Superior cinematic experiences at TGV Toppen

As soon as the Toppen Shopping Centre was declared officially opened in a simple ceremony on Nov 13, I joined the much-anticipated media tour of Johor Baru’s newest megamall.

Facade of TGV Cinemas in Toppen Shopping Centre

Anchored to IKEA Tebrau, Toppen is also home to TGV’s latest flagship with cinema halls designed and equipped to provide movie buffs with new and elevated cinematic experiences.

While waiting for the Toppen team members to start us on a tour of the shopping centre, I began to overhear snatches of conversation.

At first, I could not figure out what these media friends were chatting about but as I focused and tuned into that talk, I realized that they were guessing which film would be screened…

It then dawned upon me that our tour would not only take us to the TGV Cinema complex but would also include a movie-watching experience! Yay!

A cosy Christmas setting in The Coke Zone

Even from a distance, I spotted the familiar TGV Cinema logo and when we neared the entrance my eyes were riveted to the vintage Coca-Cola memorabilia on display.

Then we were ushered into the first ever Coke Zone and Sony Interactive Zone where cinema patrons are welcome to capture Instagram-able photographs here, enjoy the Free high-speed Wi-Fi and use the charging stations here to recharge their devices.

As the Christmas season is upon us, the Coke Zone was decorated with a Christmas tree and a fireplace complete with hanging stockings in a cosy Christmas scene.

Entrance to the Indulge Lounge

The bright Red armchairs placed beside the fireplace begged to be featured in Instagram so our media friends did not hesitate to strike a pose, seated comfortably here, and capture some photo mementoes.

For refreshments, we were welcomed into the adjacent Indulge Lounge, the cinema’s restaurant.

TGV is certainly redefining the cinema-going experience where patrons may enjoy a meal in the Indulge Lounge before or after the show.

Patrons may also opt for the Indulge seats in the Infinity and Prestige cinema halls which comes with in-hall dining services!

A comfortable Premium Glide seat

Then it was time for a tour of the TGV cinema halls for an experience of the new specialty concepts here.

Looking, touching, feeling, watching and hearing – the whole experiential deal – was presented to showcase the next level of cinematic experiences in TGV Toppen.

It is probably called an Infinity hall because it offers heart-pounding cinematic experiences that combine the power of outstanding visuals with breathtaking sound.

This hall offers TGV’s Premium Large Format Screen powered by Christie’s RGB 4K laser projector that delivers unparalleled visuals together with Dolby Atmos.

The playroom within the Family Friendly cinema hall

This is an immersive audio technology which transported us into the story with moving audio that filled the cinema and flowed all around us – even overhead – to deliver the premier sound of entertainment.

The seats in the Prestige hall offers a premium experience in an intimate format with the luxury of the Indulge full recliners in the upper deck or compact premium recliners in the lower deck section.

In the Deluxe+ halls, patrons can pick from a choice of compact premium recliners or plush gliding seats, motorized for maximum comfort.

I picked a Premium Glide seat and by pressing a button on the inside of the right armrest, the seat would gently recline to my preferred angle to watch the screen.

A choice of seats in the Family Friendly cinema hall

The TGV Family Friendly cinema hall here is designed with an adjoining playroom and comes with multiple seating choices including wider seats, set slightly lower for a parent to sit with a young child.

Parents would be pleased to know that these areas are well protected by Medklinn Purifier which is uniquely engineered to sterilise air and surfaces safely and naturally.

Finally, we were welcomed into the cinema hall for an experience of the largest FLEXOUND installation in the world and the first FLEXOUND hall in Southeast Asia.

The sign which read, Augmented Audio, gave me an idea of what to expect audio-wise but I was still pleasantly surprised to discover the tiny but powerful speakers embedded in the headrest of my comfortable seat!

A personal set of speakers is embedded in the headrest

It took a while for me to get used to the personal set of speakers, so close to my ears, but they certainly enhanced the sound effects in the action-packed movie* screened in its entirety for our viewing pleasure.

Best of all, our movie experience came with a complimentary box of popcorn!

From now till Nov 20, TGV Cinemas is offering Free movie screenings, Free popcorn and open access to the Indulge Lounge for welcome drinks.

Movies are subject to available seats and showtimes while Free popcorn is limited to one box per patron on a first-come-first-served basis while stocks lasts (1,500 redemptions per day).

Patrons may redeem a Free welcome drink when they present their movie tickets at the Indulge Lounge.

For more info, visit www.tgv.com.my or http://bit.ly/TGV-ToppenJB

TGV Cinemas in Toppen Shopping Centre at No. 33 Jalan Harmonium, Taman Desa Tebrau, 81100 Johor Baru. Opening hours from 10am till late daily.

*The movie was the 2019 version of Charlie’s Angels.