Edgar Wright’s reboot of the classic 1987 movie The Running Man is currently in theaters. Compared to the original version that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, this new version, starring Glen Powell, offers up a very different take on the Stephen King material. In keeping with the first version, this reboot has an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 in all formats. Captured on an Arri Alexa 35 with a variety of lenses, the film has even had an “old school” 35mm print that can be seen at the Vista Theater Hollywood. For those of us not near the heart of showbiz, however, a regular digital projection will be the way to see it — so which format should you go for?
Is IMAX the one?
The Running Man is currently occupying IMAX screens, and with its huge screens and sound, this always delivers a great experience. It should be noted, however, that this is marketed as an ‘Experience It In IMAX’ movie, which means that while the movie will have undergone the IMAX DMR process so it looks great on IMAX’s bigger screens, it will not expand to fill the 1.90:1 aspect ratio of IMAX digital screens. As such, it won’t fill the entire screen and will have black bars at the top and bottom. For the few IMAX 1.43:1 screens — these bars will be even bigger.
This isn’t necessarily a problem — I’ve seen many movies in IMAX this way that looked fantastic, but it means that for this film, IMAX doesn’t have to be the default choice.
If you do go for IMAX, you’ll want it to be a laser projector-equipped venue, rather than one using an older Xenon lamp, as this will provide an appreciably bright and more color-rich image, so if you aren’t sure, you’ll want to do your research first.
In terms of IMAX rivals, theatres with HDR by Barco projection are the new game in town. These can be found in the U.S. at Regal, Alamo Drafthouse Alamo, Cineplex and Cinepolis locations, and the Europe at EPIC by Vue. However, while it is being shown in the latter, it does not appear to have an actual HDRbyBarco grade, so you’ll be getting a standard premium-large format experience of 4K laser and Dolby Atmos sound (and recliner seating).
Race To A Dolby Cinema?
This means that for The Running Man, for a premium experience, Dolby Cinema is the best match, especially if the Dolby screen has a native 2.39:1 aspect ratio, avoiding any black bars, which will add to the visual impact. That said, Dolby has the best black levels of any projector-based cinema system, so even on a 1.85:1 screen, you’d be hard pushed to notice them.
You’ll also get the fantastic, bright 2D image of 108 nits, with great colors and an extended dynamic range. The superb seats in Dolby Cinema locations will also help things along.
Standard premium large format screens in the UK, such as Cineworld Superscreen and Odeon iSense, are not showing the film, with Now You See Me: Now You Don’t taking up those slots, but you will be able to find it in the US in Prime at AMC and Regal RPX. This gives you comfortable recliners with a wall-to-wall screen, Dolby Atmos audio and 4K laser projection, so a great option if IMAX or Dolby are convenient.
The final premium format to consider for this is 4DX, which, for the uninitiated, has seats that move in sync with the action on screen and thump you in the back, along with gusts and blasts of air, smells, flashing lights, water and smoke. It’s something you’ll either love or hate, and the only way to know is to try it out. However, for audio, you’ll get standard 5.1 (rather than Dolby’s more immersive spatial sound), and the projector is likely to be a Xenon-based 2K model – so it’s not a format for the AV purist.
Finally, there’s your standard digital screen. If you’re fortunate enough that your local theater has been upgraded with laser projection, this could be a perfectly acceptable way to see it, especially if you prefer not to spend extra for a premium ticket. After all, for many, the cost of a cinema ticket is one of the things that stops us from regularly running to the cinema.
Further reading:
Barco Showcases Its Visualization Smarts With New Experience Center
Storytelling With Sound And Vision: A Visit To Dolby’s London HQ
An EPIC Rift With IMAX? Vue’s CEO Throws Down The Technology Gauntlet