The “4D Experience”, a £5 million cinematic addition to the London Eye, treats guests to what the press release excitedly describes as “a cinematic journey across the city” with “more 4D sensory effects than any other attraction in the UK”.

Er, right. Wandering into the cinema foyer, my initial impression was of a cheesy tourist attraction. I’d been peppered with phrases like “giving the customer something completely different” and “a value-adding experience”, so I was feeling a little pessimistic as I walked down purple neon-lit, non-slip walkways and donned the familiar staple of 3D cinema – uncomfortable and unwieldy 3D glasses.

In the language of cinema and public relations, the fourth dimension isn’t time or some Euclidean concept, but special effects that stimulate the senses of smell and touch (and, perhaps unintentionally, taste). Despite an underwhelming feeling of being subjected to something like a British Airways commercial, my pessimism lifted once the lights dimmed. The cinematic and physical effects are better integrated than any I’ve ever experienced.