Cinetopia

Reviews 3

A

A Private User

*** I am reviewing my actual movie viewing theater experience - Not the food or staff *** Just went for the first time yesterday... I loved the experience! My girlfriend and I went to a matinee showing of Chronicle yesterday. It was showing in the Grand XL theater, which has a 70 foot screen. The matinee price was 11 bucks, which I thought was expensive, until I sat down in the theater. Since it was our first time there, and it was fairly empty, the teenage girl that took our tickets offered to show us around with a tour of the different types of theaters. She was very nice and helpful, and explained how the different theaters worked, and what all we could experience there. I really appreciated that, since it was my first time there. The entire place is very neat and clean, and all the theaters look new and very well taken care of. When we went into our theater, we were the only ones there for the whole show! All to ourselves... Nice! We sat dead center for the best viewing and sound experience. The seats were the most comfortable theater seats Ive personally experienced. They reclined back nicely, and there is plenty of foot room, so you dont have to worry about anyone needing to get by. The screen is HUGE! HUGE! HUGE! When the previews started, I quickly realized why the Grand XL is worth the extra money for me. First of all, as they advertise, the Grand XL ticket is about three dollars less than Imax tickets at other theaters, and the screen is SO much bigger and better than any other theater. Using Bridgeport as an example, which was my favorite theater until I went to Cinetopia, the Bridgeport Imax screen is comically small compared to the Grand XL screen, and Bridgeport charges more for their Imax movies than Cinetopia does for its Grand XL theater. Im sold. They use the newest 4K projectors, which is top of the line. You wont get a better picture than that. And the sound is the most impressive Ive ever heard in any theater. Hands down! No comparison! And the screen is so large, and so immersive, it was the perfect viewing experience. I loved every second of it. I did not sample the food, so I cant speak to that. I also cant speak to the service, other than the girl that helped us... She was great. And since I was there for a matinee in the middle of the week, I cant speak for the service or crownds on a busy weekend. I also cant speak for all the seating in all the theaters... I understand some of the seating in the smaller theaters is not comfortable. But, the seats in the Grand XL were very nice, and I loved it. So, based on my first experience, Im sold, and will never see another first run release anywhere else but here. Period. In conclusion... Regardless of what you may or may not think of the food, staff, or prices, the fact is their projection system and audio systems are the best in the business. It is the best visual/audio theater experience you will have in the state, and one of the best in the country. The technology is top of the line! Period. So, if youre a movie buff, and you enjoy the experience, then pay the higher ticket price! The theaters are great, the seats in the main theaters are so comfortable, and the movies look and sound as great as can be. And if the price seems high to you, remember its still a much better experience than Imax, for cheaper. If you dont like that, then by all means go somewhere else and dont complain about the price when you consider what you get for that price. *** As I have other experiences there, I will update my review as objectively as I can. I will try the food and another of the smaller theaters next time, and try the different seating. ***

JO

Jordan Edgar

Weve been going here since the place opened and slowly but surely, the service here has declined. They started out at a price point that prohibited many customers from attending frequently. It quickly became a sort of a treat yourself type establishment, rather than the place you see a movie. It was always empty. Then they introduced themselves to Groupon/Living Social, and completely devalued themselves to the point where they are overrun with customers during the week approaching Groupon/Living Social deadline days. Service during those weeks are terrible and the lines are horrendously long at the ticket window and concession stand. It isnt like Bridgeport where they can move through 50 customers in 5 to 10 minutes. With 1-2 ticket windows open, the lines move pathetically slow. So fast forward to now where they started hosting old movies fitting a sort of theme and turning it into a week by week movie festival of sorts. Me and my wife signed up for the Sci-Fi Series season pass and enjoyed certain perks of free popcorn each week at the scheduled sci fi movie. We were thrilled at the great value and good fun of seeing old movies on the big screen. When they announced the new Cult Movie Series, we again signed up for the season pass. We were told the free popcorn would continue, and while there were only 12 movies this time, instead of 13 for the same price, it still seemed like a very fair deal. Only we were lied to at the time of purchase of the season passes. The free popcorn did not continue, and we bluntly found this out at the concession stand of movie #1 of the series. Management had removed this, this time around. After a polite email to management expressing our disappointment, we received an insulting reply telling us that in order to reduce the cost of the season passes, they removed this freebie. Since the per ticket cost hasnt changed for people buying week to week, and they reduced the number of movies, they in fact RAISED the cost for season pass holders and removed the freebies. This honestly feels like a company that is fighting to stay out of the red and penny pinching at every corner after being completely devalued by their Groupon tactics. The service is lacking, the employees look completely overworked, and the management will not give an inch if you are dissatisfied. Noisy child in a GXL theater causing a disruption throughout an entire movie? Too bad, as they told some of our friends who experienced this. Disatisfied that we lied to you at the time of purchasing an expensive season pass? Too bad, well look into fixing it next time. Arrived an hour early, only to have the theater overloaded and force you into the neckbreaking front row section? Too bad, you should have come 90 minutes before it started. This is one of those places you once had a fondness for that now leaves a sour taste in your mouth. I will not be sad when this place closes because the management put service second on their list of priorities.

TR

Travis Geist

First off, Cinetopia really does have the best screens (except the Movie Parlor)/sound and the popcorn is amazing compared to anywhere else Ive gone. That said, this particular Cinetopia location has some issues that make for a somewhat unpleasant experience. 1. Slow - The employees always act like theyre new, and they probably are because I bet the turnover rate is really high at this location, might have something to do with sub-par training and a very fragile/overly complicated point of sale system. The end result is excessive wait times at the box office and concessions. Great way to irritate your customers right off the bat. 2. Rules change all the time - One employee will give you an extra tray or bowl if youre sharing popcorn and want different toppings, another will say its against the rules. One of the cool things about Cinetopia was the popcorn butter bar. First thing they did was take away the flavored butters because it was unsanitary and people were burning themselves. Then they took away the normal butter because butter prices apparently increased 200% over the course of the year yet didnt effect grocery store prices - also, normal butter apparently wasnt burning people and was perfectly sanitary just as Im sure the cheese powders were and you have to put your whole hand around those. I know, this is a petty gripe, but comeon. 3. Uncomfortable seating - If you go here, stick to the Living Room theater because the seating in the GA/GXL/Movie Parlor(s) sucks. The GA/GXL seat bottoms slope forward which is super annoying as you have to keep your feet firmly on the ground and push yourself back in the seat - not just a short person problem, happens to me too and Im over 6. The Movie Parlor has lumpy un-maintained seat bottoms for the bench seats. All of these problems are easy fixes, but the problem is that the owner and the managers dont care. Whenever Ive spoken to a manager, they simply say: Oh, Ive never heard that before. They dont apologize, they dont care to make anything right. Same with Rudyard who I couldnt talk to, but emailed since nothing was changing. Long story short, Ive stopped going to Cinetopia preferring to go to Regal instead and Cinetopia is only a mile from my home while the closest Regal theater is almost 5 miles away. The Groupons and discount tickets from Costco dont even make it worth the aggravation.

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