Inhumans: Is It Worth the IMAX Experience?

When it was first announced that the Marvel's previously announced Inhumans movie had been scrapped and turned into a television series instead, many wondered if the small screen format could ever do justice to the Inhuman Royal Family, a beloved group of superheroes in the Marvel comic books. After all, Black Bolt, the Midnight King, his Queen Medusa, his brother Maximus The Mad and all the other members of his inner circle are larger-than-life characters deserving of grandiose storytelling. Their cherished city of Attilan is both ancient and futuristic, and the Inhumans' struggles, goals and powers are appropriately epic. To bring them to life would always be a challenge, and Marvel saw it fit to try something completely different for this series: to limit the number of episodes to only eight, to film the two-part pilot with IMAX cameras and to release the 80-minute long result in IMAX theaters.

It was an unprecedented move, a bold approach that augmented expectations, which were already high to begin with. Surely, such an ambitious project would yield jaw-dropping results -- an experience worthy of a movie itself. However, the marketing campaign started things off on the wrong foot, with audiences complaining about poor production value, and it only grew worse from there. It's been a tumultuous ramp-up, but now Marvel's Inhumans is here. You might have heard mentions that the final product looks cheap or that it feels rushed. However, the Marvel brand carries with it a healthy amount of faith, one that has more than merited the benefit of the doubt. While it's always nice to hear what critics have to say, the only way to truly know is to see it for yourself.

But considering that Inhumans will hit our regular television screens in the fall on ABC, you might find yourself wondering if it is actually worth paying an IMAX entry ticket to see two episodes of a show that you will ultimately be able to watch for free in little less than a month -- episodes that, on top of all that, are confirmed to feature extra scenes for their television broadcast.

This is a valid concern to have, especially when taking into account the high price tag that comes with an IMAX showing. But the truth of the matter is, there's nothing quite like experiencing a movie in the theater, and Inhumans is no different. Sure, the final product definitely feels more like a television show than an actual film, but that isn't necessarily a fault. There's a different structure to storytelling when it comes to television, and it will of course deviate from the usual cinematic viewing. Could the series have used more budget to make things even more spectacular and cosmic? Absolutely. But that doesn't make any of what you will see in the theater bad by default. It might be a mistake going into the series expecting something like Game of Thrones -- this isn't HBO, it's still an ABC series, albeit one well worth your time. When going into a showing with a pre-conceived notion that something will be bad, it's easy to look only at the bad. But there is also a lot of good to witness here.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Inhumans%20Is%20An%20Industry%20Trailblazer']

Inhumans Is an Industry Trailblazer

Inhumans faced a daunting challenge from the start, as the first television series ever to film an episode entirely in IMAX -- something that hasn't even been done by movies yet (although that is soon set to change with the arrival of Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, set for release in May 2018). Previous movies have featured jaw-dropping scenes filmed specially for the format, but they were just that -- scenes. They weren't an entire production. With that in mind, it's impossible to take lightly any scene that comprise the 80 minutes of this pilot episode. Every moment filmed had to be taken into consideration, to make the best use of the IMAX technology. Visually speaking, there are many scenes that feature breathtaking and striking imagery. Simple shots of feet hitting the ground in slow motion as they are running away or rain drops falling from the sky take on a new kind of life on the big screen, one that just can't be imitated by a living room television screen, and even less a laptop computer.

The set designs for Attilan are surprisingly inspired, and the city's walls appear grander, and much taller in IMAX. It's a sensation of height that conveys not only the Inhumans; history, but also their elevated stature. The moon is a beautiful bright spot surrounded by stars in the vastness of space, and Black Bolt's private chamber is regal and simple at the same time. A shot of Maximus walking in a tunnel, light blaring behind him is unmistakable and it speaks volumes about the character. The Royal Family's teleporting dog Lockjaw, an entirely computer-generated character already sure to be a fan-favorite, is appropriately massive, and you need the IMAX experience to fully grasp that, as the character literally bounces to life in a way that can't be matched on a smaller screen. The quality of the image is clear and pristine no matter where you look, and nowhere is that more clear than in the scenes featuring the beautiful and luscious landscapes of Hawaii, scenes that, for everyone who has ever stepped foot on the island, feel like coming home. And home is exactly what Hawaii might become for the Inhumans as well.

Watching Inhumans on IMAX pulls you in. It's an immersive experience that invites you to become a part of this very special family. You get a feeling that couldn't be replicated while you watch it in the comfort of your own home. Make the trip and see for yourself. Odds are you'll be left excited for what comes next.

At the center of the Inhumans comic books, there is an idea, one that is conveyed by King Black Bolt's trusted adviser Karnak. The tattoo-faced character has the power to see the flaw in everything and everyone, no matter how perfect they appear to be. Through him, we see that nothing, not Attilan or the humans, and no one, not even the awesomely powerful Black Bolt, is perfect. But that's the way it should be. Imperfection doesn't negate any of them, or render them worthless. The same can be said for Marvel's Inhumans television series. There are flaws in the system, but they don't take away from all of its strengths, or its beauties. And those beauties need to be seen in IMAX.