The Odyssey in 4DX: a review
I recently saw The Odyssey in 4DX at Cineworld. TL;DR: This was my second viewing of The Odyssey (the first was IMAX 70mm) and my first ever 4DX film. I enjoyed it, the boat scenes were the best, but some of the effects seemed unnecessary. I wouldn't recommend it for a first time viewing of The Odyssey. It was worth the £6.99 (4DX rewind discount) but I wouldn't pay the usual ~£20 price, that money is better spent on an IMAX showing. The sound quality was nowhere near as good as IMAX but at least I didn't need earplugs. If I ever watch The Odyssey again in the cinema, I'd rather see it in standard 2D or IMAX.
The effects included seat vibrations and movements, back punches, scent, wind, smoke, water and flashing lights. I'd say the majority of the film had either no 4DX effects or they were very subtle (small seat movements, wind blowing during outdoor scenes), but some scenes had *very* intense effects.
I really enjoyed the effects during the boat scenes. It was actually quite relaxing when Odysseus and his crew first set sail from Troy because it was just gentle seat movements and some breeze, but whenever the camera changed to a wide angle shot of the boat at sea, the movement stopped, which was a shame. The most insane bit was the boat journey after they left Apollo's island. The lights were flashing and the seats were shaking like crazy so I had to cling onto the cupholder for dear life. It felt like a fairground ride and was rough enough to make me wish the seat had a harness or something.
Other scenes with heavy effects included the cyclops (water sprayed everywhere when he collapsed in the sea), the fight with the Laestrygonians, Scylla and Charybdis (there was violent shaking whenever someone got snatched), and of course the final battle with the suitors.
Some effects felt unnecessary. The seat vibrated every time Odysseus strung and plucked his bow, and when the suitors tried to string his bow, so that kind of ruined the magic of the last scene. There were vibrations when the horse was being dragged into Troy. The seat was tilting and vibrating when Circe was transforming the soldiers into pigs, which felt like a weird choice. The funniest part was the seat vibrating dramatically when Agamemnon turns around and looks at Odysseus.
A few effects were a bit off. The vibrations were slightly out of synch at the beginning when the bard was thumping his staff, and at the end when everyone was pounding the floor after Odysseus wins the fight. Also, every time an arrow hit someone, there was an air blast from the headrest, but the air was either missing me completely or only grazing the top of my head since I'm short. So whenever an arrow was shot, I just heard a loud "psssst" noise. There were also a few back punches but those were getting me on my shoulder.
Other effects included a rod(?) rattling between my feet when Telemachus was getting thrown around by Melanthius, the lotus flower scenes had a floral scent, and the sacking of Troy scenes had smoke - there was a smoke machine on either side of the screen.
So, I do appreciate the amount of work that goes into programming the effects for 4DX films. I wouldn't mind seeing another 4DX film, but only when they're doing discounted prices. I'd recommend taking advantage of the 4DX rewind discount because it's an interesting experience!