Great cinemas, but will cost you a pretty penny! (Cineworld Cinemas)

Member Name: B_O_M_B_A_

Product:	Cineworld Cinemas
Date:	31/07/08 (760 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well kept screens and helpful staff

Disadvantages: Food costs are high

Introduction -

Cineworld Cinemas are one of the leading cinema chains within the UK and have around 60 establishments Nationwide. My two local cinemas are Bedford and Milton Keynes so the majority of my opinions will be based on them. I have recently joined up to the Cineworld Unlimited pass which I will be reviewing when they add my suggestion (if you are reading this months down the line chances are I have written it). In a month me and my partner have been around 8 times so I can say that my opinions are fairly reliable and recent.

Prices -

When Cineworld first opened in Bedford 4 or so years ago the prices were around £1.50 cheaper than they are now. To be honest I think the prices are very high. This is not Cineworld on its own though, all cinema's charge a high amount just to sit and watch a film, thus the reason I purchased the unlimited pass. The current prices at the Bedford store are as follows:

Adult (after 6pm all week) £6.60
Adult (before 6pm all week) £5.40
Child (14 & Under)/Student £4.70
Senior £4.70
Family (after 6pm all week) £20.00
Family (before 6pm all week) £18.00
Early Bird (before 12pm) £4.00

Based on these prices I only have to go twice in a month to pay back the £11.99 it costs me a month for the unlimited which I guarantee I will do. When you consider a family ticket is £20 and then you will likely spend £15 more on food and drink the evening starts adding up, quite an expensive night just for a trip to the cinema. The trouble is all cinema chains charge this amount so they can get away with it.

The cost of the food and drink is another matter altogether, can you believe they charge £3.40 for a small popcorn, when you consider it costs them around 18p per large popcorn to buy, that's a hell of a margin, which in my opinion could be slowly contributed back to the customers. I know the cinema has the monopoly on the food and drink when you are in there but the fact still remains, people wont buy it if it is too expensive. Me and my partner simply take in a packet of popcorn and drinks in her bag which costs us around £2, if we purchased it in the cinema it would cost around £10.

At the MK cinema they also have a deluxe screen which you can pay a premium for, it is around £7.60. There are also occasionally 3D films released which you have to have 3D specs for, it cost my friend £9.50 to go and see Journey to the centre of the Earth 3D, ridiculous considering I pay £3 more for a months unlimited access.

The Cinemas -

There is a significant difference in the quality of the MK and Bedford cinema screens. Bedford is a very run down establishment, it has been open for many years an owned by as many companies. The seats are worn out, the floor dirty and the facilities are generally not as good. Don't get me wrong, its good enough to go and watch a film in, but when you compare it to the MK cinema it finds itself lacking. The MK cinema screens are all sloped so you don't have to worry about having an oversized person sitting in front of you, the chairs are also recliners and very soft, far more comfortable than the old maroon theatre chairs at the Bedford cinema.

The Screens are however always 'Rubbish free' when you go in so obviously the cleaning staff are doing a good job, there is nothing worse than stepping in a puddle of sticky Coca cola just as your about to sit down. The chairs also always seem to be in a good state of repair so you don't have a wooden pole or a loose spring sticking up your bottom.

The Sound systems are loud but clear and the cinema screen sizes are all a very good size, I have never really had any problems with a poor projection (scratches etc), although I read recently 4 of the 6 Batman the Dark Knight reels were scratched at the Bedford cinema causing many to walk out with a refund.

The deluxe screens I mentioned earlier have a few additional features which can be worthwhile. There are fewer seats which means each person gets extra leg room, and thus more reclining space. There is also a bar just before you go into the screen which serves alcohol and the other general goods you can get at the main kiosk. This can be good if you are watching a very popular film, it means you don't have to wait 15 minutes for a drink and there is also somewhere nice to sit and talk rather than hanging around in the lobby.

Services -

The Staff are usually very helpful and kind and will point you in the right direction if you somehow get lost. There is always enough staff around if you need a helping hand although I would suggest they moved more into the kiosk area. They also seem to put inexperienced workers at the forefront during a busy period, me and my partner once waited 30 minutes in the kiosk line because there was a new starter, not really an ideal time to train someone.

The kiosk itself offers a wide variety of confectionaries, drinks, hot dogs and in some an ice cream stand. As I previously mentioned I believe the prices are very high and I suggest trying to smuggle some in, but I will leave that option for you to decide.

You also have the option of ordering your tickets online, you simply pay over the net and then when you go in to the cinema you bypass the queue and simply put the card you paid with into the card machine and it will produce your tickets, I used to use this service a lot because you can actually select two students (if you look young enough) even if you are not and get in for a few quid cheaper.

The cinemas always have the latest films and have showings all throughout the day to suit anyone, it depends on the number of screens the cinema has as to how many showings a film receives but there is generally never a problem getting into the showing you desire

Verdict -

Overall I am very happy going to a Cineworld cinema, the staff are nice, the sound and picture quality is good, I just hate the adverts and trailers, although sometimes it does give you a good heads up on future releases. I would advise the cinemas to all although be ready to pay for the most expensive popcorn ever! 

Staff - 8/10
Screens - 9/10
Prices - 7/10

Summary: A good night out.