Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning: Should you watch the new Tom Cruise movie in 4DX or IMAX?

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One releases worldwide on Wednesday, July 12. The movie franchise follows the trend of splitting the finale into two parts. The Avengers finale released as Infinity War and Endgame, while Sony’s Spider-Verse series will also conclude with Across the Spider-Verse and Beyond the Spider-Verse being one story split into two. The same treatment can be seen with the new Fast and Furious sequel.     

You could argue that the first movie franchise to have started the trend was Harry Potter whose final book was too large to cram into a single three-hour movie. Which was how we got Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 back in 2010 and 2011 respectively. 

The very first Mission: Impossible released back in 1996. Cruise was already a star back then, having delivered superhits such as Top Gun and Days of Thunder, as well as more meaningful films such as Rain Man and A Few Good Men. But nothing would compare to the global fame he would receive in the years to come following the release of Mission Impossible. Not only was his outing as an American spy Ethan Hunt a hit, but it also spawned a franchise with Cruise at the centre. For context, since Tom Cruise started his career, five actors have played James Bond but only one has played Ethan Hunt. 

Over time, just as the missions in the movies became more outrageous, the special effects as well as the sound and video quality got incrementally better too. For the audience, this meant newer formats to watch movies in, and two formats shine bright in the realm of blockbuster action flicks – IMAX and 4DX.  

Is Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning shot on an IMAX camera?

Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning has been shot using the Sony CineAlta Venice IMAX camera, and while it is ready for IMAX screens, there are no bits in the movie that scale up to the true 1.43:1 IMAX ratio. For a movie to have a ‘Filmed for IMAX’ status, it needs to have at least some scenes that scale to a minimum of 1.90:1 ratio if not 1.43:1.  

This contrasts with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the upcoming movie that drops the following week, which was shot using IMAX cameras and sports scenes with the signature 1.43:1 aspect ratio.

The fundamental difference between the two is that one has been ‘Filmed for IMAX’ whereas the other was ‘Shot with IMAX’. So, while you can still enjoy Mission Impossible 7 in IMAX very well, there might be a more interesting format to experience the movie in.  

What is 4DX?

4DX is a presentation system for cinemas that blends a movie-watching experience with a movie-feeling experience. Such an experience aims to engage all your sense, not just your eyes and ears. So, when you’re watching a 4DX movie, elements in the cinema hall also come to life, allowing you to not just watch and listen, but also feel the movie on a much more superior level of immersion. 

So, in a high-speed chase scene, your seats will move in a manner that will make you feel like you are in the chase and not just watching it passively. Similarly, if a train coach falls off the rails into a river, as we see it in the trailer, you’ll be sprayed with mist. And, during a speeding bike scene you will, quite literally, feel the wind in your hair. Depending on the movie and the scene you’re watching, 4DX could also alter the temperature or the aroma inside the cinema hall.  

While the technology itself belongs to South Korean cinema chain CJ CGV, it is licensed in various other countries via other cinema chains. In India, PVR and Cinepolis offer 4DX. Note that this doesn’t mean all Cinepolis and PVR chains will have 4DX screens. But when you do find one, expect to see the seats stuck together in groups of four, allowing the fancy tricks we discussed above. 4DX can work with both 2D and 3D films.  

For what movies does 4DX work best?

Not every movie is made for 4DX. Movies with a lot of action-heavy moments generally work the best with the 4DX format. For instance, Top Gun: Maverick, yet another Tom Cruise movie that relied heavily on POV-shots, solid camerawork, and an action-packed screenplay was destined for the 4DX format.  

Check out the clip below to get a hint of the possibilities.  

4DX is not ideal for dramas, rom-coms, or similar genres, but Shuri going underwater with Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, or the Super Mario Bros kart-racing scene are examples of where the format can really shine. Horror is yet another genre where the 4DX format would also really work well.  

Should you watch Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning in 4DX or IMAX?

If the teasers and trailers are anything to go by, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 has plenty of action scenes and tracking shots that can truly come alive in 4DX and put you right alongside Ethan Hunt in his adventures. So, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 is best viewed in 4DX. 

However, the 4DX format is not readily available. Only a few major cities in India have 4DX cinemas. Mumbai has four 4DX screens, Delhi NCR has six, and Bengaluru has six more. In all, India has just a little over a dozen 4DX screens. 

Comparatively, we have a lot more IMAX screens all over the country, at least 23 as of January this year to be precise. Even though Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning isn’t shot on an IMAX camera, it has been shot for IMAX screens, resulting in a splendid visual experience. So, if you don’t have access to a 4DX cinema, an IMAX screen is a good second option. While your seats won’t twist and turn with Ethan Hunt, you’ll still be able to take in all the stunning visuals of the movie and the breath-taking action sequences in all their glory.  

Modern technology offers movie-makers tools they didn’t have years ago, allowing them to create experiences they couldn’t before. When Ethan Hunt does his next death-defying stunt, why limit yourself to a flat screen, when you can be a part of the scene with him? Remember, you can always stream the movie on a flat screen later, but your closest chance to being ‘in the film’ is with 4DX, and that chance will self-destruct in a couple of weeks. Good Luck, agent! 

Image Source: SkyDance