Kailua Cinemas — Attraction in Oʻahu

I hate writing bad reviews, this one especially. This theater used to be a second run cut price place. The seats were uncomfortable. The staff was inattentive, poorly trained, and poorly managed. The building was smelly and felt like a very old high-school auditorium. But, hey, the price was very cheap and the concessions were reasonably priced. Then one day I went and the theater had been seriously vandalized - the seats had all been slashed which made an uncomfortable seat painful. Soon after they closed saying that they'd be back soon.

Well, they reopened as a premium first run theater with reserved seating. But they opened too early - the facilities weren't done, wires were hanging out and much of the theaters themselves had not been upgraded - my favorite being the cheap laminated row signs. However, the seats were now premium leather recliners and they have an excellent $6 Tuesday deal. Over time they've slowly been getting the building into shape - the horrible overhead fluorescent lights have replaced with elegant dimmable fixtures (no more movie over, BAM! here's all the lights in your face!). So, it's getting better.

What hasn't changed is the staff and managerial style. It's like no one told them that this was a high end theater with real theater prices. The staff is still highly distracted and often clueless about what to do when things go wrong. Two visits stand out in my mind. The first, the projector broke down - initially I was told to take it up with the contractor that runs their pre-sales. This was not acceptable to me and the next offer was to refund the ticket price but not the ticket fee charged. I finally got the full refund, but it was an effort. My latest visit was pure pain. It started out where we were greeted by a counter person as we walked in - good! But as we approached her register she turned around and started tending to the popcorn machine - finally we got her attention, but she merely said to wait please. Then they process the tickets and we're almost done, but she says "I just want to warn you that the theater AC is out tonight" - but it felt a lot like she was going to challenge me over the refund. But it wasn't that hot (yet) so we went ahead and took our seats. By the end of the show, my shirt was stuck to me, and I pity the next person to sit in that seat, really.

So, I will continue to hope that like the building that they get their head together over staff and will happily up their rating if they can...

It is time to add a unique movie experience into the bucket list for Hawaii. Truly, Kailua Cinemas is a classic gem with a modern touch. Nested in the beautiful hills on the way to Pali Lookout, this place is in a strip mall where you can shop, have lunch or grab a coffee and then watch a movie. The modern leather seats reclined completely and the interior ambience was inviting. The slightly inclined floor made sure that the seats in front of us didn't block us and we had the full view of the screen. The surround sound system was awesome. We were able to reserve seats online. The concessions served were popcorn, fries, cheese burger, hot dog and nachos along with a variety of drinks. They accepted cards and mobile payments. Wheelchair accessible seating areas were present in each screen along with companion seats. The restrooms were clean and didn't smell bad. Staff was smiling and the service...

This theater is significantly more enjoyable since they've gone through renovations. The seats are now big cushy red recliners that allow you to lean back and put your feet up while you watch the movie, very comfortable. You can also book your tickets and seats online with an additional "convenience" fee which is cool. Try to avoid the first two rows closest to the screen: the viewing angles are worse the closer you get. I was seated in the second row and I had to keep turning my head to the left and right depending where the action was going on, made me a bit dizzy after awhile. Also, sound quality is pretty bad. My TV at home with a mid-range sound system sounds significantly better.

The workers are pleasant, and the concession stand has all the mandatory theater food fair. They're generous with the popcorn which is always appreciated!

Overall, a good place to catch the...