LUCIDMEDIA

Star Trek: The Omnimax Experience

Written by Adam A. Donaldson Monday, 17 August 2009 10:08

“If you find yourself being affected by the motion or whatever on screen, simply close you eyes for a moment and the sensation should go away.” That was the first instruction given to us by an usher at the Omnimax Theatre at the Ontario Science Centre during one of its month-long screenings of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. The Omnimax is the largest movie screen in Ontario, and one of the largest in Canada period. It’s a dome shaped screen with seating that almost goes straight up the other side at a 90 degree angle with six-channel surround sound to cap off the experience. Ordinarily this is a screen reserved for educational purposes, documentaries meant to bring home the sometimes startling or awe-inspiring imagery of their subject matter.

Tonight though, it’s about taking another Trek through the newly-refurbished franchise as upholstered by Abrams and his crack team. As a popcorn movie, Star Trek is outstanding, but oddly enough it’s not the visuals I remember most about it; it’s the characters, the actors boldly stepping into iconic roles and the music by Michael Giacchino. But it’d be wrong to say that Trek isn’t a visual experience too. The film opens with the ill-fated USS Kelvin flying over the camera, a shot redone numerous times since it was originally used to such smashing effect in the original Star Wars. On the regular screen, no big deal, but flying right over your head in Omnimax it instantly discombobulates you.

Indeed, many of the film’s key action sequences translate well, like the scene where Kirk leads the landing party to take out the Romulan laser drill over Vulcan by space parachuting looks awesome, to use just the right word. Anything with a lot of motion or a lot of scope looks really good on screen; like the arrival of the Narada in the 23rd century, Li’l Kirk taking his uncle’s ride off the side of a cliff, Kirk’s experience marooned on the ice planet, or the final confrontation between the Enterprise and rouge Romulan Nero. Reversely, the close-ups were kind of odd as they really showed the curvature of the screen. I’ll stop short of saying that the effect was the same as a funhouse mirror, but you did notice things slightly out of proportion.

However the bigger size does not diminish the little things I still enjoy about this Trek. I think there were many people in the audience that were first-time viewers, either that or they just really get a hit out of Dr McCoy as essayed by Karl Urban. Both possibilities are more than valid in my opinion. Another interesting thing I noticed watching Star Trek in Omnimax was that it’s one of the few times I remembered where I had to actually move my head to catch all the details. Normally I sit far enough in the back centre so that the whole screen fills my field of vision. No chance of doing that though in Omnimax. The benefit is that you get to take in all the detail be they intentional or gaff-worthy.

The enhanced viewing experience of Star Trek in Omnimax served to reinforce for me why this was one of the most superior films of the summer, and the year for that matter. The print in Omnimax looks great, the picture and sound are awesome to behold and you don’t get any annoying commercials or trailers you’ve seen a million times. All kidding aside though, it really is a fantastic presentation, though not one I’d recommend for all movies. Seeing Transformers with all its noise and quick cuts would be a stimulation overload. But for a classy effort like Star Trek all I have to say is boldly go.

Star Trek is playing at the Shoppers Drug Mart Omnimax Theatre at the Ontario Science Centre through Labour Day.