Despicable Me 4 is out in Beijing cinemas and we know the best kids’ cinema to watch it in, just for this week!
I first discovered the 亲子厅 qīnzǐ tīng (parent-child cinema) at Hopson One a few years ago and still continue to be awed by its offering of a long slide into a ball pit and sofa arm chairs right inside the movie theater! Not to forget its cosy indoor playground right outside the theater, perfect for younger kids who might need a little more wiggle room during the course of the movie (and after!).
Sadly, this cinema usually only plays kids’ movies in Chinese, so I know it’s not ideal for children who might not be so well-versed in the local language. Luckily, I found out that for the first week of an international movie’s release, the cinema will offer some showtimes in the original English language! Since Despicable Me 4 was just released last Friday (Jul 12), it’s still playing in the Hopson One 亲子厅 in English a few times a day! When we checked today, future screenings beyond this week do not show that there will be screenings in English at this particular family-friendly cinema … so take advantage now!
On either WeChat (Me – Services – Event Tickets – search 朝阳合生汇) or Dianping where you’re looking up the movie timings, pick the correct movie poster and scroll down – you’ll want to see the words 原版 yuánbǎn or 英语 yīngyǔ next to the movie timing to know that it’s in the original language or in English. You can also proceed to buy the movie tickets right there online to save time and choose better seats.
From what we see, the English 3D movie ticket prices are at RMB 95.9 apiece and kids pay the same price as adults. Ticket prices include complimentary single-use shoe covers, though our kids were more than happy to throw off their shoes and run around in socks.
As for our thoughts on the film, let’s just say that as a fourth (or sixth installment, depending on how you count it) in the Despicable Me/Minions franchise, manage your expectations and expect plenty of wacky absurdities with a half-baked plot line that hardly maximizes the vocal talents of the A-list cast list, especially Sofia Vergara. Still, the studio’s counting on the loyalty of its kid fanbase to lure you back to the cinema, and you know you’re going to watch it anyway…
Hopson One is located at 21 Xidawang Lu, Chaoyang District (朝阳区西大望路21号).
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Images: Dazhongdianping, Vivienne Tseng-Rush
