Star Reviews glanced at Cinemark during our online movie ticket reviews and were automatically hooked. We don’t like getting to our local movie theater early to purchase tickets like the next person, so buying some tickets online for The Simpsons wasn’t a tough decision. Cinemark’s website interface was classic and simple, but still offered features like ‘New Releases’ and ‘Coming Soon.’ Did they have the exciting film features we’ve grown to love? Find out below.
What’s New?
- Buy tickets online for any of Cinemark’s 281 theaters in the United States.
- Weekly movie show times by email
- Digital & 3D locations
Star Reviews Favorite Feature:
CinéArts theaters--These film offerings include small, independent pictures which have usually received critical acclaim, but which may not attract a huge audience. Foreign films are also among these pictures. Tickets to the limited screenings of these films can be purchased online through the Cinemark website. All indie fans, this is for you.
Cinemark Features:
- Print tickets at home or pick up at kiosks
- View movie information provided by the Internet Movie Database
- Special contests—win free movie tickets
- Open-captioned films
- Private events such as birthday parties, business meetings and VIP events.
- Movie dollars
- Group discounts
Navigating the Cinemark website:
Cinemark’s crisp, clean website actually reminded us of a box office. With its arched, round-edged boxes and red on black background, we truly felt like we were on a movie site. Mood setting aside, Cinemark keeps their navigation as simple as possible. All important links were clearly listed on the left hand margin or on the bottom of the page. Need ‘Contact,’ ‘Tickets/Showtimes,’ or ‘Gifts/Discounts’ information? Finding what you need here isn’t a challenge.
Theater & Ticket Availability:
If you are interested in purchasing tickets, you can do so through Cinemark. If your movie listing and theater are available for online purchase, it will be marked. Through the Cinemark website, you are also able to search for and purchase tickets for all of their CinéArts theaters nationwide. For anyone who wishes to bypass the traditional movie theater experience and see some classic, indie films, this is definitely a wonderful option to have. Let Star Reviews remind you that the unheard-of’s in film often win the most awards, so you might want to check this out, even if skeptical.
Getting your tickets on Cinemark:
To order tickets online, you need to select “Tickets & Showtimes” from the main page. You’ll be taken to a list of all Cinemark theaters arranged by the state in which they are located. Click on the location where you want to see the movie, and you’ll see a list of movies being shown and movie times. If you click on the movie’s name, you’ll be able to find out information about the film from the Internet Movie Database.
To place an order, however, you’ll need to click on the appropriate time. At the next screen, you’ll be able to enter the quantity of tickets you want to purchase for adults and children. A small message at the top of the page alerts you to the additional convenience charge that will be added to your order.
Next, you’ll see a confirmation of the movie you want to attend and the number of tickets you are ordering. After selecting your method of payment, complete the information, and submit your order. Finally, you’ll see a confirmation which will include instructions on how to pick up your tickets at the box office or the option to print tickets. A copy of the confirmation will also be sent to you via email. It’s a fairly straightforward and common process.
Pricing:
Cinemark’s movie prices do vary depending on the location of the theater. However, they do charge a flat $1 per ticket convenience charge for ordering your tickets online. This fee is added into your order near the end of your transaction. It is fairly typical for online movie ticket services.
Customer Support:
Reaching Cinemark’s online customer support was not as straightforward as with its competitors. You need to click on “Contact Us/Info” to reach a section where you can view only 20 frequently asked questions. Cinemark does provide customer service by email, but after more than 72 hours, we had not received a response to our inquiry, nor an acknowledgment that our question had been received. How disappointing.
Cinemark also has a toll-free number to call for customer service, but this number is geared towards non-Internet customers. When we called with our question, we ended up in a cyclical maze of a repetitive menu, being put on hold, hearing the phone ring, then doing it all over again. After several trips through the ringer, we were greeted by an unfriendly representative who seemed irritated by our call and who admitted she had no idea how to answer our simple question.
Upside:
Low convenience fee. Service available for all of their theaters. CinéArt theaters.
Downside:
Unfriendly telephone support and non-responsive email support. Movie information comes from a third party.
Summary:
We enjoyed our time on Cinemark, although not as much as some of their competitors’ movie ticket services. They offer the basics of any movie website, with trailers, new releases and film images. We noticed that they do offer more in the way of contests than other sites, with a bunch of promotions such as the Arctic Tale prize pack contest. Their website was effortless to navigate and we found most everything we needed with relative ease. We liked their CinéArts theater feature, as there are many film buffs who like foreign and indie films out there. This definitely caters to a more artsy crowd. The convenience charge per ticket is $1, which is comparable to other online movie ticket services. Customer support by telephone and email were terrible, which definitely left us with a negative impression of the site. But, if you simply wish to purchase some tickets, it’s a good place to do so.