Empire Theatres Dartmouth Crossing

What can you say, it is a big theatre that has plenty of movies showing and has oodles of popcorn. Of course all movie theatres have far too inflated prices for the drinks, popcorn, and candy, but we know that going in.
Employees are friendly, the place as really quite clean for the number of people that go through the place. I’ve been a number of times before and will be back again.

First, allow me to emasculate myself right off the bat.
Yep, I went to see Part 2 of the final twilight movie, mind you, my first foray into that series. shame it’s gone too soon… or is it? (God I hope so)
But when it comes to the actual theatre. I guess Saturday’s not a busy day? (Confusing because I worked for 2 years in Bayers Lake and Saturday’s were hell)… but the staff were not all that interested in helping us out, and more so congregating at one end of the bar.
When we did get their attention, the cast member wasn’t sure if they offered coffee (I was nice enough to point out the coffee machine at the end of the bar)… and I inquired to see if the slush machine was working, he did say he was ‘pretty sure’…
Well, spoiler alert, when we got down to the end of the bar, it wasn’t working. So I had some coke instead. The coffee machine clearly hadn’t been touched in at least a day, and it looked just plain awful, as it spewed out it’s own attempt at what could be argued as coffee.
Beyond that, we went into a theatre (my previous employment with empire came in handy at ripping our own tickets, and guiding us down the hall). that was fridgid.
I grew up in Edmonton, and the deep freeze of Alberta, but I was uncomfortable in there…
Luckily, I had a hearty laugh at the movie, so I warmed up somewhat, but sadly, until the sunlight and cool November air could warm us, we were COLD.
Poor showing Empire.

What I like about this theater is the big theater rooms. The seats that, ever so slightly, lean back and that there is more then one person working concession at a time. The washrooms are usually a disaster zone, as if a dog shook off its very wet coat all over the floor, walls and ceiling. And people don’t seem to understand where the garbage goes…
Anyways. Movie theaters are movie theaters. They are full of people who want to see the same move, some like to talk through the entire thing and give you play by play on what is going to happen. Some like to stick their smelly feet on the back of your chair and pull your hair, but that’s cool. Its part of the experience… right?

Great environment to watch movies!

Theatre seating… over 10 movies playing at once… good choices of snack bar food… I love this Theatre.
I’m used to cramped theaters and only junk food, but a ticket will get you in, and you can buy poutine, Hod dogs on a kaiser roll (which I can actually do without the kaiser roll), icee’s alls kinds of treats.
I had plenty of space for my tall frame in these seats, and what I really base a theatre on is sound quality. One word… You Can’t get any better… was that more than more than one word?
I think I’m going to see The Dark Knight this weekend (maybe not due to the Olympics) but I’m going to try out the «super» theatre with Better seats (?) and 7.1 surround sound.
There was an issue in the middle of watching a movie where the picture went out and the had to restart the movie and find where we were like 5 minutes later, but because of the inconvenience they gave us each a free movie voucher.

Admittedly, the Dartmouth Crossing theatre lacks the charm of the Oxford and Park Lane, but this really is nice place to see a movie.
As other reviewers have mentioned, this place is certainly busy. Arrive early if you’re hoping to get popcorn, as the lines can get very long. That said, the staff are usually quite efficient and the wait time isn’t too bad. The theatres themselves are all quite huge and the seats are very comfortable.
For my money, the best part is the Empire Extra theatre. For a couple dollars extra, you get an upgraded, faux leather seat and assigned seating. This is fantastic for those big, tentpole movies, especially if you like midnight screenings. Nothing beats seeing The Avengers at midnight and not having to worry about showing up three hours beforehand to secure good seats for you and your friends.
There’s only one of these Extra theatres, but it’s usually reserved for those big blockbusters that benefit from the assigned seating. You’ll also have to deal with a really obnoxious and overlong Empire Extra introduction film. It’s like the IMAX introduction, but maybe more annoying.

we live in the Valley and will frequently make the 45 minute trip each way just to go see a movie at this theatre. The ability to reserve our seats makes this more than worth the extra $ and the sight and sound quality can’t be matched. Seeing a movie in a ‘regular’ theatre is now a little bit of a letdown.
We Love This Theatre.

Loved the Avengers in the new 3D Extra Theatre! Of course the 3D was marvellous, the leather seats were a treat — but when the subwoofers kicked in and the place shook — now that was fantastic!
If I am going out for a movie, I want the best experience I can get — and this theatre delivered. Definitely worth the extra cost!

Maybe it is just me, but I feel that with no competition on the scene, the level of customer service for this business and in particular this location, leaves a lot to be desired!
Let me preface this with the fact that I see a lot of movies, I take my 11 year old daughter to pretty much every kids movie that comes out, which can sometimes have us at one of the Empire Theatre locations sometimes 2 – 3 times a month.
Arrived at this location on April 22^nd, for the release of the Earth Day movie, this year it is Chimpanzees, was there for the early afternoon show, lets say around 1:30. I will say that this was my daughters birthday, and that the release of the Earth Day movie, as it is the same date as her birthday is an annual event for us, something that we look forward to… so maybe this played into my bad experience… or maybe not. We went early, a good hour before the start of the show, we were going to play some games in the fun zone (which I think is a TOTAL rip off, but I get how she likes it) we noticed when we arrived that it was lined up way past the ropes, and decided to get in line then, again this is an hour before the movie starts! We wait and wait and the line moves ever so slow… and I can feel my frustration mounting, as really we are not moving at all, 40 mins in and we are about half way, it is then that I notice that they have maybe 4 concession stands open, and then my frustration level starts to rise, I am looking around at the amount of people there and thinking to myself, how can this be, they have the ability to have about 15 concessions stands open… what is wrong with this picture??? Still waiting and I am starting to think that we are not going to make the show… waiting, waiting, and then, it filps on the screen that the show is SOLD OUT! so now we have waiting an hour are still not to the front of the line and now the show is SOLD OUT.
I have to admit that I am MAD, but we leave the line, there is nothing else for us to see that we have not already seen. I see a manager on my way out, and I think, I am going to say something, because in my opinion this has happened because of the lack of staff, so I stop, he is in conversation with someone else, I wait, they are having a lovely chat about the weather, and the crowds, and some other non sensical things,!!! My frustration level has just hit maximum, and I decided that it would be better for me to leave and call when I get home… which I never did do, but I should have.
Again let me say that I know (as I have told my story to anyone who will listen) that I could have just bought my tickets, and could have avoided the line all together, however for me, movies are not movies without popcorn, and I don’t want to see it if I cant have it, so yes I understand that I would have had my ticket and could have gotten into the movie, I still would have had to wait for popcorn, in the SAME LINE.
I will just say that I think because Empire Theatre is the only show in town (pun intended) and they do not have any one to compete with that they can do whatever they want, and that as a general rule their customer service is not good.
I will say that my fav Empire Location is the Sackville one, but I think that is just because there is less volume there, their customer service is not always the best either.

I find this hard to admit but the Dartmouth location of Empire Theatres is my favourite, (and I never thought anything in Dartmouth would be my favourite). What pushes this location over the top for me is the Empire Extra experience, it may seem like a waste of money to some but being able to pay $ 4 more to book your seat in advance is so worth it and the seats are little more comfy as well. If the Bayer’s Lake location ever offered the Empire Extra option it would more then likely move into my top choice.
Also the food selection at this location is really good and something that keeps us from going to the Park Lane location a lot of the time.

Dartmouth Crossing ranks third on my preference list for Empire Theatres locations. First, is the Oxford but of course that comes with a limited selection of movies to see. Second, comes Park Lane given that it’s always a little slower and doesn’t attract so much riff-​raff. Do I sound snobby enough yet? I’ll keep going…
The DC, on the other hand, is your typical big theatre location that isn’t very much different than the mammoth out in Bayers Lake. They get just about every movie and they play ‘em all just about every half hour. It’s easy to find a flick worth watching and even easier to find a good time.
The theatres themselves are big, they have Empire Extra, they have all the variations on 3D that I don’t understand, and I can get there in no time from my house. All in all, no complaints on the grand scheme of things.
Lately, the staff has definitely been slipping. Where before they were quick, polite, and professional, my past few visits have resulted in a five to eight minute wait at the front of the concession line just because the people behind the counter thought restocking pop or chatting about a text message was more important than getting a customer into their movie with a snack pack.
While I’d love to hope for improvement, I’d say your best bet is just to give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.

How can you compare theatres owned by one vendor? Or is a review a comparison???
Whew — started this on a ramble. Not looking to promising!!!
After living in Clayton Park and attending movies in Bayers Lake for number of years, I will use that as a barometer and a comparison to explain my thoughts.
Plenty of parking? Check (even across the street)
Lots of screens? Check — 12 in all
Concessions? Check — Popcorn, Candy, pretzels, frozen yoghurt, coffee (never, ever any decaf — grrr)
Comfortable seating? Check (the extra experience is nice and additional fee of 2 or 3 bucks)
I have never had an unreasonable wait to be served either at the concessions or waiting to pass in my ticket.
You can purchase tickets online, at kiosks, at concessions and at Customer Service… Lots of options.
If you want to eat out first? At least 8 places to eat within rock skipping distance of the theatre.
My one complaint isn’t about the theatre at all. Part of my Bayers Lake movie experience was to visit the Chapters then mosey up to the movie. Unfortunately, Dartmouth Crossing has plenty of shopping but not a book store.

Truth: I feel totally lame reviewing Empire Theatres. This city lacks any competitiveness when it comes to movie theatres. Empire has the monopoly, save for a few small, local places that put on weekly or monthly viewings. As a result, Empire can do all that it wants and we have no choice but to quietly sit and take it if we want to see a movie on a big screen.
The behemoth’s newest building in the city’s latest shopping village looks like an intimading futuristic prison. Blocky black concrete and an angry red display tell outsides from a mile away what movies are playing at this multi-​plex.
This place has a few self-​serve ticket machines, but I find that more often than not, half of them are down with the technical flu and refuse to work. If you’re getting overpriced snacks to scarf down during your movie, though, you may as well just buy your tickets at the concession counter. On cheap nights and weekends, though, make sure you get there plenty early because the line can be extreme.
Most of the screens in this place are very large with stadium-​style seating. If you can get a good seat, you can comfortably recline or even remove the arm rest seperating you and your date for some extra close canoodling. Just… not too close, okay? Even in the dark, nobody needs to see that. (Seriously. Stop it. It’s gross. At least don’t sit next to me.)
One thing this place has going for it is that it does do some alternative screenings. I’ve seen two live Broadway shows here, telecast from the stage: RENT’s very last broadway performance, and Les Misérables’ 25^th Anniversary show (I was in tears through both). I see that they also advertise nights at the Met with operas and other stage shows available for viewing on the big screen. If you’re in for something a little less intellectual, they also have screenings of big meat-​thumping events like wrestling and UFC matches.

Since this is the only theatre on the Darkside, it is always packed. It’s not great for those who have to rely or want to use mass transit, so the parking lot is always full, much like Bayer’s Lake.
The place is large and there is a large concession stand to match the long lines. The wait time for the NY Fries area can be really long, I went with my office one afternoon and even though there was no line, I still almost missed the beginning of the movie.
I prefer the layout of this spot to it’s sister theater in Bayer’s Lake. Also I find the seats nice and comfy, makes for good movie watching, even if the movie isn’t that great.

Let’s start with the bad: it’s very popular and very busy — which means you’ll often face long lines at the concessions/​ticket booth. The parking lot can be a nightmare. And public transit is not overly convenient.
But once you get inside, it gets pretty good. Staff are efficient. There are lots of ticketing machines (if you’re not getting concessions). Seats are big and comfy and recline-​y.
Movie selection is also good — they’ve recently started keeping more movies but alternating screen times. So, a movie that’s been around for a while will keep screening but at off-​peak times. Definitely a plus since movies tend to come and go pretty quickly in Halifax unless they’re blockbusters.
They also have Empire Extra now but I haven’t given that a try yet. It offers reserved seating, digital projection and «dynamic sound.»
Pro tip: Theatre 12 has an accessible bathroom nearby so you don’t need to run up to the lobby to go to the bathroom.

As far as cookie-​cutter chain theatres go this one is my favorite. The seating is super comfy and there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.
You expect over priced popcorn and bladder busting sodas. I generally avoid the food and (gasp) bring my own little treat. A nice touch is the pretzel maker, pizza place and fry vendor. Still over priced, but if your jonesing for a salt fix… it’s there for you.
Big complaint of mine… the arcade that is in the main lobby. Loud and obnoxious. I would much rather see it off to the side in a separate area.
There are plenty of self check in machines… great for those looking to avoid a personal encounter. Walk in door, talk to machine, pay machine, see movie run by machine, leave through door operated by machine… I actually LIKE talking to people, so I often opt to stand in line to purchase my ticket from a person.

My first time through the doors of this Empire Theatres was last week. A group of us went to see the movie Despicable Me. The movie itself I would not rate high, but the theatre was great.
It is very spacious and has a great area for the arcade. The staff here was nice and helpful. It was not overly busy, as it was a daytime movie. I love the new rocker chairs and wider rows so we don’t have to whack our legs walking through.
The concession stands have a wide variety of choices for you, New York Fries, Pretzel Maker, Hot Dogs and Pizza. I always go for the popcorn though, and yes, I know it is overpriced, but I really cannot resist.

I’m just not moved by corporate playgrounds. Dartmouth Crossing’s landscaped shopping experience is one that lacks the human touch, and is more likely a dictator of consumer culture at its ultimate low.
That being said, the Empire Theatres is probably the best thing this place has going. I traveled here with friends after a disastrous trial-​run at Moxy’s Restaurant (see review), and was pleased to find this new cinema to be friendly, sparkling, and comfy cosy.
While my prior meal did not leave me satisfied, it did leave me a wee buzzed. How appropriate, seeing as though I would be sitting through a 2 hour flick starring Jennifer Aniston and tedious plot-​lines. Hmm, sometimes you just have to go with the majority; sadly, blockbuster hits don’t provide the most ample opportunity.
Sitting down, I noticed the utter comfort of these seats. Joy! I was like a bug in a rug… who cares about the movie. I could take a nap for days! My secret pleasure and mini buzz were the perfect parallel, and I was able to withstand J. Aniston– without grimacing! (Ok, maybe a few grimaces)
Whatever. The service people were super professional, the interiors were spotless, and everything seemed smooth flowing. Everything except the content was great, and next time there is a «big movie» i want to see… I could head back.

Another industrial park, another mega crazy theatre. I have mixed feelings about the whole Dartmouth Crossing — but perhaps I’ll save those opinions for another rant.
This theatre rivals its sibling out in Bayers Lake. Remember when this giant Halifax cinema set up shop and the HRM proclaimed it king? Well step aside Bayers Lake Empire, because Dartmouth has stepped up the plate swinging with mega comfy chairs, to challenge even the Lazy Boy.
Did anyone else notice the wild number of bike spots out front of the theatre? I must commend this optimistic addition, but seriously, industrial parks aren’t even pedestrian friendly, let along bike friendly. If you’ve EVER biked to Dartmouth Crossing and gone to a movie, please set me straight on my impassioned assertions.
This Empire is the same as all Empires… overpriced, albeit tasty concessions, employees donning caps and polo style shirts amidst the dreamlike swirly hotel looking carpets. But, as my fellow Unilocaler Cheryl has said, the chairs here are where it’s at. And let me tell you, the proof is in the pudding and I want some dessert…

Yes there is a difference between the two theaters and it is all in the seating. Gotta love it! The Chairs almost feel like the recline back and I know they are bigger then Halifax’s. The overall décor is the same between the two and the concession stand are all the same. But you will notice a difference in the chairs.
My hats do go off to the young woman and I apologize that I did not get her name but WOW I was so impressed that she came in after some of us complained about a group of LOUD teenagers were up top talking and using their phones through the movie. She came right up to them and kicked the whole lot of them out. Great Job and thank you from the whole group.
One this as well I really think that they built this theater a bit to small maybe bigger is not always better but you know when the movies have been out for a while and as there near getting the boot they move to the smaller theaters and boy are they small, that I really do not enjoy. So I guess the moral of this one is to go when they first come out.