Action and adventure films in Cineworld’s exclusive special format 4DX just make sense. There’s plenty of rough with the tumble. You’ll likely face at least some of the elements on your journey. So when I heard the new Michael Jackson biopic, titled simply Michael, was getting the 4DX treatment, colour me intrigued.
So I booked my ticket to see Michael in 4DX at one of the preview screenings – officially out today at the time of writing – and it’s definitely a more subdued experience, but it really works with bringing to life the King of Pop’s era defining music and performances.
Leaning like a “Smooth Criminal”
Picture this. The lights have gone down. You hear the roar of a crowd. And then we get a close up shot of Michael Jackson from behind, about to walk on stage at Wembley Stadium to kickstart his Bad tour in 1988. Your seat begins to tilt forward, leaning in closer to Michael, almost as though you’re performing your own version of Michael’s trademark Anti-Gravity lean.
It’s subtle, but it’s effective, amplifying these quieter moments as though we are walking beside Michael – as though we are Michael.
Feel the beat and groove with the Jackson 5
Want to get up on your feet and dance? Well, that’s just poor cinema etiquette, but watching Michael in 4DX saw the chairs swaying from side to side as the Jackson 5 soared into popularity and got us jigging to “ABC”. Taking swaying in your seat to the next level, it felt like I was in the line-up alongside the Jackson 5.
We felt our feet – as Michael Jackson intended
During the recording of the “Thriller” music video, Michael makes a request for the camera to shoot from further back in order to include their whole bodies – most importantly, their feet. He says you’ve got to, “see the feet to feel the dance”. And feel it we do as the chair rumbles with each step, drumming through the iconic choreography.
Strobe lights brought to life live performances – as well as the more poignant moments
As well as your moving chair and wind effects, Michael screenings on 4DX also make use of strobe lighting to make it feel like you’re right there during moments like the Jackson 5’s Victory Tour performances.
More poignant still, the flash of light during the filming of the notorious commercial that saw Michael suffer from third degree burns and nerve damage when his hair caught on fire from pyrotechnics was borderline horrifying – even when you knew it was coming.
For me, the moment the strobe lighting was most effective was when used for camera flashes: the claustrophobic closing in of paparazzi and fans as Michael is whisked off to hospital. On the flipside, the flashes as he wins his Grammys, and his exit after announcing the final Jackson 5 performance, much to his father’s saccharine.
From the producers of Bohemian Rhapsody, Michael is the biopic everyone is talking about – and you can watch it at Cineworld now in IMAX, SCREENX, and Superscreen, as well as 4DX now.
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