Reporter Alice Sjoberg decided to visit what has been named online as 'Birmingham's best cinema' to see if it is really that much better than other cinemas in the area.
A Luxurious Cinema Experience
Alice loves going to the cinema. While she knows it is cheaper to watch a film at home with snacks from the supermarket, there is something special about a cinema visit. When she spotted a 'luxurious' cinema in Birmingham in a social media video, she knew she had to visit.
She booked tickets for her boyfriend and herself to see Hokum, an Irish horror film that just premiered, and went to explore the Omniplex cinema in Rubery. Upon arrival, she was pleasantly surprised by the ample parking spaces and shocked by the cinema's size, having expected it to be much smaller.
Stepping into the 1980s
As they stepped inside, it felt like being transported to the USA, with everything reminiscent of the 1980s, including food trucks and cool décor. After scanning their tickets, they headed to self-service machines to order food and snacks, blown away by the variety.
Options ranged from chicken strips, burgers, and pizza to classic cinema foods like hot dogs and nachos. While pizza was pricey at £5 per slice or £30 for a whole pizza, burgers and chicken strips were priced similarly to fast food takeaways.
Snacks and Seating
Not in the mood for a full meal, they opted for combi meals each: medium popcorn and a drink for £10.40 each, comparable to the price of just a medium popcorn at Alice's usual cinema. She was happy with this, though buying a bag of popcorn at the supermarket beforehand would be cheaper.
There were two food trucks: one for alcoholic drinks and one for food, where orders were collected. For Luxx screenings, seats have table service for food and drinks, but since they only had snacks, they collected their order immediately at the main desk. Being early, they sat at tables, perfect for eating before the film.
The Reclining Seats
They then entered the screening to discover the main attraction: reclining seats. While Vue and Cineworld offer premium seating with reclining options for some rows, Omniplex has all seats reclining. Premium screenings even offer reclining sofas, though this was not available for their showing.
Alice made herself comfortable, adjusting the reclining settings, and was pleased to find each seat had an adjustable table with a secure cup holder, eliminating the need to keep track of snacks.
Overall Impressions
Overall, Alice was pleasantly surprised by her visit to Omniplex, especially as it cost the same as a more popular cinema chain. The film was great, and they were comfortable throughout, which is not always the case. She will definitely return, agreeing that it is Birmingham's best cinema.
