IMAX Sydney

What do I think about the Imax? Well, it’s obviously big. But, is it uncomfortably big? I mean, let’s say you don’t book your tickets in advance and you have to sit in the first few rows staring up to a screen that is three stories high for over 2 hours… Hmmm… ingredients for crinked neck and sore brain. Lucky I booked my ticket in advance.
So, yes! Star Wars was showing and I thought it was worth seeing again on the super mega big screen on my trip to Sydney. Tickets are pretty costly and so is the food. But most cinemas are costly and yeah it is big. But, I just don’t know how I feel about spending $ 70 for two people to go to the cinema. But, it’s Star Wars…
I did notice a couple of things about this cinema. Not sure who they have hired to do the cleaning? They should probably do some performance management on them; there seemed to be mountains of cups and popcorn behind the chairs. Also, floor seemed to like my shoes a lot and were pulling them from my feet.
When watching this gigantic screen I notice that there was a thin line on the left hand side of the screen? I thought this was digital? Also, depending on your angle, it seems to have a little darker haze. You kind of need to be in the middle and high.
Well, best thing about was the exercise climbing those stairs. I worked off the costly popcorn I consumed for sure!
Look, Imax is what you would expect. It’s a big screen that you watch things on when you decide there is a movie worthy enough.

Imax Sydney is bang centre stage of the Darling Harbour tourist precinct. Its right opposite the waterfront. In keeping with the tourist theme this place boasts that it has the largest IMAX screen in the world. If you want to come visit Sydney and claim you saw the Opera House and the world’s largest IMAX screen I’m sure your friends would turn green with envy.
The cinema has a lot of pros and cons going with it. Some of the pros include
–Largest Screen in the World
–Convenient Location
–Plenty of nearby restaurants to eat in before or after
–Specialist movies from time to time with IMAX.
The cons are
–limited selection of movies and times due to the fact it’s only able to facilitate one showing at a time.
–Incredibly pricy movie tickets. Adult ticket will set you back $ 35
–The seats are so small compared to Vmax seating with Event. Also if your not seated towards the back be prepared to be bending your neck a lot to witness the whole screen.
Overall though its worth the experience because the screen is humongous.

Went to IMAX yesterday cinema was great although need supervision of children not accompanied by adults. I was seated in front of a group of kids and throughout the movie they were pulling my hair and banging on the back of my seat, when I politely asked them to stop they Just got worse and continued so I asked again so they proceeded to bang the back of my sons chair. There were no staff checks throughout the movie and when I let the manager know his response was that I should have left the movie that I spent nearly $ 80 to watch disrupted all the other patrons that had paid a fortune as well and let staff know. As I was seated right in the middle of the theatre I thought that it was a little rude to disrupt everyone else. The manager just brushed me off and was not at all concerned. I think it is wrong that staff don’t do random checks while movie playing as we as customers pay alot to go and see a movie here., you would think staff would appreciate that and make sure it was an enjoyable experience. I am in holidays from gold coast and that was a MAJOR let down.

Awesome fun. Huge screen. Good sound. Had to watch 20 mins of movie trailers before the film started (Jurassic world) but that was fun too.
$ 41 for an adult ticket. Booked online.

If you are a teacher or if you know a teacher who will take you to the movies, you can see Free iMax Previews for Teachers. The main drawback is that they are often on very early Sunday morning but the pluses outweigh that drawback. There are also free bickkies, tea, coffee, popcorn, soft drinks and water. Then there is the validation of your parking ticket and whatever entertainment is on offer around Darling Harbour.
We saw Island of Lemurs in 3D. The lemurs were cute and crazy but the background music was lame. It was free so can’t complain.

Piss Poor Customer Relations and Filthy Toilets
We went to IMAX Sydney to redeem our Groupons that expired on November 30, 2014.
Much to our disappointment when we arrived at the IMAX, there were a a couple of printed out signs at the desk saying that all of the shows were fully booked out for the remainder of the day.
These sold out sessions totally put us out of luck with our groupons.
Fine, whatever. Our fault.
HOWEVER.
After reading the «Fine Print» on the gropon which I have published here as well.
The fine print CLEARLY STATS THAT:
* Vouchers will strictly not be extended or accepted after the expiration date, 30 November 2014. No exceptions.
Fine, but what the groupon DOESN’T SAY is that.
YOU MUST WATCH THE selected film AFTER November 30, 2014.
If this was IMAX intended by THEIR Terms and Conditions, that would of been no problem, we would have accepted our loss and moved on.
HOWEVER.
After having an employee at the ticket counter read the Terms and Conditions and failing to point out to us, where it says that the film must be watched ON OR BEFORE November 30, 2014.
He failed.
The IMAX employee was also very condescending and patronizing by repeating several times that «…this is a groupon…» …groupon…“
As, if I didn’t know what groupon was.
I am the one who booked it.
We then asked to speak to the manager, which he contacted. We were then told that the manager would be out in 3 to 5 minutes.
Why hurry?
I’m not sure what the hold up was.
The manager which was a girl probably in her mid twenties listened to what we had to say about REDEEMING the groupon today (which at the time was November 30, 2014, which was still valid) and booking a movie for the next day, which was December 1, 2014.
The manager, blatantly lied to us and said that is not possible, and that their system wouldn’t even recognize it.
Even though we pointed out that no where in the TERMS and CONDITIONS that it says that the film must be WATCHED on or BEFORE November 30, 2014.
Which clearly the groupon’s Terms and Conditions do not.
Here is an EXACT copy and PASTE of the IMAX Sydney groupon’s TERMS and CONDITIONS:
* Vouchers will strictly not be extended or accepted after the expiration date, 30
As you can see, NOWHERE in the TERMS and CONDITIONS does it STATE that the FILM MUST BE WATCHED on or BEFORE November 30, 2014.
Although, that is how the manager made it sound.
So, basically we were told that were totally out of luck and left to deal with our loss.
At this point, I reluctantly accepted defeat and prepared to own up our losses.
It sucked, but what else can you do?
I spoked to the manager and explained that we drove all the way down to the IMAX which is about an hour drive for us. And that perhaps maybe we could get some compensation for our troubles.
I think that is a bit fair. Even if it was something small.
A free soft drink (it was hot muggy), a free snack or something for our next visit, a discount on newly purchased IMAX Tickets, something.
Going on a slight tangent for a moment, what a beautiful opportunity to make a sale for another show???
Turn a negative into a positive and make some repeat customers happy about spending their time and money at an IMAX.
No.
As I asked for some sort of compensation, even if it was small, she simply said NO, and proceeded to walk away from me, as I was speaking.
Extremely rude, and very unprofessional.
We were left feeling like garbage basically.
No goodbye, no have a nice day, nothing, just turned her back and walked away from us.
HOWEVER, here’s the KICKER.
As we were rudely told that there was nothing that the manager or IMAX could do, my wife was punching in our groupon voucher numbers into the IMAX’s website for redemption.
Within a couple of minutes we had successfully redeemed our groupons for the Monday, December 1, 2014 show.
Which clearly proves that this manager wrong.
We WERE able to redeem our groupons ON or BEFORE November 30, 2014 AND for another day’s showtime.
This IMAX Manager was rude, unprofessional and either uninformed or a liar. Maybe both? I don’t know.
I’ve been a long time fan and supporter of IMAX but have lost a lot of respect for IMAX after this episode.
At this point I don’t know where I stand with IMAX and do not know if I will be returning.
We continued to see Interstellar on Monday, December 1, 2014 with our groupons which we successfully redeemed online before November 30, 2014 for another day’s show time.
We saw the 6:15PM show. I just want to add that the male toilets were absolutely repulsive.
They had not been cleaned in who know’s how long. There was urine splattered all over the floor, all over the toilet seat and just stunk like hell.
Just repulsive.
IMAX Sydney cannot clean their toilets and how their management behaves clearly reflects the same by how they leave and treat their guests.
Think twice or more about parting with your hard earned dollars at IMAX, Sydney.

Went there to watch interstellar and they have different pricing depending on the duration of the show. Both prices are just as expensive for what you get. When we visit their website, they have plenty of shows available. However most shows are during office hours, like 10am or 2pm on a weekday, which makes it hard to watch if you work a 9 to 5 job. I guess those shows are mainly catered to school students? As for the seating, like the other comments, you should get as far back as possible. Otherwise it will be very hard to watch as you need to tilt your head up and constantly move your head left and right as you won’t be able to see the entire screen.

The biggest screen in the Southern Hemisphere. If you love movies you’ll love this theatre. Amazing sound. All round great experience.

Ever wonder what it feels like to see the world through Michael Bay’s eyes?
Well strap yo’self in and get ready to feel the Gs player, because IMAX Sydney has the world’s biggest screen and they ain’t shy about using it. Also, I should just repeat that: world’s. Biggest. Screen.
Pay your ticket price, grab a slurpee, put on your magic 3D spaceman goggles, find a seat and then sit helplessly, jaw agape, as gigantic Dolby surround sound and larger-than-anything-you’ve-ever-experienced-before Godzilla-​style visuals blow that goddamn slurpee all over you and the poor sods in the three rows behind you.
Just get here will ‘ya?

Came here for the first time yesterday to see the Hidden Universe documentary.
Said to be the biggest IMAX screen in the world? hmmmmm Ive been to an IMAX cinema in Upper West NYC and that was comparable to this one… but Im sure someone had measured it :)
Huge snacks counter, clean bathroom, comfortable seats. Not too bad…
I guess the only negative thing is how expensive an IMAX movie ticket costs ! But once again, it’s Australia !
Note: If you are watching a 3D movie, make sure you check the 3D glasses. I only found out mine was broken when I settled down in my seat… bummer.

I have been to Imax twice now and recently to see Hidden Universe. The theatre is big, clean, looking new, the seats are comfortable too. I like to watch something good and worth to see in 3D. The prices are not cheap for a ticket.
Overall good location for movie and then dinner at Darling Harbour.

Sure it’s a giant screen, but it’s $ 31 a ticket for feature films!
Also, their customer service could use a bit of work. Even on a slow weekday evening, the crowds were compressing outside waiting to be let in. The 3D glasses were ALL WET for some reason, and there’s no illumination on seat numbers with only a single entrance per row.
I’ve never had so many smartphone flashlights to the face.

I’ve been going to the IMAX quite a lot over the years.
I’m addicted to watching some of the good stuff on the stupidly big screen. Call me a size queen if you want!
So last night we went and saw Iron Man 3 for the second time on the big screen, and also my friend had never been to IMAX so I had to change this and dragged her along. It was rather funny watching her face when she realised how big the bloody screen was. And her terror trying to find out seat because we were so high. Bonus!
If you’re happy paying premium for tickets, don’t be shy to ask for exactly what seat you want. Along the edges just doesn’t do the film justice.
I’m just glad I get discounted tickets for this place through work because I don’t think I could stop going here to watch the good stuff in 3D.

Biggest IMAX Screen in the world? At least that’s what they advertise.
I’ve seen Harry Potter and most recently Dark Knight Rises here. Its a pretty good theatre — big and the screen is huge. Prices are a bit steep but considering its in a very touristy place, I guess it makes sense.
Me and my friend came here on a Friday night to watch the 6:30 showing of Dark Knight. Since it was like 3 hours long, we ordered a large popcorn to share, which was tasty.
Good theatre, centrally located, lots of things around. Thumbs up!

Did someone say biggest in the Southern Hemisphere? IMAX’s huge screen is the juicy cornucopia of honey butter of cinemas. It’s truly bulging at the hips, good we have 3D glasses to make that all feel like fiction.
I watched Avatar here, and it was more than a movie, it was an experience. Strap yourself in and feel the G’s as Homer would say. I was blown away at how big the screen was, neck turningly massive, and the audio is exceptional.
The main difference here, except for the price, is that it’s a special occasion, it’s a moment to remember, great for dates, or big gatherings of friends. Or even the blockbuster doco you’ve been waiting for forever.
I would even go here if they telecast the Apple Keynotes it’s that much of an event type feeling.

IMAX — Bold and All Caps. That’s a dead giveaway to what IMAX is all about. It’s Big and Massive and they’re definitely Bold to showcase mostly documentaries.
Imagine watching a movie at home and watching a movie in a cinema? That’s the same difference between watching a movie in a regular cinema and watching at Imax.
The screen at IMAX is huge. And i love sitting in the centre. Middle row, centre seats.
Join MyMax for invites to special previews.
I don’t particularly enjoy wearing glasses, so I often skip the 3D experience. But at IMAX, it’s worth seeing a movie in 3D. Their glasses have evolved over time, and it’s getting cuter now. I’m assuming that the glasses are always wet when I receive them, because they’ve been sitting in sterilised water.
My obsession with Parking being an equally important part of the experience, let me assure you, there is plenty of parking available and if you park at Wilson’s Harbourside or Entertainment lot, you can get your ticket validated at IMAX for $ 12 flat rate.

I am fairly sure that everyone knows what IMAX is by now. It’s a little like transferred memories, passed on at birth through the wonderful process of evolution. For the select few not to know: this is a ginormous screen. Really really big. When it first opened, pretty much the only thing to screen were IMAX specific documentaries about things like the Amazon, space shuttles, ancient Egypt and so forth.
Over time, IMAX has become a part of mainstream cinema with films projected at the IMAX theatre or with selected scenes shot in the format. I have seen a few movies over the years and my conclusions are as follows: the movies made specifically for IMAX work really well. Now that they have 3D (which was around when I was a kid, although the headsets were giant), it is an extremely immersive experience. Regular movies don’t fare quite as well, with Iron Man 2 being a particularly incomprehensible experience. Modern cinema is increasingly based around fast cuts and it loses something in the translation to the large format. A lot of the viewing time consists of «there’s a robot flying, now he’s there, there’s a robot chasing another robot, not sure which is which, robot 2 is catching up, now they’re shooting lasers». You just lose a little context along the way.
The actual cinema complex has held up well over the years and the Darling Harbour foreshore location treats you to a nice walk while you wait for your session.

A massive screen. I was fortunate to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D here when it came out, and the crowds came out in force. Originally designed to view real life documentaries; the occasional 3D film is worth seeing here instead of at a traditional cinema; although the big screen can make you a little sick. It didn’t with Alice in Wonderland; yet when you see a documentary of the dolphins or an African safari for instance; you would be forgiven for thinking that your either a scuba diver at sea with the dolphins, or in Africa on safari.
This makes great sense why these films last only around an hour; any minute more and you would begin to feel sick. Many people may tend to disagree with me on this; however it is best to eat before or after your film; not in between. Just sit back on their pink seats and enjoy. Aim for the back or at least the second or third last rows towards the back for a better viewing experience. A great experience, except the flights of stairs leaving can be full on. Not an establishment you would visit all the time as it can get quite pricey otherwise.

The LG IMAX Theatre in Sydney houses the world’s largest cinema screen measuring 29.42 metres high by 35.73 metres wide. Imagine that! Think the biggest screen you’ve ever seen and multiply it… then multiply it again!
The picture and sound quality is like no other, watching a movie at IMAX is really a one-​of-​a-​kind viewing experience. They provide polarised glasses that serves as the viewers key to the state-​of-​the art 3D technology. I watched Transformers 3 here and it was more than awesome! Every move, every explosion is just surreal. I’m looking forward to watching another fantastic film here. I’m so glad they have the LG IMAX Theatre right in the heart of Darling Harbour. This place would make a fantastic school holidays venue for kids (and parents alike!). Recommended.

In the world of Iphones, Ipads and Imacs — where the motto is“the smaller it is the better it is” — another «I» i changing that attitude stating that bigger is better — is this «I» being «Imax»
I hadn’t been to IMAX since I was a kid — so I was super excited to go as an adult to see a 3D Movie… As we walked inside I was blown away by how BIG the screen was — it’s truly huge… and watching a BIG film on a BIG screen is simply an incredible experience…
Some people find the size overwhelming and can get motion sickness — i never felt that — but if you’re prone to it — this may not be your thing.
The best part about IMAX are the documentary films especially designed for their screens. The topics vary from monkeys to egypt, space to tornadoes — and the cinematography is so mind-​blowing you will be awe struck…
Adult documentary tickets cost around $ 20 and feature length films cost about $ 30 — it’s more expensive than you usual theatre ticket — but totally worth it… it’s a wonderful way to watch and engage with cinema… :)

Das IMAX Theatre liegt direkt an der Promenade des Darling Harbour und lässt sich bequem zu Fuß erreichen.
Hier werden aktuelle 3D-​Filme gezeigt. Allerdings ist der Spass nicht ganz billig. Man sollte also abwägen, ob sich der Aufpreis für den jeweiligen Film lohnt.