Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Star Trek: Borg Invasion 4D

This is topic Star Trek: Borg Invasion 4D - Special Venue in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-03-2005, 12:06 PM:

I'm typing this review from McCarran Intl Airport in Las Vegas; my flight back to Oklahoma leaves in about half an hour. So I'm bored, aiight!? Anyway, this new Star Trek ride thingie was on my to-do list while in LV for the 2005 International Sign Association convention.

For anyone who has visited the Las Vegas Hilton, the Borg Invasion 4D attraction is a new ride added to the original Klingon Encounter ride still available. The Klingon Encounter ride is a domed screen motion simulator while the Borg Invasion 4D ride is dual screen 3D. You have one screen above you and one in front. The seats move around to suggest motion, but don't give quite the feeling of the Klingon ride. The new "4D" aspect added is the seat prodding you or blowing wind in your head during certain parts of the show. Other stuff is blown at you as well. I'm not going to get into the specifics of it, but the experience in context of the Borg is pretty creepy.

Like the Klingon Encounter ride, a number of cast members from the Star Trek saga make appearances in this one. Robert Picardo plays his holographic character "Doctor" from the Voyager TV series. Kate Mulgrew makes a brief appearance as Captain Janeway as the Voyager tries to rescue you from the clutches of the Borg. Alice Krige (currently on the HBO series "Deadwood") gets the most 3D work replaying her role as the Borg Queen, from the First Contact movie.

Overall, the ride experience is pretty good but not great. The 4D elements make the difference, otherwise the whole thing would have been pretty lame. You get a live acted out scenario where crew members hustle you through a couple hallways as the space station you're on is under attack from the Borg. That's just a lead up to the ride. It's not as well thought out as the Klingon Encounter -where they make it seem as though you've been beamed aboard the Enterprise.

Image quality on both rides isn't as good as an IMAX or IMAX 3D movie. If you're a Star Trek fan, you'll really like all the attention to detail, particularly the museum leading up the rides.

You can get a two ride ticket for, um, $37.50 I think. That gets you onto both attractions as many times as you like. What makes it even more fun is if you slam a few drinks in Quarks Lounge and then go ride some more. Just don't act beligerent to the ticketing people.

Posted by Daniel Alt (Member # 2303) on 04-04-2005, 07:39 PM:

Too funny... we just missed each other... I was in the airport the night before you left, and got bumped from my flight. I slept in the terminal, and then went and wandered around the strip all day, while you were IN the terminal typing. Then after you flew out, I came back and caught my red-eye.

The strip is even more surreal when you haven't slept for 36 hours.

(To add some vague relevance to the forum, if not the thread, I saw "Sin City" at the UA next to the MGM Grand, and was impressed with the movie, although it seemed slightly out of focus)

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-11-2005, 06:51 PM:

That's pretty funny, I seriously considered watching "Sin City" at that UA theater, but follow through with it (there just wasn't enough time). We were staying nearby at Excalibur. I also didn't know if the UA theater was any good. They do have a decent sign though. It was novel enough being in Sin City when "Sin City" opened.

I must have walked more than 20 miles out there. On the upside, I donated platelets at the Oklahoma Blood Institute a few days later and all that exercise shaved a bunch of points off my cholesterol level.
[thumbsup]

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 05-06-2005, 10:27 PM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
I also didn't know if the UA theater was any good.

I saw Instinct there in June 1999 and was very unimpressed with the presentation (I don't remember specifics as this was almost six years ago). I have not seen a film there since, so they may have beefed up their presentation.

re: Borg Invasion, I did see that last April (2004) and I also saw the Klingon Encounter both then and back in June 1999. I enjoyed the Borg show, but it didn't have the same "amazement" factor as the first time watching the Klingon Encouter - getting "beamed", but the double screen 3D was interesting.

All these 4D shows (It's Tough to Be a Bug, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Shrek 4D... etc) that use whatever gimmicks they use, are fun while on vacation, but I don't think I'd enjoy the "gimmicks" in regular features like films such as The Tingler tried in the late 50s.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 05-06-2005, 11:38 PM:

Judging from recent comments of friends, the UA on the Strip still sucks presentation wise, just like the rest of the UA locations here. Typical 'Vegas projection standards--scratched and dirty prints on opening day.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-08-2005, 12:42 AM:

At least the theater has a pretty expensive sign -not nearly as expensive as the El Capitan Theater sign in Los Angeles, but certainly not cheap either.

So what is the offical name of that theater? The United Artists Parking?

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 05-08-2005, 12:45 AM:

One would think so, looking at that expensive sign, ey? [Roll Eyes]

AFAIK, the name is "United Artists Showcase 8."

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-08-2005, 09:22 PM:

"11:55, 2:55" = "gay-assed" showtimes. What's wrong with adding 5 minutes and calling it "noon" and "3 o'clock"? Never could figure it out why theatres have these ":55" showtimes-so retarded!

Now these are REG operated complexes. They have Christie equipment here.

Posted by Chase Hanson (Member # 2779) on 05-09-2005, 03:51 AM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
So what is the offical name of that theater? The United Artists Parking?

Apparently you cant read very well.

United Artists Denny's Parking Entrance. [Roll Eyes]

Now what I want to know is how did Denny get his own parking entrance to the United Artist theater, and why do they have a big ole sign advertising it.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-09-2005, 09:28 AM:

Actually, "United Artists Parking" is apt, con sidering the theatre itself is stuck in a corner of the actual parking lot.

Posted by Kelly Skaggs (Member # 1780) on 05-09-2005, 08:00 PM:

The good part about that theater is Fatburger is right next door. [thumbsup]

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 05-13-2005, 03:13 PM:

quote:
Never could figure it out why theatres have these ":55" showtimes-so retarded!

For an 8-plex like this one, I agree... but when I worked at a 21-plex with digital video (instead of slides) playing during intermission... those video projectors started on a timer, and for good presentation, I needed to start the film projector when the video presentation ended, so having a film start every five min. was necessary (granted there always ended up being a double up or two somewhere, and one of them would have a "stand-by" screen until I could get there).