The Best Cinemas in the Metro

Nakura

Which among these cinemas are the best? (Poll choices are from the cinemas where our screenings are usually held )

Groker

Those 4?

Galleria is pretty ugh. The seats are too close to the screen. The elevation is pretty poor. If someone brings out a cellphone it'll glare right in your face unless the person hides it in the nook of their seat.

Tickets are overpriced for the quality of the cinema.

The only reason I ever went there is that it usually has showings not available in any other cinema. Also if you want to watch a movie twice, Galleria is the place to do it (given the choices)

Greenbelt 3 has the best cinemas in the Glorietta/Greenbelt mall complex the elevation is really great. All the seats are pretty comfortable, they have food trays and decently sized cup holders, reserved seating for all their cinemas.

But if you really want the best experience in the Makati area, nothing beats Power Plant. It's like the Ayala cinemas with even better seats. Not a big fan of the elevation, but the crowd there seems to be a lot more sensible. I've seen 3 movies in Power Plant (because it's kind of out of the way for me) and I've yet to see someone bring out a phone. Plus the seats are pretty big so they'll block some of the light.

Megamall is kind of an average between Galleria and Greenbelt. The top are has so-so elevation, not as bad as Galleria, but not as good as Greenbelt's. The seats aren't big, so if you want to rest your head, you'll need to slouch if you're not short or a kid.

They have Lazy boy chairs, which beat all of the seats in all of the theaters, but place them upfront. As in the screen is only a few feet away from you. Trinoma has these too, but place them all the way in the back and then adds a 100php extra charge on the ticket.

They seem to be adopting reserved seating for some of their cinemas. But not really sure how long they'll keep it. They tried doing that some time back then just devolved back to free seating after a few weeks.

Megamall has a no R-18 restriction. Rarely an issue though (because distributors often just go for R-16 and don't make separate R-18 cuts) They do have SM Exclusives which are, mostly, crap films. But they on occassion screen decent films.

Megamall is going to get an IMAX theater, not sure how it'll match up to MoA's IMAX. But if it's anything close to it, then Megamall wins by default. Even North EDSA's "lie"-MAX (significantly smaller screen compared to MoA's) is a superior choice, the only cinema I'd take over it would be Power Plant's.

TLDR

Megamall IMAX (once it's finished) >>> (Not a choice, but Power Plant) > Greenbelt > Glorrieta >>> Megamall >>>>>> Galleria

Valorian

^kelan magkakaroon ng IMAX sa Mega?

ang dagsa ng tao pala niyan once it's finished

nung nakanood ako sa IMAX sa Aura, medyo nalula ako (1st time ko makanood sa IMAX), parang ang laki masyado ng screen, nasa malapit na sa mukha mo

Glorietta 4's cinemas, parang walang elevation, kung minalas-malas ka at matangkad nasa harap mo, wala ka ng makikita (we tend to sit at the aisle, tapos left side pag manonood kami run)

Megamall, ok na siguro, at least ok yung elevation niya

Greenbelt, hindi pa ako nakakasubok manood dun

Groker

^kelan magkakaroon ng IMAX sa Mega?

Supposedly by the end of this year last time I heard. But when I passed by Megamall last week, the building (where the IMAX is going to be located) really didn't look like it was going to be finished in a few weeks.

nung nakanood ako sa IMAX sa Aura, medyo nalula ako (1st time ko makanood sa IMAX), parang ang laki masyado ng screen, nasa malapit na sa mukha mo

Not sure how the IMAX in Aura is laid out, but in MoA, 3-4 rows from the middle is an okay spot. Compared to North EDSA's IMAX which is small enough to be comfortably viewed from dead center.

So you'll really want to start from the center and move away from the screen. If you watch from the aisles, might want to move up an row or two as well to make the viewing angle more comfortable (at least that's what my friend says)

forg

Century City

Among the 4, I pick Greenbelt 3. It's not too big like SM Megamall (so if you watch movies na kunti lang tao hindi nakaka intimidate ang laki ng space na wala) and has good leg room. That's my problem with Glorietta cinemas, the leg room is just eh, nagkaka apakan talaga minsan kapag may nag CR :glee:. Hassle pala sa Greenbelt 3 ngayon dun sa cinemas na walang CR sa loob, kailangan mo pang bumaba para mag CR since under renovation yung nasa theater mismo.

Hindi pa ako nakakapanood sa Robinson so I can't say

Naked_Salvation

Last time akong nakapanood ng sine sa Pinas, 2007 pa yata. During that time, sa Power Plant lang kami palagi nanonood.

Glorietta is okay, though naliliitan ako sa leg room ng seats. Mega, for some reason, ang ingay ng mga movie goers doon. Rob Galleria, i really can't remember the place. Hindi ako masyadong nagagawi doon kahit nung nasa Pinas pa ako. Greenbelt na yung pinaka-okay for me sa choices.

_Zei_Emu_

Lucky Chinatown

Sa Glorietta kapag sa gilid ka nakaupo, parang ang layo layo mo sa screen.. parang wala sa gitna yung screen . Kaya kapag sa Glorietta ayoko talaga sa gilid umupo lalo sa right side. Bet ko din Rockwell pero wala sa choices eh.

forg

Century City

Rockwell kasi mahirap puntahan ng general public kaya bihira ang screenings dun ng movie distributors pero I agree maganda nga theaters dun although I think 3x pa lang ako nakakapunta dun

Groker

If we're talking about nearby cinemas Shang is another decent pick, so is Gateway. And Trinoma too. Assuming we're using EDSA, or the MRT as a starting point.

I find these three to be better than Megamall.

Robinson's The Forum is pretty okay too. The seats are better than Megamall. Although kinda near the screen like Galleria. But they extend farther back IIRC (got dragged to see At Any Price there, which was a Robinson's exclusive I think?)

SM North is Megamall quality, if we're talking The Block. Main building is slowly getting there (at least they don't stink of bleach anymore)

gotta lick it

Century City

amongst the 4 it is greenbelt.





walang Trinoma????

but why include RobinsonsGalleria? the cinema there is the pits. it is an old renovated and retro-fiited cinema. matino lang ang lobby.

it should have been RobinsonsMagnolia instead of Galleria. :bop:

same goes with SM Megamall. the cinemas of MOA are far better than its 20year old predecessor. it too is a renovated cinema which only got a minimalist facelift.

mas maganda pa yun cinema sa Shangrila. :bop:

the MOA cinemas can give the Greenbelt cinemas a run for their money.

Mans147

Salamat Nakura, nabasa mo isip ko!

I was thinking of starting a thread about cinema hardware (theaters) ever since i learned about Dolby Atmos
http://www.dolby.com/us/en/consumer/technology/movie/dolby-atmos-details.html buti na lang may thread na.

as big fan of the art and science of movies i want to see them in the best possible way.
so kung may time (and money) dun ako sa best theater.

so far kung sound and image quality ang usapan, hands down IMAX talaga.
but since mahal sa IMAX, any of the SM cinemas will do. para sa akin they raised the standard when all their theaters went at least digital 2D. plus SM din ang nagdala ng IMAX dito. i havent looked back to Ayala theaters although dati ayoko sa SM.

Since more or less everyone is now digital, sa sound naman ang attention ko, according to their website Dolby has 3 Philippine cinemas with Atmos: Greenhills Promenade, SM Aura Premier and Century City Mall (not yet open) I hope i will be pleased when I try it the first time for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

allanplusdale

Haven't seen a movie in Greenbelt yet.

Megamall- I like the seats and the sound system but not so much the crowd. Several times na akong naka-experience ng unruly movie goers dito na maingay at todo labas ng cellphone na hindi pa naka-silent.

Glorietta- Madalas sa aisle ako naupo. Gaya nga ng sabi nila, pag sa side parang napakalyo mo na sa screen. Experienced this when I watched Evil Dead and since then sa aisle-center na ako pumupwesto. Mas gusto ko crowd dito.

Galleria- Ok lang, sikip lang ng distance between rows. I like the placement of the seats, mas nagmumukang malaki ang screen.

I'd choose Gateway or Trinoma if they're on the list.

OT: I saw posters of IMAX in Megamall. Sana hindi lie-max. I tried the IMAX theaters in Southmall, NE, and MOA- sa MOA pa lang pala may 'real' IMAX.

gotta lick it

Century City

^ agree ...... Gateway cinemas should part of the list.

booksale

Lucky Chinatown

i wish you'd do future screening in lucky chinatown mall. it's a world class mall at napakalinis ng cinehan. kasi puro nasa makati at mandaluyong yung mga screening nyo eh. feeling left out ang mga manilenyo.

avid

the advance screenings are probably at the discretion of the movie distributors...

my movie-going experiences in the said theaters (greenbelt, glorietta, sm megamall, and robinson's galleria) were from years ago, so i don't know if the theaters themselves have improved or degenerated since. but my vote would go to greenbelt (3) -- back when it charged the highest admission fees, i could see why one would pay more to see a movie there -- leg room.

sm cinemas would be my last choice -- mostly for the reason fellow moviegoers there just wouldn't shut up.

now, i mostly see the movies i want to see at trinoma because it's the most accessible for me...before there was trinoma, i would go all the way to gateway.

forg

Century City

Yup the distributors select the venues for advance screenings kaya yan usually yung mga location kasi nasa gitna sila ng Metro Manila na accessible sa mas maraming tao. Megamall and Galleria edge din nila marami silang theaters kaya madali mag pareserve.

Sa mga press screenings they sometimes pick Gateway, Powerplant and Resorts World. IMAX usually MOA talaga pero kapag digital IMAX movie (converted and not really shot using IMAX cameras) they usually do it sa North Edsa although lately sa SM Aura naman, they're probably showcasing their new IMAX screens. Feeling ko yunh magigin IMAX sa Megamall, hindi rin kasing laki sa MOA.

I watched once sa Gateway and I agree the theater is good as well, hindi siksik, maganda elevation and comfy seats. Resorts World's screens are small pero OK na rin naman.

forg

Century City

Pinaka OK na theater sa Glorietta is Cinema 3 pero may issue pa din ako sa leg room dun Cinema 6 though is the worst when it comes to leg room and elevation. Cinema 4 is the smallest pero I like the elevation and better leg room.

Valorian

pag sa G4, aisle tapos pinaka dulong row (cinema 6 ata), para kahit paano kita mo pa rin ng maayos..basta, hanap ng magandang viewing angle pag free seating

nasa gitna kami, 2nd to the last row nung nanood kami ng Hunger Games sa Aura IMAX..parang ang laki talaga nung screen, lula to the max nung una

sa galleria, siguro naging ok dun sa akin kasi, unti lang kami nanonood kaya walang problema..kung punuan siguro, makikita ko yung pag kakaiba

sana naman sa ibang sinehan ang maisip ng distributor, ie, gateway, shang at trinoma, tulad ng sabi ng iba dito..lahat naman accessible via mrt eh, madali puntahan

_Zei_Emu_

Lucky Chinatown

Maganda nga din sa Gateway pero malayo samen, mas bet ko talaga rockwell..

Robinsons Ermita ok rin yung sine, yung sa Midtown.

Yung sa MOA ayos din, super laki yung Centerstage.. yung HP7 pinanoood namin sa IMAX nalula ako sa lapit ng screen row F ata kami nakapwesto.. sakit ulo ko paglabas.. :hiya:

Sa Eastwood ok din soshal yung carpet and everything..

forg

Century City

Walter Mart Makati is also good, dati mas mura ticket price though pero ngayon medyo mahal na.

Sa Festival Mall naman, luma na mga sinehan nila kung ano yung kinalakihan ganun pa rin hitsura and feel although OK kahit papaano yung Cinema 5 & 6.

Mans147

^
Festi is going digital too. I saw The Counselor there because of the no R-18 policy on SM cinemas. 8, 9, 10 are now digital 2D. Did not notice the seats though.