Harry Potter's way hotter in 3D

Planning to see "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" this weekend? Here's a tip: Spend a few dollars more ($15 for adults, $11 for kids) and hit the IMAX version for the 20 minutes of 3D action at the end of the film.

I saw the regular film a few days ago and loved it. But yesterday I got to see the 3D version at the Universal CityWalk IMAX theatre. Whole. Different. Ball. Game.

Watching the final battle scene between Harry and Voldemort is so intense, it's as if you're doing battle against the Dark Lord yourself.  Flames and smoke billow in your eyes. Water gushes in your face. Millions of tinkling sharp shards of glass fly at you. You can reach out and almost touch the glowing glass prophecy that Voldemort covets. I was literally exhausted at the end of the 20-minute wizardry combat.

As I was leaving, there were already Potter fans camped out in line outside the theatre, waiting for the first midnight IMAX showing last night. According to a publicist I spoke with this morning, both IMAX theatres in LA sold out last night.  So expect lines this weekend too.