There are positive and negatives for theater lovers in Costa Rica. I’ll start with the negatives first. This way, hopefully by the time I’m done writing I won’t be so depressed.
First and foremost is that unless a major blockbuster are being internationally released, we won’t be getting it for ages. So keeping up with current movie news can lead to inadvertent spoilers. I think Tom Petty said it best with his line, “the waiting is the hardest part” as sometimes the wait is excruciating.
Another complaint of mine is the cultural phenomenon of cell phone use and talking not only before but also DURING the movies here.
My final compliant is in regards to commercials before previews. When did this become acceptable? While I don’t mind the occasional well produced commercial, I didn’t come to the theater to be sold products. Yet, commercials have gone beyond “the sell” here, to include accusatory messages, because of piracy. While I understand piracy is problem for all sorts of reasons, do I need be reminded? Plus, if the pirate guy is already in the audience, it’s not like he’s going to see the anti-piracy ad, shrug his shoulders and turn off the camera!
On a lighter more positive note, prices here are reasonable compared to the exorbitant rates of the U.S. and European theaters. Also, most theaters here have that cool option where you can pick your seats prior to entering the theater. With the prior seat choice, there’s no need to worry about getting to the movies hours ahead of time.
Lastly, I have never been to a more luxurious theater than perhaps Terra Mall’s Cinepolis VIP theater. I’m talking black leather reclining La-Z-Boys, spiffed-out waiters (yes, waiters serve food and booze 
and great sound and screen clarity. It’s the perfect environment to enjoy a movie, almost like having your dream home theater.
