Saskatoon VIP Movie Theatre Review

VIP movie screenings now available at Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon

With a new name and fresh coat of paint the Scotiabank Theatre (formerly Galaxy Cinemas) is now open for VIP movie screenings in Saskatoon.

As I eagerly watched the construction of the building progress over the past year I made a pact with my girlfriend to take in the very first VIP screening regardless of what movie was playing.

That day finally arrived last week when the theatre debuted its first public VIP screenings on Friday.

To my surprise the Scotiabank Theatre features not one, but three VIP theatres. The first batch of movies showing include American Sniper, The Imitation Game and Taken 3.

I purchased advanced tickets online to American Sniper, the first movie screening that day.

Ticket prices are $21.99 on weekends, $19.99 on weekdays and $14.99 on Tuesdays. If you’re a Scene points collector it’s also worth noting that 1,000 points will get you a free VIP ticket.

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex
Photos from classic movies rotate on screens in the VIP lounge

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex
We arrived at the theatre 40 minutes early and headed upstairs to the VIP lounge which is open to all customers of legal age. As we found a seat we were greeted by virtually every Cineplex manager in western Canada, most of whom just wanted to ogle Cara’s popcorn purse.

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex
The popcorn purse, a fitting accessory for a VIP movie

Our waitress informed us that they would start taking food and drink orders in the theatre 30 minutes prior to the screening and conclude once trailers started playing. To get the full experience she suggested that we grab a drink in the lounge and then head into the theatre to place our food order from our seats. Unfortunately due to first day jitters it took nearly 20 minutes for us to receive and pay for our drinks leaving us very little time to get to our seats. Unless you arrive at the VIP lounge with a lot of time to spare I suggest just going straight into the theatre to order which is a much more unique and exciting experience.

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex
Yes, beer and popcorn combos exist

vipcineplex6
As we made our way into the theatre many employees were buzzing around taking orders. The large reclining seats are grouped in pairs with an armrest that you can push back to cuddle with your sweetie and each chair has a counter you can pull out to set your food and drink on. Spacing between rows is also larger making it less awkward should you need to get up to pee during the movie.

Unlike every other theatre, the front row of seats in the VIP theatre are regarded as the best seats in the house. This row of seats can fully recline back allowing you to lay down to watch the movie. Next time!

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex
Selfie!

As we sipped our drinks we flagged down an employee to place our food order. Our waitress punched in our order of mac and cheese wedges and a brownie explosion into her tablet as I paid with my debit card from my seat. If you’re not wanting a pitcher of beer with your movie you can also order popcorn and soda from your seat in addition to the wide range of appetizers and boozy beverages.

As the movie trailers were concluding the theatre manager announced that the movie would be briefly delayed in order to get all food orders served. Within 10 minutes our food arrived.. and arrived.. and arrived.

Just as we finished our food another batch of brownies and wedges were brought to us. Moments after informing them that we already received our food another employee came along with more brownies and wedges. Good thing we were honest. And full.

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex MenuScotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex Menu
Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex MenuScotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex

Click on the menu pages for a larger view!

Aside from the luxuries of the VIP theatre the movie experience is largely the same as an UltraAVX screening with assigned seating and the screen being of roughly the same size and quality.

Additionally the pre-show consisted only of movie trailers and was entirely free of car commercials and terrible tech product advertisements. Thank you Cineplex.

When the movie concluded everyone in the theatre was given a free movie ticket for their patience with the theatre’s opening day issues. An unnecessary but nice touch.

If you’re looking to make a movie date more memorable, the VIP theatre is the way to go. Movie buffs may only want to experience movies in VIP while the wallet conscious may find that costs quickly add up.

I for one can’t wait to see a movie like Avengers 2 in VIP!

Scotiabank Theatre Saskatoon VIP Cineplex
If you’re looking for a review of American Sniper, let’s just say it was overly rah rah America but had many griping, edge-of-your-seat action scenes. I generally enjoyed it but had to forgive several cringe worthy moments.