Likely cause KLCC Suria is a hotspot for visitors and customers, so they believe this IMAX invlusion is a good investment despite how small the hall and likely the screen will be. Unfortunate and disappointing but eh, we still have many other options for Premium Large Format halls around.

I think the 1.9:1 scenes are exclusive to IMAX only. Read online,, mainly IMDB and they say some scenes in IMAX will have expanded aspect ratio. The rest, Dolby cinema included, won't.

Hey man, watched it recently in Velocity IMAX. Yeah, this movie is awesome in IMAX. There's many expanded scenes and they look visually stunning. The laser projector putting in work, really makes the creativity and unique vision of Hollow World look remarkable.

The surround sound was also epic. The roars, chaos and destruction were strong and have good directional pin points.

This movie really a guilty pleasure, haven't had this much fun and laughter with and at a film in a long while. I plan to watch this again in Velocity, truly a banger of a time.

Side note: really wished Godzilla Minus One aired in theaters here in Malaysia, especially with New Empire airing currently. The contrast of tone between the stupid yet self-aware fun of New Empire vs the (supposed, haven't watched it arrrgh) serious, disaster-like fight for survival of Minus One would have been a great experience to compare and appreciate.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Apr 4 2024, 07:29 PM

So, GSC is currently doing reruns of Tom Cruise's last 2 films: Top Gun Maverick and Mission Impossible 7 Dead Reckoning. Both are available in IMAX, but only in TRX. Top Gun Maverick also returns in 4DX, so those interested in that hall should visit it with this movie airing. This is one of the best films to utilize the seats in that hall, and actually elevates the excitement and thrills that film provides. I know @skylinelover definitely happy with this haha.

Personally, I want to watch Top Gun Maverick in IMAX again, but only if it's in Laser, which TRX is. However, I'm not willing to pay the luxury ticket price for that hall. Hopefully IOI City Mall 2 would also follow suit or even better, TGV but no updates yet.

Mission Impossible wise, I honestly rather have MI6 Fallout air instead, as personally, that's the best film currently in the MI series and actually has expanded, 1.9:1 scenes in it whereas MI7 does not.

This rerun is actually funny because in the USA, Dune 2 will re-run in IMAX soon instead due to popular demand. I thought Malaysia would also follow suit, but at least for GSC, we went for Tom Cruise instead which is also awesome.

PS. Both films are also in ScreenX but avoid that hall. It's trash.

It's fully 2.39:1, so not really. Its audio mix includes 12 channel audio, so will utilize the new laser halls with more speakers. IMAX Laser will be the best image quality out of all the halls except Onyx, so still a great choice of a hall.

I personally would visit BigScreen w/ Dolby Atmos for this movie.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: May 12 2024, 11:22 PM

Hey man, appreciate the compliment. I also recently book tickets for Furiousa in Velocity's IMAX. Velocity course correcting with the seats really made this the accessible and IMAX hall it deserves to be.

In regards to IOI City Mall 2 IMAX seats not rumbling, it's not because the sound levels are not high and loud, it's likely the construction of the hall and seats are built sturdy. For example, the most seat rumble I got was in 1U and that hall is quite old now (still a fantastic hall). Ya, the renovation and seat changes help but the floors and hall itself isn't new and modernly built as IOI's.

Most BIG halls are occupied by non-Hollywood movies. I checked for Furiosa and its BIG airing is in Starling only. The other time slots are for The Experts or Twillight of the Warriors.

In terms of audio (since speakers are newer) yes, but screen size is very small, in fact smallest of the BIG screens in KV. Personally, in KV, the best are Starling then Tropicana Gardens as their screens are bigger. Both halls also have fantastic DA speakers and calibration. I wanted to visit Starling for Planet of The Apes and Furiosa but far for me, and the time slot for both films in that hall were limited too

MyTown is also good but after so long, they haven't fixed the AC or Speaker noise on the top left (went there for The Fall Guy revently). It tends to make a distracting, audible creaking noise that is very distracting during quieter scenes. If they fix that, then it'll be the best accessible Big hall in the KL area la.

The Big halls of Starling and Tropicana Gardens have improved significantly in the audio section ever since the Hong Leong Bank partnership last year. I re-visited both halls and they were much, much better. For Starling specifically, I visited this hall for Spiderverse 2 and MI7 and they were both awesome experiences. MI7 particularly was great as the DA speakers were comfortably louder, had more base and better directional sound. Coupled with its already large screen (largest of all the Big halls in KV), It really became the hall this thread's OP had originally promised.

I recommend re-visiting the hall for Furiosa. I watched Furiosa in Velocity's IMAX and the audio was bonkers, really utilized the extra 6 speakers from the 12-channel upgrade. Now imagine that in a Dolby Atmos hall which contains more speakers (Furiosa is also mainly mixed for Dolby). Other than audio, Furiosa's aspect ratio is fully 2.39:1, so the extra premium for IMAx (if not qualified for the discounts) is not worth it compared to Big.

Ya haha, even more reason for GSC or TGV to open a Dolby Cinema hall (or upgrade our current BIG halls with Dolby Vision to qualify as Dolby Cinema) .

Furiosa has a limited run in Big halls in GSC. The Big halls in Klang Valley are mostly airing The Experts (Malay moviein MyTown) and Twilight of The Warriors (Cantonese movie in Tropicana Gardens), Lalaport seems to be airing a combination of those 2 in its Big hall. The only mall airing Furiosa has 1 time slot only and it's at Starling (the best Big hall in KV. Largest screen with revamped, powerful speakers).

If you want a very large screen and/or strong audio for the movie but can't justify the visit to Starling at that 1 time slot, consider IMAX Laser with 12 channel audio or Dolby Atmos halls. DA halls with large screens that aren't BIG are Maxx halls in IOI City Mall (though not recommended as the projector projects a very weak and low res image. Audio is awesome though) or ONYX in Tropicana Gardens (Best image quality of all screens as the screen is essentially OLED. The DA audio requires a re-visit from me to assess but it's still DA).

Maybe this Thursday onwards may have more Big slots for Furiosa at GSC. One of the best films of the year which is unfortunately not doing well in the global box office :/.

*Edit There's also a Big hall in Atria Shopping Gallery but operated by MBO. Looks like they have plenty of slots available in that hall and the ticket prices look pretty good. Judging from some footage and images I can find online, the screen looks like it's slightly bigger than Tropicana Gardens, but smaller than Starling.

Business tidbit: Big was originally introduced in Malaysia by MBO, but because of the pandemic, MBO sold majority of their assets to GSC, hence GSC has that tech too (Starling and Tropicana Gardens' cinema chains were originally MBO's, but now rebranded to GSC cause of the buyout). MBO was able to rebound but on a smaller scale now.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: May 27 2024, 10:45 PM

Well... https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/mo...ory-1235918123/

Opening weekend $105 million with a $100m budget. Seems it is doing very well. I would say Inside Out 2 got tougher challenge since Pixar magic very weak now, not many are interested. Maybe Inside Out 2 could change that but we'll have to see.

In terms of cinema hall choices for these 2 films in Malaysia, Bad Boys 4 in wide-scope only and 6-track for IMAX. It's Dolby Atmos mix, so recommended halls are Big DA imo.

Inside Out 2 has 1.9:1 scenes but don't think it's IMAX exclusive, so should benefit other hall types. It's 12-track and Dolby mixed as well. So either halls should be a good time. - false
Edit: 13/06/24

I just watched Inside Out 2 in IMAX and it doesn't have 1.9:1 scenes. Fully 2.39:1. IMDB info of its aspect ratio is wrong. Audio-wise, It does utilize the 12 speakers but not by much. You'll probably won't notice it even if you're in a normal hall.

Overall, unless you want a large screen with great image quality, go for Big DA instead lol. Save yourself and your kids a few bucks. Onyx would be a blast for this film since its animation is very fun, creative and colorful. The colours and contrast will pop more there.

Sidenote: Pixar really showed out and returned to form with this film. I don't think it's as good as the first one (haven't re-watch that in a long while) but, this film has some moments where it's very cringe and embarrassing to watch. Ya, it's portraying a relatable yet embarrassing experience of growing up, so it's supposed to invoke that feeling of cringe, but maybe Pixar could have maneuver the writing better to make these scenes more tolerable and less cliche (maybe this speaks more about my own insecurities...hmmm see? A positive can be seen here with the metaness of the film's themes xd).

Overall, fantastic film. If you're a big Pixar fan and one who enjoys great slice of life themes, well then Pixar is that and back with this film in great form.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Jun 13 2024, 06:04 PM

It's been a long while lol. IMAX 3D is inconvenient for me cause I wear glasses and my power too high for contacts lol. Overall yeah, this movie was awesome. Watched it in IMAX at Pav BJ and the crowd was fucking awesome hahaha. The cheers and claps during amazing surprises will always be special for a movie going experience (still remember my No Way Home trip few years back, what a time). I'm planning to re-watch Deadpoll x Wolverine as well in Dolby, but cannot decide where. Well, there's...

Pavillion Bukit Jalil TGV Dolby Atmos - Twisters



Twisters released in PLF halls and thought I should finally visit Pav BJ's Atmos hall for Twisters. I felt not worth the IMAX trip since, well save money lah haha and surprisingly, even though this hall's screen isn't that big compared to GSC's Big/Maxx Atmos counterparts, I really enjoyed this hall a lot. First of all, apparently the projector is laser (a Cristie 4K one I think) and I can see the improved image quality vs normal halls. It's not as detailed and "bright" as IMAX Laser, but it still looked great.

Of course, the main selling point of this hall is the Dolby Atmos speaker configuration, and that is definitely awesome. Last year, @khainiz94 made a review of this hall (https://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=2552709&view=findpost&p=107835897) and it only took me a year later to finally visit this hall xd. The surround sound was accurate, audio levels were powerful, bassy yet comfortably loud, and just overall imo slightly better than 12-channel audio from IMAX. I mean honestly, 12-channel vs Dolby is a minor thing; Dolby has better surround capabilities while IMAX speakers are louder/stronger (sometimes to a deafening degree, so not always a great thing) but mainly comes down to how the films are audio mixed in the first place, either for Dolby or IMAX (Nolan usually).

GSC still have the most Atmos halls like the ones in 1U and Mid Valley, but prices for GSC varies depending on how popular the cinema chain is. Plus, those Atmos halls are very old now and likely have not have their speakers upgraded/increased in numbers. The projector is likely mediocre too. Overall, wah, Pav BJ TGV might be my favourite spot for movies right now as it features one of the best IMAX and Atmos halls in KV. Its PLF halls' features aren't necessarily the best: Velocity, MyTown and Starling screens are bigger for their respectful IMAX and Atmos halls, but just having these halls in one cinema chain makes it a great package altogether.

Unfortunately, weighing in the distance to travel to Pav BJ vs Velocity/MyTown makes it hard for me to make this my primary two in one PLF go-to cinema.

Closing Notes

Honestly, I'm now in the mood of wanting a great Dolby Atmos hall with a large screen, preferably close to my residence (lesser or similar distance to Velocity haha). IOI City Maxx is a joke for image quality and the ticket prices too. RM29.50 for that image quality like wtf? Starling and Tropicana Gardens are too far distance for me, even though they are the top two best Big Atmos halls in KV. LaLaport Big's screen is very small and MyTown STILL WILL NOT ADDRESS THE CREAKING NOISES IN THEIR BIG HALL! Last time, I was there for A Quiet Place: Day One and it was infuriating considering silence was integral to the film's immersion then suddenly, you hear non-diegetic sounds (I sent a complaint and they replied with essentially "nah, not there")!

Dear TGV and GSC, consider opening up a Dolby Atmos hall with a very large screen within KL/Cheras or Putrajaya, even better yet, a true Dolby Cinema hall with the trademark Dolby Vision projector and up to 128 speakers. Doing so will complete my selfish, financially risky and totally passable wish of having great cinema halls in Malaysia which lets be honest, not many movie-goers here will even appreciate aside from the niche hardcores like the people here in this Lowyat thread. While you're at it, could you launch a IMAX Laser GT hall too? 70mm as an alternative would also be lovely but a large 1.43:1 screen with Laser GT is the goal since the screen doesn't necessarily need to be as big and tall as the true 70mm halls. Yes, even though there are not many movies that will be 1.43:1 in aspect ratio, it would still be a feel good moment for us movie goers as (well... not necessarily to you companies since the estimated profits from these halls may not justify the capital needed to build them in the first place but) it would really be appreciated .

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Jul 28 2024, 10:44 PM

Early critic reviews say this film is awesome. That is great cause this film is for IMAX. All scenes apparently are 1.9:1. Gonna check this out in Velocity IMAX.

Watched it in IMAX Velocity over the weekend. Yup, worth it haha. The whole film is in 1.9:1 as advertised and is exclusive to IMAX for aspect ratio. Sound was great and intense, but imo the dialogue audio level was quite low; sometimes drowned out by the bgm and considering the characters' accent, ooof haha.

Overall great. The space horizon shots and cinematography in general are spectacular and definitely excels with the larger image the IMAX aspect ratio provides. The horror and tension is great, especially the surprise in the last quarter of the film (holy shit was it grotesque). My only problem is the Xenomorphs felt underwhelming. Honestly, I would say the first 3 quarters are great but didn't excel. I really wanted to feel stressed and paranoid through it all but the film never really got to that level except for the last quarter.

Still a great Alien movie though. Brought back the horror and tension. Cinematography and sound design are top tier and again, last quarter was spectacular. Worth the go in IMAX for the immersion.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Aug 19 2024, 01:25 PM

Benefits of watching Alien Romulus in IMAX is for the taller image as the 1.9:1 aspect ratio version of the film is exclusive to IMAX. Other formats, Big DA included will be 2.39:1. You will be missing some picture detail and imo, the extra image is pretty worth it since the scale of the space horizon shots are epic.

Otherwise, Dolby Atmos is the better audio experience for surround sound. IMAX is louder but sometimes can be deafening.

Onyx is mainly for the LED screen: brighter colours, better contrasts and higher definition detail. This format is the best looking of all the formats, but the screens are small. Mid Valley and I-City uses this JBL audio system while Tropicana Gardens Onyx has DA.

If you do want to visit an Onyx hall, I would recommend Tropicana Gardens. It has the largest Onyx screen among the 3 and better audio with DA. However, I think the DA set up there is weaker... At least the last time I was there for a film which was a few years back.

Edit
My recommendation on selecting which hall to watch certain films at is to search the film's technical specs online then check their aspect ratio and audio mix, not only imdb, but reddit and other promotional sources. For example, The Creator's aspect ratio was very wide, 2.78:1 or something, wasted on IMAX screens.

Sometimes, some films with 1.9:1 scenes aren't exclusive to IMAX like The Flash last year. There's a reason movie screens are slightly taller than 1.9:1 here even normal halls, so they can accommodate film's image.

Audio mix too to a lesser extend to see whether it has 12 track audio or not so you don't need to fuss to visit the limited IMAX 12 channel halls.

This post has been edited by Katharsis: Sep 1 2024, 09:12 AM

@nnannon24 essentially yeah, what @LightKeyDarkBlade said. This is actually a good time to update, since East KL Mall GSC opened up an IMAX hall few months back along with TGV KLCC Suria.

Pure spec wise, IMAX's 12-channel audio which means having 12 speakers is not a massive feat, especially if compared to Dolby Atmos which has up to 64 speakers for better surround sound. However, IMAX speakers are strong, and the audio quality there is still top notch. 12-channel is mainly an upgrade of IMAX previous 6-channel audio; essentially doubling the amount of speakers in those specific halls.

Do note, TGV offers better tiered pricing for IMAX GSC and the former is the only one to provide student tier price: TGV Kid and Senior ticket at RM12 vs GSC's RM17, and TGV student ticket at RM20 vs GSC not having student tier. If you're an adult, it doesn't matter as prices are fixed at around RM35, but if you have kids or go to the movies with your parents, the tiered pricing is a great value.

There are 6 IMAX halls in KV that has both Laser Projection and 12 channel audio:

1. Sunway Velocity TGV IMAX
- Largest screen in Malaysia with a massive 1.43:1 aspect ratio screen

2. 1 Utama TGV IMAX
- 4th largest screen in Malaysia with a 1.9:1 aspect ratio. The 2nd and 3rd largest screens of Vivacity and I-City lack Laser Projection and 12-channel audio. However, despite being 4th, 1U's IMAX screen is still massive, surprisingly so considering it was the 2nd digital IMAX screen to be introduced in Malaysia, a year after Sunway Pyramid being the 1st back in 2011.

3. Pavilion Bukit Jalil TGV IMAX
- Screen is the same type as 1U but at a smaller size. It is still slightly bigger than IOI City Mall 2's (which was the first IMAX Laser hall in Malaysia, but doesn't have 12 speakers) and I believe TRX Aurum.

4-6 I personally haven't visited, I am planning to visit East KL Mall's IMAX hall eventually, just it is quite far. However, with some research, I can surmise their ranks on their technical feat and price.

4. East KL Mall GSC
- From the finite pictures online, the screen size looks pretty modest, similar to TRX Aurum and IOI City Mall. It is placed higher than TRX Aurum mainly due to ticket price being reasonable at RM33.50. It looks like a fine hall and the adult price is actually a few ringgit cheaper than the usual IMAX halls. Comes down to your convenience of travel to this hall and dealing with GSC limited ticket price tiers.

5. TRX GSC Aurum
- Mainly a luxury hall. It is RM70 for a ticket but most of the seats are twin seats, so you'll likely spend RM140 here. Screen looks modest, similarly sized to IOI City Mall 2

6. KLCC Suria TGV
- Pathetically the smallest IMAX screen in Malaysia despite its recent opening. Only saving grace is it having 12-channel audio and laser projection. Would not recommend this place, instead, take the time to visit either 1U or Velocity via vicinity for a better IMAX experience.

IOI City Mall 2 is omitted due to it not having 12-Channel audio. It was the first IMAX hall in Malaysia to have Laser IMAX, and held the dominance of being the best for a good portion of early to late 2023 until TGV came swinging back with introducing 12-channel and laser projection at new and existing KV IMAX halls.

Other IMAX halls use the old dual Xenon projectors and have 6 speakers only. Their image quality is weaker than laser projection and have weaker surround sound (depends on the film's audio mixing though, so 12 speaker halls may be useless sometimes as they may use 6 only). However, I still do recommend 2 non-laser halls.

Central I-City IMAX hall as it has the biggest 1.9:1 screen in Malaysia with fantastic seat legroom and hall aesthetics. This hall deserves to be upgraded to IMAX Laser and 12-channel audio. If it does, it becomes the 2nd best hall, strongly competing against Velocity. Another one is Vivacity as that one is a 1.43:1 screen surprisingly, but this hall is in East Malaysia.

All IMAX halls are viable (except KLCC Suria and Sunway Pyramid. Screens are too small. Go to 1U instead for PJ people but), just visit the ones that is the most convenient to you.

Yo LightKeyDarkBlade, I checked out the JJF stuff at GSC and man, I wished I knew sooner as the tickets were already sold off like hotcakes. The tickets are cheap as well at RM10. I mainly want to watch Godzilla Minus One in IMAX, or at least Mid Valley's Hall 18 as it is their DA hall, but the latter hall is booked through while the former's ticket price is RM50 (OG price is RM70 but still). You're not required to book a whole twin seat unlike the hall's usual booking MO, they separated the twin seats this time around.

However, I have already watched Godzilla Minus One (gotta love vpns), so I'm not in the hype to watch it. I still do want to watch it in a cinema hall, mainly DA since the film is properly audio mixed for DA. IMAX not really worth since the film is 2.39:1 and mainly, it doesn't have 12-channel audio config, only 6-channel.

Conclusively, all the JFF films are almost fully booked already, so I also missed my chance for Akira, OG Godzilla. I think Aurum IMAX still have decent seats for Minus One, but RM50 is eh... I mean, I could finally tick off my "visit all KV's IMAX hall" bucket list, but I do have standards of price value and not motivated enough to tick this list off (KLCC Suria IMAX is the smallest screen in Malaysia, surprisingly taking that spot away from Sunway Pyramid, and East KL Mall is pretty far).

I was interested in the Harry Potter films, but they are mainly in the Velvet halls, and a ticket cost RM60... so no. I'll probably check them out in streaming instead (if I'm bothered to).

I'm going to check it in Big Atmos. Tak ada 1.9:1 aspect ratio, so not worth IMAX tax to me haha.

@ericling congratulations on your newborn child! Hope things are going well on your end minus the sleepless nights haha. Even if Central I-City IMAX upgrades to laser and 12 speakers, I still can't reasonably go lol cause too far. Overall not really a lot to watch in IMAX now for that tall aspect ratio. Even Joker 2 a bit sketchy cause of the early reviews but will see la. Haven't watched Joker 1 so not really that hyped.

I mean, we'll see. The first Joker film back in 2019 also got mixed reviews from critics, but the fans loved it and the film got massive praises when it released for all. It could be the same pattern again.

Depends on the films usually. Most of them are slightly below borderline in terms of loudness. For seats, it's preferential but for me it's J for wide/2.39:1 aspect ratio films, and K or L for tall/1.9:1 films.

For me personally, my go-to rows are K, J then L. K and L are my go-to for tall aspect ratio films (priority on K). J for wider aspect ratio ala 2.39:1. I won't really go further than this as the screen is huge and won't fit my periheral vision comfortably. Of course, seat locations at the cinemas is subjective, so I would recommend you go there and try it yourself.

In terms of seat features, it reclines a bit but don't expect like top tier all the way back etc. The minor problem of this hall is the legroom is not that great, so long legs people will feel cramped.

@skylinelover lucky you XP. I started my full time job a few months back and now only limited time to watch films... well can lah, after work just go to the cinema asap. However the jams, petrol cost and physical fatigue is real draining haha. Worse more is that I can't benefit from student price anymore for both IMAX and Big; need to pay full price so wallet also sakit HAHA.

No lol. If the other seats empty and no one seating, just go and swap la haha. I did that last time during the twin seats era of Velocity IMAX. But just try those seats out if it's your first time in that hall. After the movie ends. Go try the other seats and get an understanding of your preference.