Fun House Express mines carnival fun

Jace Radke

Friday, June 12, 1998 | 11:27 a.m.

Circus Circus hotel-casino has entered into the IMAX amusement ride market with its new Fun House Express at its Adventuredome. Las Vegas already boasts these combination film rides at other hotel-casinos, including the Luxor, Caesars Palace, the Las Vegas Hilton and Excalibur.

The Fun House Express differs from other IMAX attractions in that it uses stop-action filming as well as claymation and modeling instead of relying heavily on computer graphics.

The Fun House Express is a 4-minute journey through an old-time boardwalk fun house that goes a little haywire thanks to lead character Jimmy the Clown. Jimmy is a creative clown, tormented by his evil boss, but Jimmy gets revenge when he designs his own Fun House that riders swerve and dive through.

This is a typical IMAX ride that does not really differentiate itself from the other motion machines in Las Vegas. The dips and dives are basically the same as a rider would experience at another property.

What stands out about the Fun House Express is the boardwalk feel that is established with the stop-action filming, claymation and modeling. It gives the ride a unique visual appearance that will remind riders of an old-time carnival fun house. The audience is in a fun house car that rides on a rickety track strewn with wrappers and popcorn boxes that fit the scenes perfectly.

The question is: How many kids will appreciate the Fun House nostalgia, with carnivals dying out?

"We wanted to do an old school film with the models and the stop-motion," Director Yas Takata said. "We used these effects to create a feel that would be unique."

Takata and Circus Circus did manage to capture that uniqueness in the film but not in the simulated ride motions.

The Fun House Express has a $5 admission but there are unlimited rides with the purchase of a $15.95 day pass, which allows guests to ride all of the Adventuredome's attractions.

Making a special trip to Circus Circus for the Fun House Express will likely leave you disappointed, but if you are planning on spending the day at the Adventurdome -- you might as well give it a try.