60-Second Critic: Cinema: The Pearl Theater at Avenue North

The Pearl is the first new movie house North Philly has seen in more than 50 years. But if you’re expecting any of the luster the name implies, you’re in for a soggy box of popcorn. There’s some good stuff here: seven screens in not-overcrowded spaces, and a seating plan (all the seats are located within the width of the screens) ensuring that even if you come in late, you’re not going to be wedged into some crane-the-neck space. (Now if only they could mute the chatty audiences.) Outside the screening rooms, the layout is open and empty, with nary a couch to sit on, leaving you to stand against a wall to eat your Milk Duds as you wait to enter your movie. And speaking of the concession stand, service there is egregiously slow, so you might want to hide some chips and soda in your bag. Or better yet, head to another theater.

Grade: C+