Optimus Prime and Harry Potter on Beijing's IMAX Screens

There’s one good thing about pushed-back China release dates: It gives us time to field all the reviews and decide how best to maximize our experience. Nerdy much? (Yeah, and proud.)

Beijing’s still not the most developed in terms of movie-going experiences (more salty popcorn would really revolutionize things), but we’ve rounded up the IMAX locations in our city and compared screen sizes and ticket prices so you can plan your blockbuster action-flick viewings with ease.

This summer, the major releases worth considering in IMAX 3D are of course Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (aka Harry Potter 7.2), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Later this summer, The Smurfs will be hitting screens in 3D, though IMAX is uncertain (and probably not worth it). Beyond that, between trailer releases for The Dark Knight Rises and Spielberg’s news about Jurassic Park 4 at the recent Comic-Con, it’ll probably do all of us some good to keep track of our best viewing options for high-fidelity eye candy.

Let’s face it, no one watches Transformers for the plot or the dialogue anyway, so you might as well maximize the mindless viewing experience. This review on Screen Rant seems to think 3D and IMAX are musts. For those who care, Dark of the Moon was filmed using 3D cameras, but not on IMAX film.

Meanwhile, all the Harry Potter fans out there have probably been following the news that the boy wizard is breaking every box office record known to man: best midnight release, best opening night, best opening weekend and now best IMAX opening weekend. Sheesh. That would suggest the film’s worth seeing in IMAX, as would this fanatical blog post on the Seattle Times (beware, spoilers abound). However, some reviews have mentioned that since HP7.2 was post-converted to 3D and IMAX after filming, some of the dark night-time battle scenes might maintain truer picture quality in the regular 2D format. And since plot and emotional investment really do matter in this movie, this may not be a completely cut-and-dry decision. Oh well, looks like you’ll just have to watch it twice. (Sporting this awesome Doraemon Potter tee, no less. Get yours on Taobao.)

On that note, by now you know Harry Potter hits theaters in Beijing on August 4. We've been calling around to several theaters, and most claim that midnight showings are likely, though no one is willing to confirm anything yet. Megabox (locations in Sanlitun and Zhongguancun – neither with IMAX) has said that if there are to be midnight showings, tickets should be on sale by August 1. Our advice: Continue pestering - I mean calling - theaters until you get solid facts. Then share them here.

IMAX can be expensive, and not worth it for everyone. Sometimes it's less about a qualitative difference in the technology and more about the size of the screen. While Wanda Shijingshan's IMAX screen runs the smallest at 12 x 21m, the largest Megabox non-IMAX screen is 8 x 17m - in other words, significantly smaller. Either way, try asking your ticket vendor these questions to guarantee the best experience possible:

Is this your biggest screen?
这是你们最大的银幕吗?
Zhè shì nǐmen zuìdà de yínmù ma?

Will this be the digitally projected version? (Digital projection is sharper and clearer.)
这是数字版的吗?
Zhè shì shùzì bǎn de ma?

Will this showing feature your best sound system?
这个使用你们最好的音响系统吗?
Zhège shǐyòng nǐmen zuì hǎo de yīnxiǎng xìtǒng ma?

Beijing's IMAX theaters:

Wanda International Cinemas (CBD)
Daily 9am-10pm. 3/F, Bldg B, Wanda Plaza, 93 Jianguo Lu, Chaoyang District (5960 3399) www.wandafilm.com
万达国际电影城, 朝阳区建国路93号万达广场B座三层
IMAX screen size: 12 x 22m
Price: RMB 70-150 (first IMAX screening each day is 50% off)

Wanda International Cinemas (Shijingshan)
Bldg 3, Wanda Entertainment Plaza, 18 Shijingshan Lu, Shijingshan District (68663399) www.wandafilm.com
万达国际电影城, 石景山区石景山区石景山路乙18号万达广场娱乐3楼
IMAX screen size: 12.6 x 21.3m
Price: RMB 70-150 (first IMAX screening each day is 50% off)

UME International Cineplex (Renmin University location only)
44 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Shuangyushu, Haidian District (8211 5566) www.bjume.com
北京UME华星国际影城, 海淀区双榆树科学院南路44号
IMAX screen size: 13.9 x 22.6m
Price: RMB 70-150 for IMAX

National Film Museum
Tue-Sun 9am-4.30pm (last entry 4pm). 9 Nanying Lu, Chaoyang District (6431 9548)
www.cnfm.org.cn
中国电影博物馆, 朝阳区南影路9号
IMAX screen size: 21 x 27m
Price: Varies. Currently, Transformers 3 runs RMB 80, RMB 40 yuan (members)

Science and Technology Museum IMAX Theater
5 Beichen Donglu (across from the Bird's Nest Stadium), Chaoyang District (5904 1542, 5904 1543)
http://www.cstm.org.cn/eapdomain/home/index.jsp
中国科技馆 IMAX 影城, 朝阳区北辰东路5号
IMAX screen size: 22 x 29.6m
Price: RMB 150 (though you can often find deals like this on Groupon-like Chinese sites)

The breakdown:
The Film Museum has the nicest setup and the best prices, but its rather paltry hours are a bit of a party pooper if you actually have a day job, or are interested in one of those midnight screenings in your Snape getup (complete with Dark Mark drawn in permanent marker). Meanwhile, the Science and Technology Museum offers the biggest screen, but they only show standard-release films after 5.30pm, and usually only have about two shows a night. For now, Harry Potter is unconfirmed at the Science and Tech Museum, but they are doing two screenings of Transformers each night. Wanda and UME are fairly run of the mill, though Wanda's deal for 50% off the first IMAX showing of each day is a nice incentive.

Now, if only we could get them all to serve salty popcorn …

Photos from ScreenRant.com, Antilogic.co.za and Taobao.com