Dear friends, we’re about to wander into a new frontier with some very familiar footing. If you’ve enjoyed out To 3D or Not To 3D reviews, you’re in luck, as we’re about to launch into the world of 4DX with that same eye. And what better movie than co-writer/director Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus to move us into this exciting realm that seems to be gathering steam.
So let’s ask a new question today: To 4DX, or Not To 4DX? As usual, if you’re wondering about the movie itself, you’ll have to head over to our Alien: Romulus review to get those details. But if you’re ready to learn if this literal thrill ride is a perfect organism, or if you’re better off sticking to the traditional theatrical experience, then strap in!
4DX Fit: 5/5
Once I’d cut my teeth on Twisters’ 4DX experience, I started to think about which movies throughout the rest of the 2024 movie schedule would be perfect fits for the format. Alien: Romulus absolutely counts as one of those occasions where everything aligns and a movie definitely benefits from this sensory premium experience.
Planning & Effort: 4/5
While a lot of people are being introduced to 4DX through Twisters, which is returning for a Twister 4DX double feature during Labor Day weekend, I’m really sad that this entry of the Alien movie timeline is kind of being overshadowed. The huge reason is because there’s even more care put into the usage of environmental effects in Alien: Romulus.
CJ 4DPLEX’s efforts to use water, scent and movement to jack up the premium experience for 20th Century Studios’ sci-fi movie are top notch. In the case of the scents used throughout the journey of Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her friends, there are some seriously pungent surprises that lock in the uneasy atmosphere of the Renaissance space station.
Water Effects: 5/5
When talking about 4DX, I like to compare the total package to a motion simulator ride at a theme park. The first component of this collective experience on the table is the water effects, which range from the personal to the all-encompassing. In this showing of Alien: Romulus observed for this evaluation, both halves of the liquid based factor work like a charm.
The personal sprinklers, mounted on the back of the 4DX seats the audience occupies, tend to go off in more intimate sequences. And before you even ask, yes, that Chestburster scene from Alien: Romulus’ trailers does go off when the baby Xenomorph emerges.
As for the more auditorium-based sprinklers that do the heavy lifting, that factor features prominently when Kay (Isabela Merced) is evading that scourge of the Nostromo. You won’t get soaked while watching Romulus, but you’re definitely going to get a bit wet when the terror really kicks in.
Scent Effects: 3/5
Everyone used to joke about some movies thankfully not being in “smell-o-vision.” Those jokes just might start to go away if the 4DX format becomes more popular, as the scent component really helps anchor the viewer into some of Alien: Romulus’ settings. On the lighter side of things, the crew of the Corbellian-IV tend to smell pleasantly earthy at times, which fits with our heroes and their mining colony background.
However, it’s when Alien: Romulus gets up close and personal with several forms of the growing Xenomorph that the olfactory performance really locks in. The Xenomorph hive smells like a mixture of bug spray and corroded plastic, or at least that’s what I thought I smelled, as a 4DX ticket doesn’t come with scent notes. That scent is oppressive, but just enough to get the point across. And if you’re the type of person to stick around for the credits, note how the scent actually goes off a couple of times during the early stages of the film’s talent roster.
The scents are effective, but I kind of wish there was some more usage of this angle when venturing through the Renaissance space station; or even during some of the bloody carnage at hand. At the same time, I’m still learning how 4DX works, so maybe there’s some important health reasons that play into how scent is used in the overall process.
Light/Air/Smoke Effects: 5/5
Smoke machines, strobe lights and massive overhead fans all play an important part in Alien: Romulus’ 4DX package. It’s a good thing too, because after some of those scents go off, you’re going to want some air. Fires, explosions, and various occassions of peril prompt smoke and lights to help tie the whole experience together in a very tactile way.
For those of you who’ve seen Alien: Romulus’ wild ending, this is a segment where the third act action excels, as the clouds of smoke in my screening actually fit perfectly with the sweeping wave of coolant Rain was trying to use against The Offspring.
Speaking of Ms. Carradine, her usage of that Colonial Marines pulse rifle triggers air effects from seat-mounted canons, which make it feel like rounds are whizzing past your head. If this hasn’t sold you on the light, air and smoke effects, then let me just put one more piece on the board. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re in a decompressing airlock, without threatening your own life in the process, all of the room's fans (including the ones behind your legs) make sure you get the full experience.
Motion Effects: 4/5
This is the moment you’ve probably been waiting for when it comes to 4DX: the movement of the seats. Motion effects are the most visually marketable factor from Alien: Romulus’ fourth dimensional package, and it’s actually kind of fun to watch the seats in front of you move in sync with the picture.
As for how this motion is used in Alien: Romulus, there is such a healthy range of expression that I’m really impressed by what I felt during the ride. Conveying everything from rough collisions and crashes to smooth feelings of weightlessness and rotation, 4DX’s marquee star is executed with a very keen eye for what it’s trying to get across.
If you’re going to the 4DX experience, you can be sure to feel what it’s like to be grabbed by an android torn in half, or for a person to scramble across a space station floor. Plus, with the vibration centers in the back of your seats, you get to feel a little bit of the miracle of birth that a Chestburster is known for; albeit I think that effect was slightly inconsistent. Not to mention, if you’ve been curious about what it would feel like to be hooked and thrown/grabbed by a full grown Xenomorph, Alien Romulus’ 4DX showings are where you need to be for that oddly specific adventure.
3D Experience: N/A
There’s no 3D experience component for Alien: Romulus, but there’s definitely some movies where this express elevator to hell combines that visual mastery with these physical thrills. That has me wondering how much more fun Deadpool & Wolverine’s 3D variant would have played as the seats in the auditorium tried to mimic the action of that backseat fight scene.
Audience Health: 5/5
Much like 3D, the experience of 4DX is something that might trigger physical discomfort in audience members. It wouldn’t be surprising, as the motion of the seats, as well as the other environmental effects present, can get quite stimulating at times. Thankfully, Alien: Romulus brings you to the edge of danger without freaking you out.
Although your mileage may vary based on underlying medical conditions, I didn’t have a problem with the Romulus experience at all. Though I will recommend that if you're heading to a 4DX showing, be sure to arrive on time, if not early, as the full effect is usually demoed through the brand logo and some select 4DX-enhanced trailers. Also, be sure to time those bathroom breaks properly, as getting off this ride needs to be done with the utmost care.
Final Verdict: 31/35
While I’ll always honor Twisters as the blockbuster that brought me to the dance, Alien: Romulus is a much more impressive 4DX experience. Enhancing what I already knew to expect, this novel experience is something I’d heartily recommend on the whole. Though there are some components that I felt could have been a little more consistent, this is still a wondrous way to jump into a world that Fede Álvarez was born to tackle.
And there you have it, dear readers! Our first To 4DX or Not To 4DX is now in cryosleep, ready to drift into the archives. That’s a good thing, because if this feature is popular enough, it may become a regular fixture on CinemaBlend. Which is nice, as looking ahead to the schedule of 4DX movies set to debut throughout the next couple of months.
When partaking in Alien: Romulus, 4DX trailers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Mufasa: The Lion King and Captain America: Brave New World only hyped me up further to return to the 4DX theater of my choice as soon as possible. So be sure to keep your eyes open, and your arms and legs in the theater seat at all times. This ride looks to be getting started, and there are some exciting places it could take us in the near future.
