General - the Vue Cinema is a huge complex which includes 15 screens and is situated in the Barbican Leisure Park at Cattedown in Plymouth. Screen 9 is the main one which is huge, and to watch films on it such as Star Wars or Star Trek is absolutely amazing. The quality of the picture and the surround sound makes it feel as if you are in the movie yourself. There is a good selection of sweets, ice creams and drinks to choose from, as well as hot dogs and nachos. You can purchase tickets online, at a kiosk or at a ticket machine although prices are a bit expensive. There is plenty of leg room in each screen and the seats are pretty comfortable, and kept clean.
Food and Drink - there is a huge selection of sweets and ice creams to choose from, as well as hot dogs and nachos. The usual drinks are available at different sizes, but the food and drink is quite expensive. The popcorn is very nice though!
Disabled - the disabled facilities in the cinema are good. Once you are in the front doors, everything on the first floor is on the same level, making it very easy for wheelchairs. To get up to the second level where the screens are, you can use a lift. There are several disabled toilets as well. There is good disabled parking outside and plenty of it, and it isn't very far away from the front of the building. If is too far for some people, then they can easily be dropped off just outside the front doors.
Toilets - there are toilets on each level of the cinema, but for some reason, on the second level, the men's toilet is only in the area that houses screens 9 - 15. The ladies and disabled toilets are on both sides, which I find a little strange. The toilets are very clean and fairly large to cater for all the visitors. I have found that they usually run out of soap though in the men's toilet.
Children - as stated previously, there is plenty of food and drink to keep children happy. I think prices are a little expensive for children though, especially if the weather is horrible and the cinema is the only place to go. All the visits could end up getting very expensive! The cinema shows a good range of films, and usually shows older films during the major school holidays and these mainly cater for the younger audience.
Car Parks - there is a huge car park catering for the cinema and the other facilities in the Barbican Leisure Park. Only once have I been when it has been full and this was on an Orange Wednesday (2 for 1 tickets for Orange mobile phone users) and it was the latest James Bond film, and the weather was awful. There is a multi storey car park a little further away which is easily within walking distance, but you would have to pay for this and it closes at 11pm. I think buses do stop just outside the Leisure Park but I'm not sure where these buses pick up from and drop off.
Review Date - 2008-08-11