'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' 4DX Screenings In Japan Allow Viewers To Choose Light Or Dark Side Versions

Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the highest-grossing movie of 2017 in the United States, was recently pulled from Chinese theaters due to its catastrophic second-weekend drop of 92% at box office. But even without much help from the ever-important Chinese market, the film is still performing very well internationally, grossing about $80 million more overseas than it has stateside.

Japanese audiences are being treated to an especially interesting option for viewing Lucasfilm's latest adventure: 4DX. But this ain't your daddy's 4DX, with just shaking seats and bursts of air and other "immersive" reactions. Nope – this has all that, plus the ability to see a "light side" or "dark side" version of the film with all sorts of customization specifically assigned to each version. Read about the Star Wars The Last Jedi 4DX experience below.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, these special The Last Jedi 4DX screenings (which are only available in Japan) are "tailored to give audiences different perspectives" based on whether they choose the light side or dark side of the Force. There are the typical "vibrations, tilts, wind, fog, strobe and other effects" that you'd expect from any 4DX screening, but the difference here is they kick in at different times based on which side you choose, enhancing certain appropriate moments based for the good guys or bad guys. Lightsaber battles, for example, "create differing reverb effects for the two sides," and audiences will get a different vibe from the atmosphere in scenes set at Rebel bases or First Order ships based on their selection. (I'm imagining that aspect almost like a full theater version of those accent light TVs that sort of extend the dominant color of the scene beyond the screen itself.)

There is absolutely no way I'd watch any movie in 4DX if it was my first viewing, but this actually sounds like kind of a cool and creative way to get fans to come back to the theater over and over again. Japanese theaters are not forcing people to choose one or the other (there are plenty of regular 2D and 3D screenings available), but as an added bit of novelty, it sounds like it might be fun to grab a group of fellow Star Wars fans to check out the differences in each version. As long as everyone's willing to pony up for the increased ticket price: 2D 4DX tickets cost ¥2,800 ($25), while 3D 4DX tickets will set you back ¥3,200 ($28.85).

And while the Star Wars movies don't have the lasting cultural impact in China that they do elsewhere, they're right at home in Japan. According to Box Office Mojo, Revenge of the Sith tops the list of all-time highest openings in that country, and The Last Jedi sits at number 12.