In recent years, the name 'Marvel' inspires trust and draws fans everywhere, for it being synonymous with high-quality blockbusters. It has raised the bar were high for superheroes, year after year, as proven again last year with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier," and even catapulted obscured characters in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” to worldwide recognition. And ask anyone who attends Comic-Con; it's consistently one of the most popular and packed panels.
The Marvel Experience took place in
colossal domes. The first entry point was
a memorable takeaway of the experience, where each visitor was asked
to create a custom S.H.I.E.L.D “recruit” ID badge, complete with
an individual photo. The badge was sent via e-mail as a souvenir.
Anyone who felt uneasy and thought that this as a marketing ploy to
get demographic information could simply put in random information
(there's even a 'species' line where we're given options like human,
superhuman, android, etc.). It's harmless. I was impressed with how
authentic the badge looked! (I would have posted it here had I not used my personal information) Enthusiastic staff, dressed in black S.H.I.E.L.D t-shirts, addressed every guest as “recruit” and handed
individual Marvel bracelets as we went in. We were told that we
would need it later.
Visitors were grouped in batches and
let in as the first dome was filled to capacity. We watched some
Marvel TV clips before moving on to the main domes. The next two
domes had displays, such as weapons used by the Marvel superheroes
(shield, sword, hammer, stingers, headband, and many more). Granted,
they're more like toys than real movie props exhibited at Comic-Con,
but still interesting to view. There were also origin stories and
information about those characters, including familiar characters in
the Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow,
Thor, Hulk, Spider- Man) and other lesser known ones
(She-Hulk, Iron Fist, Panther).
Interactive games were the bulk of the
attractions, most notably, “training sessions” by our favorite
superheroes. Iron Man's flight. Black Widow's laser maze course.
Spider-Man's moving rock walls (mainly for kids). Thor's holoblaster
(shooting). Hulk's drone blasting. And Avenger's holographic
encounter. Other than Black Widow 's and Spider Man's, the majority
involves interacting with video screens to mimic those characters'
movements, targeting and obliterating their respective obstacles or
enemies. Scores were tallied.
What I found most interesting was the Avengers one, where a distinct movement style would “summon” a certain Avenger and I'd see myself on the screen with said Avenger standing next to me or in a fighting mode. A salute gesture would bring forth Captain America, standing tall and ready to soar Iron Man, clasp arms Nick Fury, hulking out Hulk, fighting position Black Widow. The way the projection appeared truly looked like these superheroes were present among us. It's quite neat.
What I found most interesting was the Avengers one, where a distinct movement style would “summon” a certain Avenger and I'd see myself on the screen with said Avenger standing next to me or in a fighting mode. A salute gesture would bring forth Captain America, standing tall and ready to soar Iron Man, clasp arms Nick Fury, hulking out Hulk, fighting position Black Widow. The way the projection appeared truly looked like these superheroes were present among us. It's quite neat.
Leaving this dome (no return privilege)
and entering a replica model of Quinjet, the Avengers' jet, took us
to the “advanced” training session, a 360 degree, stereoscopic
3-D show in a simularium. We looked up and followed the superheroes
breaking into Hydra headquarters and battling its army. There's no
sitting, but I found it fortunate to be standing at the back corner
of the room where I was able to view the projection almost all around
and get the most benefit. Like anything in an amusement park, it
lasted only minutes and was just too short, unfortunately.
The last session was a simulation ride,
with chairs that tilted, lifted, rocked and rumbled. During certain
scenes, there was air blowing as an added effect. Each guest was
asked to use the Marvel bracelet, an interactive part of the scenes,
where we're assisting the superheroes to defeat the enemy. The ride
was very gentle that no seat belt was needed.
When I first heard of the Marvel
Experience, the inner superhero kid in me was so excited and couldn't
wait until it arrived in San Diego. However, there were a lot of
doubt with unfavorable reviews from a couple other cities where it
was previously held. I tempered my expectations and decided to go
anyway. As a Marvel fan, there's no way that I would have missed it.
In the end, it's nothing compared to Universal Studios or
Disneyland, but it was never meant to compete with either in the
first place. And the absence of costumed characters or images of the
stars from the movies didn't dampen the experience.
http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/the-marvel-experience/
[Click to enlarge pictures]
