Penn Square site. But as they are the dark horse's of the movie going industry, this is certainly one of the theaters that is transforming into something more than what's meet the eye. So to better understand the overall rating of this theater, lets travel through the overall experience of my viewing of "Godzilla" by Gareth Edwards in theater 3.
In the immortal words of all Transformers, there is certainly more than meets the eye. But, BUT - there is truly nothing that initially meets the eye about this small theater. It is within a crowded mall with no true appeal of any other small time theater probably in the world. If you arrive early to purchase your ticket then it is relatively simple without stress or business. But if you are arriving during the prime moving going time, well add the stress and business along with a sense of chaos. There is little room in the front of the theater with a make shift portable line to help with the cluster of people gathered in the mall's walk way. If you go when it is the busy moment of the day be prepared to wait in line and be prepared to deal with a great deal of confusion as the line to theater is constantly being walked through by visitors of the mall creating a sense of disorganization. So the odd's are beginning to build against this hidden gym of theaters as judging a book by the cover, this movie theater instantaneously looks generic, clustered and operated chaotically - primarily due to the location.
But then comes the fun side of this movie experience. Now given, the most of us if we are going to a movie on opening night we order our tickets whether early at the theater itself or using the theaters website or website of an external source. But let's kick this record old school for a moment, where you went to the theater opening night and hoped for an extra ticket and an extra spot for our sweet heart to sit next to us (our poor children will never know this joy I think). The days when we would wait in line to buy our ticket, then proceed to another line to wait to be seated, where then we would wait once again, after rushing to find a seat or seats, for the movie to begin. It would become a spectacle, something reminiscent of going to an amusement park. It was a sort of adventure - now let's speed it up since 1948 to 2014. Today, we have to have whatever it is that we are needing - well - NOW! And when you read that in your inner monologue voice, say it loudly, because you know it is true. We do not like to wait, we do not like uncertainty and we do not like feeling vulnerable. And with those strict perimeters being the forced influence for the moving going experience, the AMC Penn Square 10 is a triumph. You see, even though we do not enjoy waiting in lines for a film - this AMC theater adds the spectacle back into the mix. And this spectacle is added by the addition of "assigned seating".
Oh yes, I said it. "Assigned seating" in a theater! (GASP, said that loudly in your inner monologue as well) You see as an adult our time is valuable, especially if children are involved and you are striving to have a nice date with your spouse. Add this factor to even a dating couple that wants to maximize the most they can do in an evening and would like to include a movie-go. Let's throw in the youth of the nation, that well - are the youth of the nation and don't feel like they have time to relax and must be busy nearly constantly. Or even any person that is relaxed and wants to have a nice calm evening. Fear not fearless movie goers, if you want a ticket to AMC Penn Square 10, simply buy your tickets at the box office or online and select from the seats that are available. Once you have purchased your tickets you simply arrive and find your seats. No lines, no early arrivals - well no business. Your seats are simply that, your seats.
So the tickets are bough, you are walking into the crowded little theater and I promise you may be slightly upset with the service you receive. As is unfortunately the case at any movie theater in the modern society of youth workers simply wanting something easy and fun to earn doing in the summer months. The help is unapologetically slow and unnoticeably unwilling to help you if you have questions to what sorts of candy is available or if re-fill's on drinks are included (which they are). You will also find that you want to find a vacuum cleaner and simply go over the carpets and the floors. No the sense of doubt of your movie theater selection is beginning to wage a war deep in your conscience. Was the ease of picking my seats early truly worth it? At this point, it is seeming quite bleak. The environment is dirty, the theater is small and busy and the staff is not helpful. But the soda machine is quite fun. Giving you what seems like an endless number of options to select from helping the overall fun factor of the checking in process.
I have finally made it to the ticket teller who directs me on where to go and even is honest with me. I always a staff member what their thoughts of the movie I am going to see was. This gentlemen had not seen the movie I was going to see, "Godzilla", but assured me that he has only heard good things from previous customers. A slight break of fresh air of a helpful staff member among the others who are more concerned with well, anything but being staff members it seems.
Now to why this theater has instantly became easily one of the fastest growing in popularity in the Oklahoma City metro area at this point. And I have to add, you can even feel it among the movie goers. All of them are equally impressed with the assigned seating, but it is the reclining padded chairs that are standard in the theater that are the entire sale point of the experience. And as you can see, they are uh-mazing. They are such an important part of the experience of this theater that I even created a word for them. They electronically recline, creating a sense of home and comfort for the moving goer. There is no tightness between each person in the theater, no agitation with the person behind you kicking your chair (you can not event reach the chair in front of you unless you literally try).
.jpg)
As I watched the king of the monsters terrorize San Francisco I was pleased with the picture and the sound. There did not seem to be any discrepancies to note. The picture maintained clarity and consistency along with the lighting of the theater itself. The sound was also impressive as expected to be when enjoying a film like Godzilla helping to envelope the experience in general.
So here we are, leaving the theater and I am ultimately satisfied with the experience. I may have had my frustrations in the early settings with the congestion of checking into the theater and getting my refreshments, but walking out I feel that I did enjoy myself. I enjoyed a vanilla Coca-Cola (something I never find at a theater), a fully reclining seat and I despite the congestion I did not battle for a seat at the theater itself. So the verdict from IWUVTHEMOVIES for the Penn Square 10 experience of "Godzilla" in theater 3 is a very confident 7.0 our of 10.0 on the IWTM scale. But I fear that as other theaters catch onto the assigned seating and comfort features, this theater will slip.
IWUVTHEMOVIES
7.0
The
overall experience was fantastic, but location and staff ultimately limit this
theater from having the potential that it is capable of attaining.
