Nah not really, nothing in the upcoming blockbusters excites me.

There are some articles stating that IMAX corp are looking to re-screen Oppenheimer again in IMAX halls. Here's hoping it's true and it coincides with Pavillion Bukit Jalil's IMAX opening (and I pray that the screen is 1.43:1 and Laser GT).

Also yeah sucks that Dune 2 got delayed. I think next year will be rough for films in general with the ongoing Hollywood strike.

I haven't been to Lalaport's gsc Big but @rideverest's recent post mentioned the screen size is similar to Tropicana Gardens, so honestly any one of them is a good choice. The Dolby Atmos performance of both should be similar, so honestly, pick whichever one is the most convenient for you to visit.

KaiHD my man, thanks for this update, this got me super pumped and excited. I re-watched Oppenheimer the past few weeks in Velocity's IMAX and man, that was my favourite IMAX experience out of the IMAX halls I visited for this movie (writing a post about this though procrastinated XD). I genuinely hope that Velocity get's dual laser, that will make it the best hall to visit if Bukit Jalil's IMAX is not 1.43:1.

Oppenheimer might re-screen in IMAX again, at least that's what the IMAX corps are hinting at, so we may finally get to experience 1.43:1 films if the implications of the IMAX upgrades are true.

Disclaimer: This post was in the works before the TGV IMAX renovation announcement. Thus, it is mainly for the current state of IMAX in Klang Valley as of and prior to 29/09/2023. Fun fact, I love how TGV saw GSC pulled a fast one with IMAX Laser, and their response was a "the hell you say?!" and announces Bukit Jalil's Laser with 12-channel surround set up and 3 laser upgrades to existing halls. Nice to see competition among our country's cinema chain.

Review of Klang Valley's IMAX halls (except I-City)

Hey guys, so Oppenheimer got a choke-hold on me and had me visiting IMAX halls in the past 2 months just to experience it as much as I can before it got off screening. This is currently my favourite movie of 2023 and is one of my favourite movies of all time. The narrative structure of this film both creatively and effectively kept my interest while balancing suspense. The acting is also phenomenal and the practical effects of the whole film is so surreal. Of course, because it is an IMAX film, there's a great ton of scenes with tall aspect ratios, just further pushing the levels of engagement from my viewing perspective (I just wish I could have experienced this film at 1.43:1 aspect ratio, but sadly, Malaysia's IMAX max height is 1.9:1 for now).

That description said, I have watched Oppenheimer in all of Klang Valley's IMAX halls except for Central I-City's TGV (though I have visited this hall before for Top Gun 2 last year, I don't feel comfortable reviewing it without having a recent refresh of it, thus it's excluded. I have a first impression post of this hall many pages back), and I will be reviewing them all below starting chronologically via their opening date

Sunway Pyramid TGV IMAX (Opening date: 13th Dec 2011)



Positives:
- Still a IMAX hall I guess, meaning the experience will be better than normal halls

Negatives:
- Very Small screen (major problem)
- Narrow legroom in seat rows
- Seats not that comfortable, and cup holders are lower than the arm-rest, so it's awkward to place and take drinks from

Personal notes:
- Far to visit, no easy public transport there
- Not very audio savvy, but felt the speakers here aren't as strong compared to the other halls
- Preferred seat rows: F & G

Okay, so I just want to pre-face that this hall isn't bad at all, it's just outdated and out-classed by the newer IMAX halls. I believed this is the first digital IMAX hall to be released back in late 2011, and maybe at that time, it was a great. Now? Well, Oppenheimer here felt off. The wide (2.39:1) aspect ratio scenes took up like 90% of the screen, leaving thin letterboxes at the top and bottom. However, in the tall aspect ratio scenes, the screen fills up completely, but that difference is barely noticeable. It becomes a visually different experience compared to the other IMAX halls here, where you will notice the shift between image height when the scenes change between aspect ratio (to Oppenheimer's art direction, exudes more variety on screen and heightens the specific scene's tone and mood).

It felt no different from watching films in other budget Premium Large Format (PLF) halls, specifically IOI City's Maxx in terms of image to screen usage.

Overall, visit here if you live in Subang Jaya and can't afford to go further for PLF halls. However, if you can, the closest of PJ's Starling Big and 1U IMAX are great improvements. Both house very large screens with great surround audio. They have more value than Pyramid in terms of cinematic enjoyment.

Update: This hall might be hinted to be renovated for laser. I don't know if that would include a screen size upgrade, I doubt so because it requires rebuilding the hall. Honestly, even with Laser, the screen size will be the limiting factor, so it's not worth it.

1Utama TGV IMAX 2K Xenon (Opening date: 23rd Dec 2012)



Positives:
- 3rd largest IMAX screen in Klang Valley, 2nd largest 1.9:1 screen just behind I-City
- Still holds up very well despite opening in 2012
- Seats rumbles to the audio's base; strong speakers

Negatives:
- People's heads in front can block the screen, a problem not experienced by me in other IMAX halls (can be a positive too if you consider the cinema/theater experience wise)
- Narrow legroom in seat rows
- Seats not that comfortable, and cup holders are lower than the arm-rest, so it's awkward to place and take drinks from (essentially the same as Pyramid's)

Personal notes:
- Far to visit, but convenient to travel to via MRT, just time consuming
- The keluar sign is distracting during screening (though safety purposes, it makes sense)
- Preferred seat rows: J, K then G

Ah, 1U. This was my go-to for the past 2 years now. Velocity had the BS couple seat issues, and IOI City Mall 2's GSC IMAX wasn't announced and opened yet, thus this was the most normal and fair IMAX experience I can get while convenient to travel to. For a hall that opened a year later after Pyramid's (surprised me to see Pyramid and 1U IMAX have the same hall aesthetic design, but checking the dates, that made sense), man, this must have felt like a major upgrade. The screen is massive, and films that is able to use it's 1.9:1 size looks enormous. I have very fond memories of Top Gun: Maverick here and Oppenheimer is no exemption as both are able to reach that height.

While yes, I-City is like a 30 minute drive from 1U that has the larger screen and aesthetically high tier design, this hall is still a great choice if you live nearby (yall movie fans living in PJ sure got so many options: 1U IMAX, Tropicana Gardens and Starling Big, further a bit got I-City IMAX, walan weh).

Update: if this hall and I-City get's that laser upgrade, boi... you Petaling Jayan's living the life xd.

Sunway Velocity TGV IMAX 2K Xenon (Opening date: 8th Dec 2016)


(couldn't fit the whole screen on my phone despite being at the highest row taking the shot)

Positives:
- Largest IMAX screen in Malaysia while being the only 1.43:1 (technically 1.33:1) aspect ratio IMAX screen in Malaysia
- Comfortable seats with okay legroom (couple seats are more comfortable and they better be for that extra cost)
- Hall is sleek designed, very dark-blueish. Not much visual distractions when screening in the dark
- Speakers are loud and powerful, can feel the seats rumble

Negatives:
- Couple seats takes the best middle spot (complained a lot about this here already, sorry for repeating)
- Due to 2k xenon projector, it can't utilize the whole screen, maxing out at 1.9:1 in size, so letterboxing is inevitable (may be resolved soon if upgraded to Laser GT)

Personal Notes:
- 2nd closest IMAX hall to my residence, quite easy to travel to via MRT and even car
- Sitting at the side seats closest to the middle of the hall is actually pretty decent if can't afford couple seats cause no partner (rip)
- Currently my favourite IMAX hall to visit but not necessarily my go-to
- Preferred seat rows: K then J

Despite my prior complaints about this hall, this surprisingly became my favourite hall to visit despite its seating issues. While yes, I still am sulking over the couple seat arrangement, this hall grew on me mainly because of the screen size. While IOI City Mall 2's Laser IMAX has the better, more detailed image quality, I just cannot deny my change of preferring larger images being on display over image fidelity. It sucks that there is letterboxing because of the Xenon 2k projectors, but the image that they can fit on this big size of a screen still makes it a great viewing experience (fun fact, there is minor letterboxing to the sides of the film. I distinctly noticed this during my Oppenheimer viewings here. All the more reason to upgrade to Laser GT, please TGV).

I definitely felt like this was the most optimal viewing of Oppenheimer out of the IMAX halls I have visited, mainly because the film was marketed for it's large image size ala 70mm/1.43:1 aspect ratio, and this is the closest I could get in Malaysia. Sitting at my preferred row of K, I definitely can feel the size encompassing my entire vision without discomfort or missing out in details. This then make it my go-to IMAX hall during skeleton hours/low bookings, mainly so I can book a normal seat and then move to the couple seat for the better viewing angle.

IOI City Mall 2 GSC IMAX Single Laser (Opening date: 23rd Jan 2023)



Positives:
- Crisp image, high detailed colours, darker blacks, better contrast... just beautiful to watch films with
- Seats are cushioned and comfortable with great leg room
- Audio is very strong here, though not much seat rumble

Negatives:
- Small screen for an IMAX, smaller than 1U's by a biT, a pretty major letdown considering single laser can still do a lot with a larger screen.

Personal Notes:
- Closest IMAX hall to my residence, easy 10-20 minute drive.
- Preferred seat rows: C for 1.9:1 films, D for 2.39:1 films
- Obligatory winner of go-to IMAX hall lol

This halls wins the obligatory go-to hall for me cause of how close it is for me, and the fact that it is currently the only Laser IMAX in Malaysia. However, that luster has fallen off a bit, mainly because I want to experience movies at their best, and typically, size trounces image fidelity in that factor as of right now. I mean, I will still go here even if Bukit Jalil's IMAX screen is bigger and better purely because of convenience, but as a movie-buff, it just feels disappointing with the screen size we've gotten.

Alright, it feels like I'm downplaying this hall here. The screen size is no where as egregious as Pyramid's, as this hall's screen is comparable to 1U's, just slightly smaller. It is also still a Laser IMAX projector where the image quality is leagues better compared to the IMAX Xenon 2k halls in Malaysia, it even beats out Big's 4k Barco Laser in terms of colour vibrancy, brightness and deep blacks. This hall is the best image quality with a large screen size you can get right now in Malaysia. It can only be beaten by Bukit Jalil in that category if the latter has a larger screen.

Oppenheimer here was astounding because of the image quality. While I still prefer watching Oppenheimer in Velocity because of the larger screen size, I cannot deny the image here was more visually stunning. I can still remember how great the opening scene was with Oppie gazing at water on the ground, and the colours, deep blacks, everything was just so mesmerizing.

Overall, this is my 2nd favourite hall because of that fact. However, I would still choose this hall over Velocity's mainly because of convenience and better seat booking during peak hours/first few weeks of an IMAX film.

Closing Notes

Damn, another long post. Apologies again, but I hope this is informative in helping you pick your go-to IMAX halls. This has been a very fun, yet expensive endeavor and I'm glad there's not many tall movies releasing soon. My wallet needs a rest. Majority of movies coming out, mainly right now The Creator I plan to view in Big during early-bird hours. However, despite the cost of watching IMAX, Oppenheimer has been peak cinema for me. The fact that the people in my IMAX hall viewing clapped at the end of the film, and how silent all of them were during the film goes to show how this movie is very gripping with its narrative, practical effects and elite acting.

I have watched this film in IMAX 7 times now (the most re-watched of a film from me in the cinemas, let alone IMAX) and honestly, I want to watch it again in that format. It's stupid and honestly monetarily reckless on my end but man, in the current landscape of movie making in regards to cgi, green screens, franchise building over cohesive artistry and etc., this movie really becomes "something, uh... more important."

That's the plan haha. I mean, even if Oppenheimer won't re-air in IMAX in Malaysia, let alone Bukit Jalil, I hope to meet you and the others there when it eventually opens.

TGV Twitter said that the screen is 1.9:1 so expected to be that size, but man that is quite small lol, I think it's similar to IOI City Mall's IMAX Laser in size given the SEA IMAX VP said IOI's is roughly 11m tall. This makes Bukit Jalil's IMAX to be smaller than 1U. Only thing going for it is the IMAX Laser projection and 12 audio channels. Kinda bumped out no cap.

No since the hall uses Xenon 2k IMAX projection, max at 1.9:1 aspect ratio. There are rumours that this hall will be renovated for IMAX Laser GT (dual lasers), so it could eventually display 1.43:1 IMAX films.

@KaiHD @skylinelover The Creator's aspect ratio is very wide and IMO not worth it for IMAX. I recommend Big Atmos mainly due to price. I watched the film recently in Lalaport Big (post soon) and the audio was surreal, definitely worth it there. You will get a similar experience in IMAX, definitely better image quality ala IMAX Laser, but just pure value wise, Big is great while costing less.

Side note, the movie is visually stunning, apparently cost USD 80 million to make, and the CG rivals films that cost more than 500m. Story however is a bit mixed bag imo, a lot of themes showcased but not properly explored leaving mixed messages, pacing is off as the events that transpire don't properly have time to shine and transitions awkwardly to the next. It's still an okay story but go in for the spectacles and audio presentation.

Lalaport GSC Big Atmos review - The Creator



Positives:

- Speakers are newer and are pretty awesome. Great surround imaging and strong yet comfortably loud

- Image quality is good as it should given the projector being Barco 4k Laser

Negatives:

- Screen size is pretty small. I think it's the smallest GSC BIG in Klang Valley

- Seats are slightly uncomfortable and the row's legroom is not that great

Personal notes:

- Best seat row is B, D is the maximum I would take.

- The screen is positioned slightly higher from ground (there's a stage so I guess to accommodate that), so you really have to sit at the last 3 rows to get a centered viewing, otherwise you'll have to lean your head backwards which can cause discomfort

- Travelling here is via MRT a bit of a mixed bag as there's a 15-20 minute walk from Bukit Bintang station to this mall, but there's a LRT station next to it, so if I were to return to this mall, I will have to research the transit lines.

Fun fact, during my screening of The Creator here, the fire alarm tripped during mid screening of this film, and everyone had to evacuate. We were told it was due to some guy smoking and we were able to return to the halls to continue watching. they did rewind to the scenes prior to the evacuation.

That aside, overall, the hall is good, not great however, mainly due to the screen size. Watching The Creator here, which already is a pretty wide film ala 2.76:1 was rough as there's not enough screen real estate. I definitely feel that this film would be better on larger screens, so my recommendations would be Starling's Big, then MyTown, then lastly Tropicana Gardens. Other films with normal/common aspect ratios of 2.39:1 (especially 1.9:1 as well if not gatekept by IMAX) would be good here.

Tropicana Gardens Mall Revisit - Interstellar

I wanted to watch Interstellar at Lalaport, but the only screening was quite late, so I chose Tropicana Gardens instead. I also wanted to confirm and reply to @anip94's statements of this hall.

First off, while Interstellar is an IMAX film that has tall aspect ratios (in Malaysia, max we can get is 1.9:1), that's only an IMAX exclusive and any other format of the film will be given the standard 2.39:1 version, hence there's letterboxing on the screen when viewing this film. I believe most screens we have here are 1.9:1, even normal halls as there are some films that only releases in 1.9:1. The Flash for example this year is in that aspect ratio and in MyTown Big where I watched this film, it filled up majority of the screen.

Secondly, I realized that BIG's Barco 4k laser's image while being clearer and sharper than normal halls and MAXX halls, it's still quite flawed with the blacks being a bit grey, while not able to project brightly. I remembered my John Wick 4 comparison post here of MyTown's Big and IOI City's IMAX Laser and said that the blacks in IMAX Laser were darker while the colours pop more than Big's. This confirms that IMAX Laser had better visual quality than Big, but I think that's to be expected since the IMAX Laser is like the 2nd best rated projector in terms of visual quality in theaters, only behind Dolby Vision which is unavailable in Malaysia.

In regards to the image quality of Interstellar in this film, I did notice the image being quite grainy in the earlier scenes (I know the film includes a lot of dust with it's narrative and all, but I mean like close-up angles on characters like cooper, and the image becomes quite grainy). I was confused since other scenes of the film looked sharp and great. I searched online and some viewers mentioned that it's widescreen (2.39:1) scenes has that problem while the tall ones did not.

Overall, I can understand anip94's criticism, but I think the image quality sentiment is an Interstellar/isolated case only as my prior visits to this hall with different films had excellent image quality.

Fun fact: This is my first time watching Interstellar, and I'm happy I saved that moment for the cinema experience. Back then in 2014, I wasn't really a big movie-goer and skipped watching this film. To finally watch it on a PLF was a great moment and honestly, the film itself was spectacular. I really wish it could be re-released in IMAX theaters, especially in Velocity when/if TGV renovates that for Dual Laser for that 1.43:1 goodness.

Starling is the best. Biggest Big screen in Klang Valley with awesome audio, then Tropicana, MyTown and Lalaport. MyTown's speakers do rattle at times so take that with a grain of salt, but the screen is the 2nd biggest. Tropicana's Onyx is great but I'm unsure about the audio quality. Last time I was there for Barbie but the screening had to be cancelled and refunded cause of (ironically) audio issues. I think it may have improved but will need to visit again for assessment.

Lol, thanks for the info but funny how we have a 1.33:1 screen ala Sunway Velocity and it's rumoured to not be refurbished with IMAX Laser GT.

@Khainiz94's insider rumours to have dual laser, so maybe one of the up and coming imax locations from GSC and TGV have them. Interestingly, you can't buy IMAX tickets for Velocity's hall right now, so it's likely under the laser upgrade process. Here's hoping it results in dual laser for that 1.43:1 screen.

Planning to watch Killers of The Flower Moon in Pavillion
Bukit Jalil TGV IMAX, so expect a review soo. I would have preferred Big with this film since it's aspect ratio is wide but it's not showing in that hall. Instead, we got The Dark Knight re-screening in Big, mainly at Starling (pretty excited since I never got a chance to watch this film in the cinemas). Finally a pretty interesting week for films post Barbenheimer.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Oct 23 2023, 04:42 PM

Hey yall, just recently been to Pavilion Bukit Jalil's IMAX and thought to give a review.

Pavilion Bukit Jalil TGV's IMAX - Killers of the Flower Moon





Observed notes:
- Screen is similarly sized to IOI City Mall's IMAX Laser, though it may look bigger because the screen is actually closer to the seats. The screen is also positioned slightly higher above ground
- Has 8 identifiable speakers in the hall, meaning the other 4 is behind the screen for the 12 audio-channel (IOI City Mall's IMAX Hall has 2, which means there's 4 behind the screen for 6 audio channels)
- The movie didn't support 12-audio channel (movie is mixed with IMAX 6-track), so couldn't experience the speakers fully. However, directional audio is still heard very distinctively when the movie has it

Positives:
- Like IOI's IMAX, image is crisp with great colours, deep blacks and great clarity
- Seats are very cushioned and has the Glide feature from I-City and requires more force to slide back or forth, compared to I-City's annoyingly seats which slides easily
- Though speakers are not fully utilized for this film in terms of directional surround sound for this film, they work extremely well and were comfortably loud while being crispy clear.

Negatives:
- Seat leg room is subpar
- Expectedly, the screen is smaller than non-Laser IMAX halls here in Klang Valley (though 1U and Velocity IMAX halls aren't available to be booked, likely going through the announced IMAX upgrades)
- A noticeable Keluar sign on the right wall near the screen (minor problem)

Personal Notes:
- A bit further from IOI-City Mall from me, but honestly is a convenient drive there (no tolls xd)
- Though sat at Row H, personal preferred seat rows are either J, K or L (I tested these rows before the film started. I think K might be best for 1.9:1 films and J for wider aspect ratio films)
- While 12-audio channel IMAX sounds great, I don't think it's a major selling point if Dolby Atmos (has way more speakers/channels) is around, especially for cheaper. So would only visit this hall if an IMAX film has tall image and properly supported 12-audio channels

I was quite delighted to first enter this hall. It reminded me a lot of I-City's IMAX hall which was very dark yet classy. Overall, I'm happy that this hall exist but not really stoked to visit there often. The 12-audio channel is a nice feature, since it should provide more accurate directional surround sound, but honestly, it's not enough of a pro for me, especially since not many proper IMAX films are 12-channeled. On the audio end, this hall has to face Dolby Atmos, which not only has more speakers for better directional audio, but is also cheaper to visit.

Personally, I think my ears are well-tuned enough to be able to appreciate the more precise surround sound 12-channel provides, but I'm not actively searching for it. My main desire for IMAX in Malaysia right now is to have a bigger screen, preferably one that is tall enough to support 1.43:1 films. If I want better audio, I would opt for Big Atmos instead since it's cheaper and depending on the halls, may have equal or slightly bigger screen than the current two IMAX Laser halls. While Big lacks in image quality, to me, it's not that big of a downgrade vs IMAX Laser. I still prefer the latter of course, but would prefer my money spent more wisely, and RM35 for non-proper IMAX films is just not worth it.

Side note:

Killers of The Flower Moon is an amazing film and I highly recommend people to watch it. Though it's 2.39:1 and doesn't support 12-audio track, this film was tense, disturbing yet engaging to sit through. It is 3 hours and 30 minutes long, but it really kept me hooked and focused for majority of it due to it's strong acting, cinematography and scene direction. I think some parts in the middle tend to drag, but overall, you won't really feel the length. I would have recommended this film for Big Atmos, however it only released in IMAX and standard halls. It's not really worth the IMAX trip monetarily, but it is a blast to watch a Martin Scorsese film on a LPF screen.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Nov 4 2023, 12:20 AM

Source: https://twitter.com/TGVCinemas/status/1727869651106033799

Sunway Velocity's TGV IMAX is open again, now advertised as "Malaysia's Biggest IMAX Laser and 12-channel sound." The seat layout has also changed as the twin seats are now removed. All seats also upgraded to glide.



Only thing not mentioned is whether the screen was changed to 1.9:1 or remains that big 1.43:1, nor is it single or dual laser. Well, one way to find out is to watch a film there xd.

The TGV twitter account also mentioned that 1-Utama's IMAX will be re-launching next month with IMAX Laser. Honestly, pretty excited to see what changes they made with these two halls, but a bit sad that there's no movie out right now that would utilize the whole screen + 12 track audio properly. I guess the only one right now would be Hunger Games which according to IMDB, has some 1.9:1 scenes and utilizes 12-track audio, but... eh, not interested in that movie.

Sunway Velocity TGV IMAX Laser Update - Napoleon

Hey guys, I recently visited TGV Velocity's IMAX for Napoleon to mainly check out what changes the hall has went through. Honestly, aside from the projector change and added speakers, it's still the same hall aesthetically with the dark blueish lights and walls (hence I didn't bother taking pictures this time around). The screen wasn't changed, it's still the same 1.33:1 screen as before. The notable change were the seats. All the seats are now nicely-cushioned Glide ones with the couple seats completely removed. The legroom is the same as before, mediocre but finally, no more couple seats in (in my opinion) the best viewing spots!

In terms of the main upgrades, you can now see the 4 newly added speakers on top of the ceiling, and the ones near each of the hall's old corner back speakers. Adding the likely 4 speakers behind the screen and voila, your 12-audio channel set up. While Napoleon is a 6-track IMAX film and I don't think it utilizes the audio set-up's true potential, the sound quality was still punchy yet comfortably loud.

The new laser projection is an expected, yet welcomed upgrade. The image is very clear, colours are bright and poppy and the black levels are pretty great. However, given Napoleon is a 2.39:1 film, the entire screen won't be used and there will be letterboxing. I believe this was my first time watching a wide aspect ratio (AR) film here and man were the letterboxes apparent. It looked like only 1/3 of the screen was used as the top and bottom screen's letterbox were large. I will say, the screen is still very large and the film still looks very big with this screen, however, if empty black bars are a distracting problem for you, I do not recommend visiting this hall for wider AR films here

Overall, given my previous review of this hall prior to the upgrades being very positive and claiming it to be the best, now with the upgrades, Velocity's IMAX is currently the best IMAX hall to visit in Malaysia. While yes, the whole screen will never be fully occupied with a whole image due to the projector being single laser (max 1.9:1 AR), it's still a great hall to visit for wide AR films, and will definitely be the best for 1.9:1 AR ones. I feel like if/when Dual Laser (supports 1.43:1 AR films) IMAX halls start to be a thing in Malaysia, this hall will have an upgrade path for it, given the screen is already capable for that display.

TGV IMAX is now better both technically and value-wise than GSC IMAX

Recently with the re-opening of Velocity and 1U's IMAX halls, TGV's IMAX ticket pricing were changed for the better. There are now Student and Senior/OKU tier pricing, the former currently being RM20 and latter RM12 with Children ticket price also dropping from RM17 to RM12. Adult tickets are still RM35, but if you are a student (or look young enough and have your old student card), this is seriously a great deal considering GSC has no student discounts whatsoever for IMAX.

GSC IMAX tickets, at least in IOI City Mall 2's cost RM35.50 for adults & students and RM17 for children and seniors, all while being the 2nd smallest IMAX screen with only 6-channel audio in Klang Valley.

Both chains do not offer early-bird discounts, so the highest you'll pay is RM35-ish, but honestly, TGV will now be my go-to for IMAX viewings, purely because of price. I sometimes bring my parents to watch films in IMAX and that RM12 tickets for seniors is very appealing, all while having the latest tech in the block ala 12-audio channel with Laser projection (though honestly, the audio upgrade is not that big of a deal considering most IMAX films are 6-track anyway unless specified. The main draw is the ticket discounts).

This discount from TGV also challenges GSC's Big halls, as TGV's IMAX is now only RM2 more than Big's student and early-bird prices, but is actually cheaper than Big's Children and Senior tickets as those are RM15 vs TGV IMAX's RM12. I personally would still visit Big halls, mainly for the better audio set-up ala Dolby Atmos, but IMAX Laser has the better image quality and larger screens. Again, this only applies if you're a student or have people to bring along, but it's just great to see more value pricing options for a premium viewing experience.

All in all, while GSC pioneered with IMAX Laser in Malaysia, TGV returned the favour with Laser projection and 12-channel audio in 3 locations while having the larger screens and boasting better ticket prices. The only way for GSC to regain favour is by offering equivalent or better IMAX ticket prices (BigScreen included), and releasing larger IMAX screens with upgraded 12-channel audio in future cinema chains (for the love of God, please give me 1.43:1 dual laser screens, PLEASE).

Well... There goes the rumour for dual laser and 1.43:1 screen :/. From the picture itself, it looks very similar to the one in IOI City Mall in size. Nice to read that it will have 12-channel audio, but with that screen size and likely higher ticket prices vs TGV's, a bit of a let down.

Short update: 1Utama TGV IMAX laser + audio upgrade - Wonka and IMAX hall recommendations

Hey yall, I visited this hall for Wonka and like my Sunway Velocity post, still the same hall with the same screen with better image quality from the laser projection and more speakers installed on the ceilings and back corners. Seat arrangement the same with poor legroom, but the seats themselves are upgraded to glide and more comfy than before. You'll still have the front row viewer's head blocking the screen if you seat the row back, but not that big of a deal for me since I consider that a cinema-going trait.

Overall, with the upgrade, this is one of the best halls for both IMAX 1.9:1 AR (aspect ratio) and non-IMAX, wide aspect AR (usually 2.39:1) movies. While I-City has the larger 1.9:1 IMAX screen, and I would recommend 1U over I-City due to the better image quality via laser projection and simply having more speakers for fuller audio. Also, 1U's screen is still pretty big as it's 2nd to I-City for the largest 1.9:1 screen in Malaysia.

I would recommend 1U over Velocity too but only for wider aspect ratio films, since the letterboxing (top and bottom black bars) won't be as noticeable vs the latter's taller screen. Honestly, even for 1.9:1 films, there's a case to choose 1U over Velocity's as letterboxing would be non-existent since the whole image would fit the screen fully whereas Velocity's won't (albeit the letterboxing won't be that bad).

I don't recommend GSC IMAX now (mainly IOI City Mall), especially since you can save more money with TGV's updated IMAX ticket prices for students, children and Seniors/OKU. While you may not benefit from those categories, you'll still have 12-channel audio and larger screens from TGV's offerings.

Hey man, Velocity is my go-to for expanded AR films, so Aquaman 2 being a 1.9:1 (IMAX only) film will benefit there. Yeah, will have letterboxing since the screen is taller than what the projector can project, but it's still going to be a very large image being displayed; think of it like watching wide AR films in a normal 1.9:1 IMAX hall, the letterboxing will be similar to that bar's thickness, but because of the taller, bigger screen to begin with and the 1.9:1 AR on Velocity's 1.33:1 screen, the image will be massive.

I might watch Aquaman 2 in Pavilion BJ instead, since I want to see how a tall film will look like in that 1.9:1 screen. I'm sure it will (likely/almost) use the whole screen but hey, wouldn't mind going there again as I'm also considering Bukit Jalil to be my go-to for wide AR films since TGV IMAX tickets are cheaper (student price) than IOI City Mall 2's hall. Distance is a bit further la but overall, saving RM15 is quite a big deal (plus can explore the mall more since muak already with IOI City xd).

"how TV screens made watching movies worse" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFGKc69RN7c

Hey guys, I stumbled on an interesting video about the history of consumerism regarding screen sizes, aspect ratio and conversation of content for what platform. It also covers how big of a role IMAX had in impacting aspect ratios of films (and unfortunately how it negatively affects home viewings of films, the biggest example is Dune where the host mentions at min 14:10 onwards). Do check it out if you guys are interested in the workings of movie presentations.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Dec 22 2023, 11:44 AM

Haha, if you are going to KL for IMAX, might as well visit Velocity's over TRX as the former has the bigger screen. Wait until Dune 2 comes out next year March. That movie on Velocity's screen is going to be a blast.

Honestly, IMAX should be a once in a full moon type of experience, since not many blockbuster films airs in that IMAX-specialty tall aspect ratio. If your area has Big Atmos and is closer, I recommend that hall over IMAX for majority of films since the (adult only) tickets are cheaper and have early bird discounts.

It won't since the film was mixed in 6 channel audio only. That's Nolan's MO for his films' technical specs. Still, you will have a great time in Velocity with Oppenheimer and the ticket price too is very appealing ay RM 20 vs GSC IMAX RM 33 of the film

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Jan 18 2024, 12:35 PM

1U and Pav BJ's screens are (as close to) 1.9:1 aspect ratio in size, basically they are wider than Velocity's tall 1.43:1 (1.33:1 specifically). All these halls are single laser, so the tallest image you will get is 1.9:1. This comes down to how much you hate letterboxing ala the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. I watched Oppenheimer in 1U and the whole screen was able to be filled and that felt very engrossing considering how big 1U's screen is (at least in Malaysia's standard xd).

Velocity on the other hand, you will get letterboxing no matter what, but considering how big and tall the screen is, the movie's image will still look enormous and captivating despite having letterboxing during the 1.9:1 scenes.

IMO, Velocity is the better spot for Oppenheimer. Even without Laser as I watched this movie in the previous Xenon hall twice because of how big the movie image is. Personally this time around, I plan to visit Pav BJ for Oppenheimer's rerun, since this hall wasn't open during Oppie's original release and I visited all IMAX halls in Klang Valley with this film for review purposes (except I-City as that's too far and inconvenient for me)... However, man, me reminiscing my time in Velocity with this film was such a blast and it's convincing me to just go there instead... Ahhh.

And potentially risk my favourite seating spots to always be booked by others? XP. Lol joking joking. Row K is my favourite for 1.9:1 movies there. I wouldn't go below J as it becomes uncomfortable to envelope the whole movie's image within your vision

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Jan 19 2024, 02:14 PM