Regal Hacienda Crossings 20 & IMAX

5000 Dublin Boulevard, Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 560-9600

Review by David Au on 3/10/2008

I saw Transformers in IMAX a few months ago.

Auditorium 21 is the IMAX and the screen was huge. I estimate that it was slightly smaller than the Imax at the Metreon in San Francisco, but it was still very impressive. The Transformers on the screen looked like they really were 60 feet tall.

The picture quality was amazing. It was clear, bright, and dust-free. The surround sound was loud and clear with reasonably good bass. At certain parts of the movie the sound was loud, but it was never painfully loud.

The stadium seats had comfortable seat bottoms, but the backs of the chairs were stiff and did not lean back. The cupholder armrests could lift up. There was plenty of legroom. The theater and the restrooms were very clean. During the movie, an usher would check on the auditorium several times.

Before the movie, there were no commercials. Colorful lights lit up the screen prior to the movie. There was only 1 movie trailer and an IMAX trailer.

The popcorn was sitting around under heat lamps, but it was reasonably fresh.

I also saw Pirates II, 1 year prior. The movie had been out for months and therefore it was in one of the smallest auditoriums. Auditorium 19 had a screen that was approximately 30 feet wide. It had top down masking and the image size was on the small side. Picture presentation was clear and dust-free. The surround sound was enveloping and clear. The stadium seats in 19 were much more comfortable than the Imax chairs, but they also did not lean back. Overall, the theater was clean. Although the auditorium was very crowded on a Sunday afternoon, the audience was quiet and respectful.

IMAX Auditorium Cinema Grade = B
Auditorium 19 Cinema Grade = C