From the moment you step into the new Cineworld in Watford’s intu centre, the bright lights and murmur of voices in the intu shopping centre fade away. Two escalators take you up to the lobby, where black floors and neon lights create a sense of unreality to prepare you for the immersive film experience ahead.

On Tuesday I was invited to a special screening of Aquaman in the new cinema in intu Watford’s extension. There was a queue to enter the screen, as everyone who walked in took a moment to pause and marvel at the sheer size of the impressive IMAX screen. The cinema is one of only three in the country to feature an IMAX screen with Laser, the newest technology that makes the pictures sharper, the sound more powerful, and the whole experience more immersive.

Although superhero films aren’t really my cup of tea, I couldn’t help but be completely captivated by the movie. As well as the new Laser technology we also watched the film in 3D, so I felt as though one minute I was swimming in the deepest oceans alongside darting shoals of fish, and the next I was trudging across a golden desert under a scorching sun. In the battle scenes there were times when the action felt so close that I couldn’t help but flinch. With speakers in the ceiling as well as the walls, I was completely engrossed in Aquaman’s underwater world.

The new Cineworld also includes ScreenX, the world’s first multi-projection 270-degree technology. The innovative technology uses an array of projectors to blend multiple images into one seamless image extending from the central screen out. Cineworld Watford is only the sixth cinema in the UK with this technology.

A cosy Starbucks on the ground floor of the cinema and a Baskin Robbins ice cream counter upstairs – as well as the usual popcorn and pick-and-mix on offer – mean film-goers can stock up on treats before going to see a film.

Cineworld Watford opens today (Friday) with Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns featuring among films being screened during the opening weekend.