Sunbrella IMAX 3D Theater at Jordan’s Furniture – Reading

In the six years since I wrote my original five star review, here’s what has changed: most Showcase and AMC theatres now have IMAX screens, assigned seating and large recliners that make the movie experience luxurious, comfortable and convenient. What’s changed at the IMAX at Jordan’s? Absolutely nothing. Still same upright seats, same 30 – 60 minute wait standing in line and still Zoot Suit Riot. Why would I stand around all that time for a decent seat when I can order my seat online, go directly in the theatre, sit back with my feet up in a recliner and watch a movie on a screen almost as big at AMC? The screen size is nice at Jordan’s but I’m over it. Comfort is king. For a furniture store, they need to step up their seating game…

Best movie theater in New England. They have the newest 3D IMAX laser projection technology. Seats are very comfortable, and the sound system is very immersive.

This is exactly what you should expect. Been here a few times and it’s great during off hours, worth the price and environment. I would avoid it during peak ‘suburban’ hours though and wait a few weeks after a new movie comes out, expect family time if you don’t. Which is why I sit in the parking lot writing my first review. That and waiting for my car to warm up in February.

I 100% disagree with Rich G. To me, Jordan’s IMAX (Reading & Natick) are the ONLY places to see big blockbuster new releases.
Went out of my way to see «Force Awakens» here and I wasn’t disappointed. The Jordan’s Reading, MA IMAX was picked by Wired Magazine as one of the 7 best places in the US to see Force Awakens. Also the director, JJ Abrams, said that IMAX 3D is the ONLY way you should watch the movie as it fully depicts his vision like no other format.
And, honestly, you can tell why. The 3D is very organic and seamless. On a lot of post-​production 3D movies, they throw in gimmicky stuff that jumps out at the viewer. This 3D just seems to add depth of field to the movie. It really was beautifully shot. Anyway, enough about the movie, and back to the theater.
The new 4K they installed is stunning. I do think it’s visually superior to the Natick IMAX, which I’ve also been to. And the sound system is really what takes this theater to the next level. The buttkickers are the main reason I would choose to go to this IMAX over, say, the 70 mm IMAX in Providence. It really does put you right in the middle of the action. And I don’t think the sound was too loud, like Rich G, said. I would argue that other theaters aren’t loud enough. If I’m paying $ 14 I want to feel like I’m experiencing the movie, not just watching it.
To me, the only downside of this theaters is that there isn’t reserved seating. So for hot new releases, you have to get there early and stand in line. Because you do NOT want to be stuck in the first 10 rows at this IMAX. You’ll be craning your neck up for two hours. Ideally, you want to be about ²⁄₃ or ¾ towards the top in the middle of the row. This will put you right around the dead center of the screen. Perfect viewing location.
For «Force Awakens» we arrived 95 minutes before showtime and there were already about 70 ppl in line ahead of us. Every movie won’t be like this, of course, but I would certainly get there a minimum of 45 min ahead of time — depending on how popular the movie is.
All in all, Jordan’s Reading IMAX is the best movie theater experience out there. I just wish they would add reserved seating… and maybe a few LUX-​like recliners would be cool, too.
Just sayin’

Saw’ The Force Awakens’ here — awful experience. The volume is too loud. The 3 D made the space flights/​fights blurry. The actors seemed squished, and the 3D during medium-​to-​close shots made the actors’ heads appear 3D while their bodies appeared 2D. I wasn’t in a bad seat — maybe 2/​3rds of the way up and closer to the center than to the edge. How is ‘The Force Awakens’? I don’t know. All the problems distracted me too much and took away from the experience.
ETA — I thought about this overnight. «Blurry» isn’t the right description; it was more like the action scenes were in a dotted line when they should be a smooth line. I googled today — it’s described as a strobe effect. This is a key quote «It has something to do with the amount of brain power dedicated to studying the edges of things. The more conscious we are of edges, the earlier strobing kicks in.» The laser sharp image at this theater lead to the action scenes strobing.

Far and away the best movie theater in the area — and one of the best reasons to live in Reading. It seriously is state of the art. Usually I hate 3D movies. I’m blind as a bat and 3D doesn’t impress me. But this theater changes my mind when I saw The Martian. The quality was incredible. The colors and details were the best I’ve ever seen. Now that doesn’t mean I think every movie looks good. In keeping with a long tradition, Spectre looks like muddy garbage. But The Martian was the proof that an imax 3d movie shown in that theater is worth every penny. You have to see it to believe it.

This place is the fun hub. I always enjoy coming here. It is my first choice theater

awesome place to watch a movie
subwoofers under each seat
i only hate it that if you dont know the way, you have to walk around the entire store first
make sure to get there early because if you sit too low your neck will hurt from being strained

Just got back from my first time here Jurassic World! This place is amazing! I cannot wait to come back! The screen is huge, the seats are very comfortable and the sound is perfect!
Popcorn was yummy and the butter even actually taste real! Free soda refills, too!
My only tip is try and come early so you can get a seat higher up so you are not hurting your next looking up! We were in the 2^nd to last row! The best seats ever!

Love watching movie in this theater. Great effect, sound creates an amazing experience. Totally worth the money.

If only it were closer to Boston… then it would probably also be a lot pricier. If you have your own car or can muster a large enough group to split an Über, it’s worth going here as the ticket price is much lower than the IMAX theaters in Boston. The seats are comfy and vibrate to the bass. It’d be nice if we didn’t have to walk through the actual furniture store to get to the theater, but hey, maybe that’s partly why the price is so low :)

Great theatre, sound, seats, and screen are top notch

Amazing theater! Clean, spacious and the price is right! You have to walk through Jordan’s Furniture to get there. This IMAX theater gets it right with clean, unscathed glasses handed to you in a sealed bag. Just saw the Hobbit 3 and the graphics were outstanding.
Usually movie food is super expensive, but I found the popcorn especially reasonable.
Quality is fantastic. Kudos, Jordan’s!

Awesome theater experience! The world’s comfiest chairs and an AMAZING sound system! We’ve seen Guardians of the Galaxy in 3D and Intersellar. Both are really exciting and the theater just sucks you in and makes the movie just envelop you. And there were no previews to suffer through!
Bathrooms are close by and the ticket and food prices are very reasonable by movie theater standards, $ 11.50 tickets and approx. $ 9 for a water and large popcorn.
Two tips: 1) buy your tickets online in advance, they always sell-​out, especially on weekends, and 2) get to the theater at least 20 minutes before the show to get near the front of the line to get in and get the perfect seats.

Great IMAX movie theater housed in a furniture store. Brilliant marketing idea, and fun experience looking at unique furniture before and after seeing a great movie.

Quite simply the best movie theater I have been to in the country. The only negative is that they only have one screen, so at most they will only be showing 2 different movies in the same week. Generally they only show 3D movies but occasionally they are just IMAX filmed movies. The seats are spacious as far as movie theaters go and they are made out of tempurpedic mattress foam (a plug for the furniture store). Biggest screen I’ve seen a film on, this IMAX screen is the real deal, it’s not one of those IMAX-​lite screens that I’ve been to in Boston. If you love within 45 minutes of this theater it’s worth the drive.

Jordan’s IMAX is as good as it gets for a movie experience. The screen is crystal clear, and extremely large. The picture is the best you will get anywhere. The sound is amazing as the theater is packed with speakers and a large sub-​woofer in the middle. The seats are supposed to have butt kickers but I believe some of them are broken or they just don’t work for every movie here. I find Natick has more working butt-​kicker speakers (built into your seat).
Jordan’s IMAX is pretty much the only theater I will see a movie in. If it’s not playing at Jordan’s, I’m most likely not going to see it until DVD. The experience is that great here, and the price is the same or cheaper (for 3D) than your normal movie theater.
For most people the theater is out of the way and that means the crowds are that much better here. People are driving here for a movie experience. Not to play on their phones, not to talk, but to be engrossed in a movie.
Tips: Line up early for a good seat, they are very popular during weekends. Buy tickets online as they sell out most weekend shows for anything remotely popular

My backside was the recipient of every vibration and every explosion, thanks to the built in speakers in the Temper-​pedic seats.
It was AWESOME.
We just saw Gravity at this IMAX theater. The experience was one-​of-​a-​kind, for sure.
Definitely a plus that there’s a Richardson’s ice cream on site, as well as a Fuddrucker’s. The ticket takers didn’t even bat an eye at my Starbucks cup!
Tickets are pricey for the 3D experience ($ 11.50 a pop), plus an additional $ 3.75 for the 3D glasses (which get repurposed). However, it’s much cheaper than the experience at SuperLux in Dedham or Chestnut Hill, and certainly much louder. We purchased tickets online and picked up at the ticket counter — just remember to bring the credit card you used to purchase the tickets online.
The only downside here is the maze to get to the theater itself — there’s always the urge to just sit on the new furniture sets and settle in instead of heading to the feature.
I can’t wait to see Ender’s Game here!

Tempur-​Pedic seats and Richardson ice-​cream, what more can i ask for.
I probably wouldnt travel this far out if you didnt have Richardson ice-​cream available!!!

In other states, furniture stores just sell furniture. In MA, Jordan’s Furniture has all sorts of fun stuff in it’s building, including an IMAX 3D movie theater that’s open even when the furniture store isn’t. If the rest of the complex isn’t open, they open the doors to the theater 45 minutes before show time.
The theater is great for movies that you «have to» see in 3D and are worth the extra ticket cost — $ 11.50. You can buy tickets online and pick them up at the theater with the credit card you used for ordering.
The seats are made from the same material as Tempurpedic beds, so they’re very comfortable. (So much so, that my Mother-​in-​law has fallen asleep during action movies here.) The arm rests are padded with the same material.
The theater holds a lot of people, but you don’t feel cramped, with wider than usual movie theater seats. For short people like me, the seat padding doubles as a head rest.
The sound quality is great, even for the Jordan’s Furniture commercials that run before the movie begins.
I plan on returning for the next 3D movie that’s on my «must see» list.