Odeon

I called in Manchester Printworks’ Odeon Cinema last weekend to help my friend pick up some tickets with The Times’ 2 for 1 offer. Being a member of The Times, you get lots of benefits including 2 for 1 cinema tickets on weekends.
This Cinema is quite large, located inside Manchester’s Printworks, and even has a Costa bit built inside it (but they do seem to be popping up everywhere), nearby they is a lot of eateries in the Printworks such as Harvester, Hard Rock Café and even Nando’s, and of course they is a lot more a little further away in the Manchester Arndale and Piccadilly.
This cinema even has an IMAX screen, so they does seem to be a lot here, and they even is «The Gallery» which is an over 18’s area and bar, and a separate screen, I can’t comment on that as I have not used it yet.
They is a large screen to show what films are on and to order tickets, as well as many machines to buy them from too, or pick up what you have reserved on line, which I found easier, cheaper and more conviniant anyway, and you can use offer codes, such as the one with The Times.
The Cinema complex its-​self is quite modern, compared to the Print-​works which is more old-​fashioned and dark, the cinema its-​self doesn’t look as nice, bright and modern as it actually, when walking past from the outside, as I normally do.
As I didn’t view a movie here (I rarely go to the cinema now, the last time I probably went to watch a film was 1 time in the past 3 – 4 years) and I didn’t have any close dealings with the staff, I can’t comment further, but this is a very nice cinema, and it has some great things surrounding it by for eateries etc, but if you just want to watch a film, being located in a city center makes this hard as you would need to pay high prices for parking etc, which makes it a longer day out. I still feel this cinema is a solid 3 star place.

Feels a bit strange reviewing a cinema but I was dead impressed with Odeon on my last visit!
Ok so a massive chain and admittedly they’ve had a lot of time to iron out any kinks — but with time and money comes the opportunity to nail the customer experience — which in this day and age for a cinema means; speed, convenience and comfort.
I used the online booking system (speed) and paid £1 extra for the premium seats (comfort) and with the online booking I could just collect at the automatic machines (convenience).
£9 for a film still doesn’t reason well with me however it’s the same anywhere these days!

The AMC in Great Northern is better than the Odeon.
I rarely go to the cinema and now i remember why. The tickets for 2 of us to watch Star Wars was around £20, plus £15 on confectionery. It’s really expensive (which i don’t mind) but for that, you expect good service and clean cinema screens. I saw neither of these.
The layout of the 3 story cinemaplex is confusing, with ropes and barriers hearding you around like sheep before you can even get to the screen. On the first floor, you have to walk pretty much through Costa Coffee, in order to get to the escalator — nice try Costa.
The cinema screen had seen better days and the toilets are older than i am and were in apalling condition.
After ordering food we were questioned by an employee who asked to see our cinema tickets before serving us. «You came from upstairs so just checking that you’re not on your way out»…
What policy is this? We weren’t on our way out, we were on our way in, and even if we were, what’s the issue if i wanted to grab a hot dog for the road? Baffling.
Speaking of hot dogs — when i asked to order one the young boy replied.
«They’ve only just gone on the thingy so they’re not hot yet»
OK, i replied — i’ll come back in a while :)
He then said «How about a beef hot dog, they’re ready?»
No thanks — i replied, i’ll wait for the others.
«But they’re the same» — he said, looking at me like i was a complete idiot for not wanting the beef hot dogs.
Urm — one is pork, one is beef — they are NOT the same — i replied *eye roll*
Moron.

When we entered Screen 11 for our Star Wars feast, a big fat zero was being displayed on the canvas, which is just about what the cinema deserves. One of the early large scale multiplexes in the city centre it has a much vaunted reputation as a centre of entertainment excellence — we weren’t the only ones disappointed by the reality. We upgraded to the best seats on staff advice that it’s to only way to guarantee a seat, to enter a near empty auditorium that looked like the aftermath of a party. Seats were covered in food, popcorn, packaging and bottles. You had to clear mess to sit next to mess. Cinemas aren’t cheap, and going should be a quality treat not an over priced slumming it experience. Odeon, you deserve that zero.

I only really started visiting the Odeon when I moved to the Northern Quarter as it’s my local cinema. I do sometimes prefer the AMC, especially if just before pay day, as the Odeon is pretty expensive. But for convenience, this is the best choice. I do avoid showings on Friday and Saturday evenings, as I do really dislike the Printworks on weekend evenings and loathe paying a premium to be chav and sick dodging post film.
It is a really smart cinema though and is well presented and the screens are well looked after. You can also pay to sit in the premium seats, though I have never done that.
The food is more on the expensive side, but you do get a good choice with Ben and Jerrys stands and the Costa coffee, which is good.
The last time I came here, I watched Suffragette, which is a really good film.
I think my favourite thing about this cinema, and is the reason for 4* rather than 3*, is the Flashback films every Monday at 8pm and is only £4 — whether an adult, senior citizen, student or child. So it is really great value. Basically the idea is that they show classic films from all decades, though they do largely come from 80s and 90s, so definitely aimed at the 30 something audience more than anything. Not to say older or younger people wouldn’t enjoy them or get nostalgic, of course. The schedule is on this link…

Fab night watching Spectre the new bond movie with Paula. We got 2 4 1 thanks to the meerkats. The cinema at the printworks is great food and drink plentiful. Can’t wait for the next visit.

Great Cinema. .lots of options for food & Drink. Went to watch Spectre the new James Bond Movie really good all round. Daniel Craig was a bit of all right to…

In all fairness, Odeon it isn’t all bad. Classic films on Monday nights, and the ‘Screen Unseen’ option is a nice idea I will admit. For £5 you see a film. I don’t visit the cinema often, but when I do I like to go for a big action film. As with all cinemas, a whole range of food is available such as hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, ice cream.
Manchester doesn’t just have one cinema, we have choices. And given the choice I rarely choose Odeon anymore.

I’m too young to be nostalgic. People in their mid-​twenties shouldn’t harken back to the good old days of anything. But I miss the days when a first class stamp was 32p, and I miss the days when the cinema was a good value day out.
Odeon brings together basically every strand of what has gone wrong with cinemas. It’s increasingly expensive, and that money doesn’t seem to go into improvements. Instead of some innovations or advances for the customer we get gimmick after gimmick aimed at us. 3D film? Extra cost. Big release? Extra cost. Peak hours? Extra cost.
The ‘Gallery’ is a particularly bad one. You pay a substantial amount in return for a special balcony and unlimited popcorn and snacks. Pricey as hell, and frankly a terrible way to watch a film. Cinema snacks are, ironically, the worst possible foods to have in a darkened room where people are trying to watch and listen to a film. Popcorn is loud; nachos are loud, smelly, and drip. Now I’m not a snob who resents people eating popcorn at the cinema, especially because people usually finish it fairly early on in the film. But giving people a buffet of the stuff is a recipe for disaster. It’s a gimmick with not even a passing intention of improving the film-​going experience.
Now in fairness, it isn’t all bad. Classic films on Monday nights, and the ‘Screen Unseen’ option is a nice idea I will admit. For £5 you see a film, often a preview showing, but you don’t get to know what it is in advance. Cinema roulette, now there’s a gimmick I can get behind.
One thing that bugs me is how easy it is to get whacked by an extra charge but how hard it is to qualify for a discount. If Odeon offered cheaper tickets for films in their last week of distribution I wouldn’t mind the ‘Blockbuster Fee’. If Odeon offered off-​peak tickets at a vaguely reasonable time (weekday nights, for example) I wouldn’t mind the peak charges. And if Odeon wasn’t 5 minutes away from the cheaper (though not as much cheaper as it used to be) AMC I might be willing to swallow my objections and visit anyway. But Manchester isn’t a sleepy village with one cinema, we have choices. And given the choice I rarely choose Odeon anymore.

This cinema has everything a cinema should have: a ton of snack options, very comfortable seats, and really good sound. I’ve been here twice and I’m perfectly happy with the huge choice of showtimes and good quality screens. Another reason why manchester is great.

By default I should be giving Odeon a low rating. Since an equity firm took over the chain over a decade ago prices have escalated steadily. At peak you can pay somewhere north of £13 (Jurassic World at IMAX 3D on a friday night will cost you£13.95 upon release in June) With a few exceptions, the layout has remained the same, with minor additions. Premier seats are far more comfortable but at an additional cost. (At the above showing of Jurassic World they’ll set you back £15)
The snack prices likewise are not exactly cheap. So overall, I should hate it!
But!!! The fact is, having visited my fair share of Odeon cinemas across the UK (From London, Loughborough, Blackpool, Edinburgh to the run down one in Hull) this one is rather special.
Why? Let me outline something before I add some context to my conclusions. I am a self confessed film geek. I don’t go to the cinema «Every so often». I go, let’s just say VERY often. From Batman Returns (December 1992) to Blade Runner (last night), the cinematic experience has and always will be my Dopamine, my oxytocin, my serotonin my endorphin fuel. This means where ever I am in the UK at any given time I WILL need to go to a cinema. So with Odeon being the biggest cinema chain in the UK with more cinemas than anyone else it’s a necessary evil. So why have I given this one 5 stars?
Firstly, the IMAX is the second largest in the UK behind BFI London (Waterloo). There’s 28 in the UK, we’re lucky! (It’s the Barcelona or Real Madrid footballing equivalent of a cinema) In fact technically it IS the biggest with a bigger screen size for both aspect ratios 2:35:1 and 1:85:1films. Nothing beats watching an epic blockbuster at the IMAX and this arguably is the best one in the country. For that reason alone it’s five star worthy. For people who LOVE film like me everything else is white noise.
Secondly they screen classic films every monday. Films you didn’t get to see at the cinema as a kid. (Was gutted recently to miss out on God Father part 2) Again, that alone is enough reason to give it 5 stars. Upcoming films include Clockwork Orange, Enter the Dragon, Leon and Heat to name but a few. No other cinema does that with regularity to my knowledge.
Cheap Mondays mean off peak tickets cost as low as £4! Furthermore my odeon premier card (which costs nothing) allows my Film habit to accumulate points in exchange for the aforementioned expensive snacks/​tickets/​costa coffee et al. I normally don’t do «loyalty cards» as it’s just a scam to spy on your consumer habits, but my film viewing data is one piece of personal information I’m willing to give away (What? I have good taste!)
Staff at this particular odeon are actually film buffs, meaning it’s possible to engage them with a bit of film banter. The name badge containing their favourite film is also a nice touch, albeit awkward if the film is a stinker. (Someone once had Mall Cop and not in a funny ironic way. I know because I asked)
So, for me this particular Odeon is pretty awesome overall. As good as a corporate chain business can get. A guilty pleasure! (My permission to shoot me if I use that last phrase again in a review! #poorform

Huge cinema including an IMAX screen and a Costa Coffee. Great screen quality and sound. However, I can only award this cinema 2 stars because since it opened about 15 years ago it has seen almost zero investment in keeping it fresh, clean and up to date. Seats are dirty, carpets are dirty and the toilets are a disgrace. Considering there are other cinemas in the city centre, I think Odeon really need to up their game with this venue. It’s expensive and busy, I think they need to start reinvesting some of those takings back into the venue.
I can’t really comment on food and beverage items as I never buy them. I consider most cinema food over priced low quality junk. I’d rather go to a restaurant before or after! There are certainly enough options literally on the doorstep of this cinema.

This cinema is one if the places that I find pulling me to the printworks, which is not my favourite place. The place is massive with 3 floors of screens, a costa (the standard meeting place), ice cream with seating and arcade games!
However this place is not the cheapest, and can eat a hole in your pocket. Though being a little bit clever you can get things cheaper: Tuesday all films are £5, 40% off on online tickets ATM and save yourself a few quide and remember to keep hold of the 3D specks to reuse. Speaking if 3D specks — they do clip in ones — if like myself the idea of not having you glasses is scary.
In all — a good cinema with plenty of add on. Just a little more on the expensive side.

Odeon Cinema Manchester is inside the Printworks. They also have an IMAX. Another option there is ‘the gallery’ that gives you a private bar where you can purchase alcoholic drinks but you get chocolate, soft drinks, popcorn and nachos complimentary which is just under £19 seat, but if you sit in an ordinary seat you see it for just under £10. Not the cheapest of cinema but at the moment they are doing a special offer of 40% off until mid October 2014 which is a very good deal. Inside they have a costa coffee and some games machines. The cinema is spread over three floors. Some of the screens now host the chairs that look a bit worn and could do with a bit of a refits, but it would be very expensive to do suppose and I don’t think they could risk a price increase in the tickets. Of all the cinemas locally the sound system and screen sizes are the best. Since the last time I posted this review the price has come down to £7.95

Love this cinema. ODEON cinemas located inside The Printworks! This cinema boasts an IMAX and a costa coffee too. Not forgetting the VIP experience in The Gallery. Unlimited soda, Nachos, Popcorn and sweets plus huge luxury seats. Pay a visit to ODEON at The Printworks Manchester!

As far as cinemas go, and if you can get over the high peak prices, this is a pretty good venue. All screen have great sound systems and good screens. The bigger screens the better in my opinion and its worth going to a showing in the larger screen if a latest film is showing in more than one, just ask at the box office.

The Manchester Printworks ODEON cinema is a carbon copy of any of the same age, one supposes. I don’t visit the cinema often, but when I do I like to go for a big action blockbuster, and I tried IMAX 3D for the first time this weekend.
The cinemas are comfortable (though I’ve sat in softer, slightly less bolt-​upright seats in my time) but could do with a more thorough clean.
As with all cinemas, a whole range of junk-​food is available from hot dogs to popcorn to nachos or ice cream, and the obligatory pop corn (Laura F. likes sweet — urgh) and again, as with all cinemas, the prices are astronomical.
Does what it’s supposed to, if massively pricey.

This is NOT a bad theater. Honestly, some movies MUST be seen in IMAX. So this place is great for those movies. My only issue is that I have become accustomed to the 18 and up dine-​in theaters. Being able to eat and sip a cocktail while watching your flick is just brilliant. Once you go to those– it becomes very difficult to go back.

A great cinema in the city centre of Manchester, great film choices and good times and the sound and picture quality are fantastic! The Imax is pretty cool too, go on a tuesday when its only 5 pound a film.

I love going to the cinema, so when I heard this place had and IMAX screen we had to visit.
We booked our tickets to see Star Trek in 3D and although the ticket price was that bit more than a standard ticket (because of IMAX), the excitement was building.
Wandering up quite a few floors we reached our screen, which was modern and comfortable. There’s a range of seats but we were in the basic seats which had plenty of room.
The film was great, the acoustics were really good and the screen was massive. The downside of the picture on an IMAX screen is it felt like they’d cropped the film to 4:3 due to the screen size, missing out on the extra picture at the sides.
Overall this cinema is really good, but personally I’m not convinced by the IMAX side of things.