Ok so I'll give some context as to why I watched this. It was my birthday a few days ago and to celebrate we went to Drayton Manor, which is a well-known theme park here in the UK, and this is the 4D movie that they have to offer. As far as I'm aware, this is the only location (nationwide at least) where this can be viewed (at the time of writing). The only other 4D experience I've ever done was The Polar Express and I found that to be very enjoyable, despite my dislike towards the film itself. So I was more than happy to give this one a go, and I have to say it actually exceeded my expectations. Some of the 4D aspects include water being sprayed in your face, your seat rocking back and forth, wind, etc. The water is what takes you by surprise the most, and what made this short film so enthralling for me. It really keeps you hooked! And as for the 3D elements, while they probably could've utilised them a fair bit more, I was still very pleased with what they did in this regard. I think at one point I even put my hand in the way when I thought something was coming towards me! A sheer testament to just how immersive this experience really is. And when it comes to the story, it's pretty brilliant. It's perfect for both kids and adults alike. There may be some highly predictable moments, but the excitement and thrilling nature of what is unfolding outweighs any feeling of boredom you might come across.
But the main thing that prevents me from giving this a 10/10 rating is that the theater was poorly constructed to provide a fully captivating atmosphere for everybody. What I mean by this is that if you were sat even just a few rows away from the front, just as I was, you won't experience everything that the event has to offer. Specifically, I'm referring to the bubbles. This might seem strange to point out but when it comes to 4D experiences, these are the kind of things worthy of mention. The bubbles only reach the first 3 or 4 rows, at which point it seems kind of pointless to even have that feature at all. There is nothing stopping them from simply installing extra bubble shooters (or whatever you want to call them) around the room so that everyone gets the same experience. After all, if you're going to mention bubbles in the title, it's a bit odd that you're not going to make it a key facet of the experience. It's a poor choice of placement anyway. Every moviegoer knows that the best seats in the house are towards the back, so most people are going to favour sitting there rather than at the front with their necks at full tilt.
Overall though, it was great, a fun 15 minutes for sure. Definitely better than The Polar Express. If you're headed to Drayton Manor at any point, or this comes to a location near you, consider stopping by and giving this a go.
