The movie going experience has changed A LOT since I was a young girl. Some things have stayed the same – like popcorn and candy from the concession stand. But seeing the movie it’s self has changed so much over the years, including how movies are made.
It’s common knowledge that movies made these days are high-tech, made with an arsenal of computer software and technologies to bring movies to life. Even animated movies have come a long way.
When I was a young girl, my mom would take me to a local movie theater every week during the summer to see Disney films. Each week the theater would bring back an old Disney film (and charge 1/2 price for tickets). That allowed me to see such classics as Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella (made before I was born) on the big screen.
Animated films have changed so much. They are no longer “flat” animations. Today’s animations are so realistic that you would swear they were shot in real life.
Yesterday my husband and I got to “experience” and animated film – Moana. Our daughter couldn’t join us because she had to work and our son felt weird going with just us (plus he worried it was a “girly film,” which it is not).
When I say “experience” the film, I mean that we felt like we were IN the film, thanks to the amazing Dolby Cinema at AMC Theater we saw the film in. If you have never seen a film at a Dolby Cinema you are missing out on an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G movie going experience.
Our local Dolby Cinema theater is at the AMC Theater at the Westfield Mall (aka Garden State Plaza) in New Jersey. When you walk into the lobby you are greeted with a grande foyer worthy of a major Hollywood Event.
We picked up our tickets, courtesy of Disney for the purpose of reviewing the film. Then we were greeted by a representative from Dolby Cinema who gave us handy drawstring bags and fun pins.
Once inside the theater it’s self, I got the feeling I was about to embark on a spectacular movie premiere (even though it was just a regular mainstream movie). The theater is HUGE with a super sized screen.
Dolby Cinema at AMC Theaters have THE BEST SEATS in any movie theater. They are large and roomy (great for “plus size” people like myself) and recline. That’s right – they recline! The buttons are conveniently located on the arm, along with a cup holder for your beverage.
I tried to take video of the theater and photos of the seats, but the theater was dark. This was the best I could get.
I must forewarn you – the seats are so comfy you could easily fall asleep. LOL!
The theater is built so that you can recline your seat and there is still plenty of people to walk up and down your aisle.
A magical thing that the seats do is that they “vibrate” (for lack of a better description), depending on the action going on during the film. That sense of movement makes you fee like you are right there in the film as the action is happening.
The movie appears crystal clear on the big screen. It’s so crisp that you can see every tiny detail – right down to the strands of hair on the characters heads. It’s mind blowing!
The colors are bright and bold and “true to life.”
When it comes to Dolby, you know it’s all about the sound quality. You cannot beat the sound quality of a Dolby Cinema movie theater.
When you combine the sound, the quality of the picture and the impressive reclining chairs – your movie going gets taken to a whole new level. You just don’t watch a movie – you EXPERIENCE a movie in the best way possible.
Given the opportunity I would watch every film at a Dolby Cinema at AMC Theater.
If you like a list of Dolby Cinema locations currently opened, and those opening soon can be found on the Dolby Cinema at AMC webpage. You can also sign up for the Dolby Cinema newsletter to keep up to date on upcoming films and special events.
On to the film…
I have been excited to see Moana ever since I saw the first trailer for it.
Moana is the story about a young girl (Moana) who lives on an island with her parents, grandmother and many other families. Her father is the chief and Moana is being groomed to take over for him one day.
Ever since she was a toddler, Moana has always been intrigued by the ocean. It’s as if it calls her. Her parents on the other hand, especially her father, want her to steer clear from the ocean. The only safe place for them is on the island and within the reef. The world past the reef is dark and dangerous.
Moana tries to do the right thing, but as she gets old the sea seem to be calling for her more and more. Her grandmother is aware of this and tell her that the ocean chose her.
Things start to take a turn for the worse on the island. Coconut trees are dying. There is no more fish and the residents are worried that an ancient curse has finally found their island.
With her grandmother’s help, Moana knows that she needs to step up to save the island by locating a demigod named Maui and taking him to an island to return a special stone that he stole many years ago, which is the reason for the curse to be spreading throughout the world.
Moana is not an experienced sailor but she takes on the challenge to help her people.
Moana does find Maui (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) as well as a plethora of challenges along the way including evil coconut critters who want the stone Moana is trying to return.
Will they succeed? To find out you need to go and see Moana, playing at Dolby Cinemas and other movie theaters across the country.
We LOVED the movie! Loved it! Loved It! Loved It! It had it all – heart, humor, adventure, love, friendship, challenges… you name it. It even has a fantastic sound track. Even late last night my husband told me that one of the songs (How Far Will I Go) was stuck in his head.
The animation is so incredibly realistic! WOW! I was super impressed by how incredibly visual the film is. From the water to Moana’s toenails… they all look so real!
I loved all the characters in the film. Of course Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui were two of my favorites, but other characters like Pua the pig and Hei Hei the chicken also stole my heart. So much so I told my husband I want a stuffed/plush Pua and Hei Hei for Christmas.
There is an evil character in the film – a lava monster. That is the only character that I think might be a wee bit scar for little ones. There are a few scenes with that character too. The lava monster reminded me of the evil devil like creature at the end of the film This is the End.
This is a film not to be missed in theaters. You have to experience Moana to truly appreciate all it’s beauty. The best way would be at a Dolby Cinema and AMC Theater. If you don’t have one near you, you still should go and see the film. If I were to rate it from one to five stars I’d give Moana 20 stars! It’s that good.
More more information visit the film’s home page Movies.Disney.com/Moana. You can also check out the film on Facebook and Twitter. In addition you can follow Disney Animation on Instagram and Tumblr. The official hashtag is #Moana.
You can also check out the hashtags #DolbyCinema and #ShareAMC to read others reactions about seeing the film at a Dolby Cinema theater.
Kimberly
*I received free tickets and compensation to see the film. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.