Hold onto your butts…and your popcorn! Godzilla: King of the Monsters hit theaters this past weekend, and not only is it available in RealD 3D but it is available in theaters with 4DX capabilities. As a movie whose main characters are scaled to titanic proportions and with special effects just as mega, catching this movie in 4DX is truly going to be the best way to experience this newest installment of the 55-years long franchise. Though the pacing and dialogue reminded me of other “bad” but entertaining movies, such as Independence Day, I have to say that watching Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 4DX has been the most fun movie theater experience I have had in quite some time.

The 4DX experience of Godzilla is definitely a far cry from the franchise’s original “suit-mation” days — an actor dawning a very hot but very aesthetically effective monster suit. The 4DX effects, created as a “track” programmed to play with the movie’s audio and sound, are quite impressive for this movie and offer a very enthralling experience for an otherwise so-so written movie. I caught San Andreas (2015) in 4DX, which was just some seat rumbling, and by comparison, the programmed track for Godzilla: King of the Monsters has much more seat motion and in-theater effects for audience immersion — effects like droplets of mist, wind, and flashing lights will definitely not be lost on any moviegoer. With the appearance of Godzilla on the screen, my seat ominously shook in unison — I got chills similar to the first time watching Jurassic Park‘s suspenseful groundwater tremble scene. If you are nearby a 4DX theater and can have a treat yo’ self day to splurge on the special seating — tickets typically range from $25-$30 — this is one feature where 4DX will be a king-like experience on all fronts!

Following the global success of Godzilla (2014) comes the next chapter in Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ cinematic MonsterVerse, an epic action-adventure that pits Godzilla against practically all of earth’s “MUDOs” (massive unidentified terrestrial organisms). The new story, a sequel that only half-heartedly references the 2014 reboot, follows the heroic efforts of father, Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler), as he is recruited by the military to help stop the shadowy, crypto-zoological agency, Monarch, who intends to awaken the sleeping titans, and save his estranged wife, Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), and daughter Maddison (Millie Bobby Brown) from their evil clutches. Through rain, sleet, and snow, and over the air, water, and land, the military goes up against Monarch and a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty king, Godzilla, who collides with Rodan, his gal pal Mothra, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species are awakened through the power of a sonar device, the two kings vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.

The film moves swiftly into setting up the narrative for this installment; that’s not to say that the movie rushes, only that it will be quickly apparent that their non-lingering is to leave a lot of room to show the knockdown monster fights. I am usually fed up seeing the destruction-porn that we have been getting from comic movies — I’m looking at you Batman V Superman and Man of Steel — though with monsters, it seems appropriate and not as mind-numbing. Watching it in 4DX only enhances this experience, as the programming takes every opportunity to draw you into the film and take you along for the ride. Even during a helicopter ride scene, my seat was softly rumbling and a breeze hitting my face. Not only was it entertaining… but it was actually a quite nice massage too. As I watched my fellow moviegoers’ heads bop around like bobbleheads during some particularly jarring jolts, I couldn’t help but liken the experience to being on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland for 2 hours — Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ 4DX is ‘a Disneyland ride meets the movie-going experience’. I can’t say that I am a huge Godzilla fanatic, but feeling his roar through my seat literally brought tears to my eye was a cinema enthusiast.

Legendary Pictures, the entertainment media company that brought us Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Kong: Skull Island (2017), has Godzilla: King of the Monsters following up 2014’s stunning but polarizing rebirth of the franchise. Whether you have ever seen a Godzilla movie or not, you know the infamous silhouette, his roar, and his destructive power, and you can feel even closer to cinema’s favorite monsters with the new technology of a 4DX to enhance your connection to the film and its dedication to offering a fantastic adventure. No need to watch any other Godzilla’s films to brush up, Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters is not one to miss this summer — especially if there is a 4D theater near you!