Wyandotte Attorney Is at Center of Lawsuit Alleging Movie Theaters Charge Too Much for Refreshments

Is there a problem when a drink and a tub of popcorn cost more at the local movie theater than the ticket price itself?

Or, are customers who choose to buy snacks agreeing to the prices being charged every time they open up their wallets and voluntarily fork over the cash?

Joshua Thompson is ready to let a judge decide.

He and his Wyandotte attorney, Kerry Morgan, are suing the Livonia AMC theater after Thompson said he felt cheated out of being charged $8 for a Coke and box of candy in December.

"He got tired of being taken advantage of," Morgan told the Detroit Free Press. "It's hard to justify prices that are three- and four-times higher than anywhere else."

Thompson's lawsuit is seeking class-action status, whereas others who felt victimized by theaters' high prices could join the suit in hopes of getting some of their snack money refunded. The suit also is seeking a civil penalty to be levied against AMC.

Other lawyers said they doubt the suit will go anywhere, but it's definitely gotten people talking about the subject. Everyone, that is, except for AMC officials who declined comment on the suit.

Movie theaters typically make about a quarter of their entire operating revenue from concession sales, according to Smart Money.

In an effort to defend theater owners' right to charge what they want for snacks, a representative from the National Association of Theater Owners told Smart Money that it's "not a requirement" to buy popcorn when you go to the movies and that "people who want concessions can order them or not."

What do you think? A worthwhile court fight? Or a silly, frivolous suit? Vote and then tell us why in the comments.