I got to see Midway in 4DX this weekend. This was my second 4DX experience, and I have to say that I enjoyed it more this time than the first time, and I liked Midway more than I expected after seeing the reviews and poor critic scores.

I’m only going to briefly touch on the movie itself as this is not a review of the movie but of the experience. I will say that, despite my degree in history, I am not a U.S. history buff nor a war movie aficionado in the slightest. That being said, I do love old planes (I built more than a few P-51s and Messerschmitts when I was younger), and so a WWII movie mostly about pilots is definitely going to hit my sweet spot.

Is there some less-than-perfect acting? Sure. Are there some intentionally sappy storylines woven in? Absolutely. But neither of those hurts this movie. In fact, both helped ground the movie and not make it a purely war movie for me. It felt a bit more like a documentary in some ways than a Hollywood film.

I also really appreciate that this isn’t a one-sided, U.S. is the best and can do no wrong, rah rah rah film. It shows both the U.S. and Japanese sides, gets into the psychology and strategy on both sides and is more nuanced than I had any expectation of going in. It’s also just a great history lesson for those who may not know about Midway and its significance to the war. Whether you see it in 4DX or not, I would definitely recommend seeing Midway if you have even a passing interest in WWII.

Now on to the 4DX! If you haven’t heard of 4DX, it’s the movie theater equivalent of being on Star Tours and Soarin’ while watching a movie. I know not everybody has been on those Disney rides, though, so to explain a bit more, the 4DX seats move – they rock, tilt, vibrate, etc., they have misters (that can be turned off) that will spray you with water effects, and they have scents to further bring you in to the film.

There are even little blowers and pokers in the seats for different effects (like feeling bullets hit your back or arrows whizzing by your face). In addition to the seats, the theater is equipped with special lighting and speakers to enhance the overall visual and auditory submersion.

When the lights first dim, you get a warm-up to how the 4DX works with a 4DX advertisement that gives you a taste of all of the effects so you know what to expect. All the trailers I saw were also 4DX enhanced and though I was most excited for the Star Wars trailer, I felt it didn’t make as much use of the 4DX as I’d expected. However, the Ford v Ferrari trailer was by far the best of the trailers to use 4DX.

Before the movie started, the gentleman next to me said that he only sees movies in 4DX now because he loves it so much and that his favorites so far have been the latest Fast and Furious movie and another war movie. That, coupled with the trailers, had me wondering if vehicle-heavy movies were where 4DX really shines.

I mentioned that this was my second foray into 4DX. My very first go was Avengers: Endgame, and I’ll admit that the experience was a bit too overwhelming for 3+ hours and for my first time. With Midway, I felt like the 4DX was never obtrusive or overwhelming, and I went back to my earlier thoughts about vehicle-heavy movies.

It seems, especially for my tastes, that 4DX and the movement really lends itself to riding a boat, driving a car, and flying in a plane – more so than other types of movies. I loved feeling like I was on the deck of a carrier, swaying while the wind blew through my hair (I actually had to tie my hair up at one point because it kept getting blown into my mouth), or like I was sitting in the plane with the pilot flying, diving, and being shot at.

If you’ve been hesitant to try 4DX, I think seeing a movie like Midway or Ford v Ferrari would be the best bet for a great first experience. If you find that you enjoy it a lot, then branch out! I’m hoping to get to see Star Wars in 4DX just to test my hypothesis about the vehicle scenes.