Fans of Marvel Comics all around the world are excitedly waiting for Iron Man 3 to hit theaters next month.
The film will be debuting in the US in 3D or “normal” versions. However, moviegoers in Japan will have access to an entirely different format known as 4DX.
Yes, films in 4DX not only target the eyes and ears, but your nose and other senses as well.
Interestingly, Iron Man 3 is the first movie to be offered in select Japanese theaters using the 4DX system. Theaters that are equipped with the system are owned by a company known as the CJ Group, and boast advanced equipment capable of delivering smells, seat motion, and additional effects such as strobe lights and fog that are in sync with events happening on the big screen.
I would assume that means if Tony Stark walks into a smoky room, not only will moviegoers in a 4DX theater see smoke in the form of fog, they will also smell it. It probably should be noted that integrating smells into the movie experiences has alreadt been tried in the past – as far back as the 60s – with little success thus far. However, there are already a number of 4DX theaters operating in Israel, Mexico, Brazil and China.
Theaters equipped with the system will be coming to Taiwan, Russia, and other parts of Eastern Europe. There is no indication of when or if 4DX theaters will arrive in the US, although the company did say it hopes to bring the technology to US moviegoers within the next five years.
