The Polar Express HD DVD Review

Buy This HD DVD Now By Clicking On The Icon Below!

Title: The Polar Express

Media: HD DVD

Genre: Animated Christmas Fantasy

Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Jeter, and Steven Tyler

Writers: Robert Zemeckis and Robert Broyles, Jr.

Based On The Book By: Chris Van Alsburg

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Feature length: 100 minutes

Extras: Theatrical Trailer, Never-Before-Seen Smokey and Steamer Song, You Look Familiar: The Many “Polar Faces” Of Tom Hanks, A Genuine Ticket To Ride Featurette, True Inspirations: An Author’s Adventure: Profiling Chris Van Alsburg, Believe: Josh Groban Performs At The Greek Theater, Behind The Scenes Of Believe: Bringing A Hit Song To Magical Life In The Recording Studio, Polar Express Challenge, Meet The Snow Angels: The Moviemakers’ Christmas Memories, THQ Game Spot

Languages: English, French (Dubbed In Quebec), and Spanish Language Dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 Plus Surround Sound

Subtitles: English Subtitles For The Deaf and Hearing Impaired and English, French, and Spanish Language Subtitles

Packaging: Elite Red HD Case

Chapter Stops: 24

Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Plus Surround Sound

Year of Theatrical Release: 2004/HD DVD Release: 2006

Theatrical Distributor: Warner Brothers

Home Video Distributor: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: G

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

“The Polar Express” is a storybook come to life on the big screen with computer animation and motion capture to create a virtual world that captures as close as possible the images from Chris Van Alsburg’s book, which the film was adapted from. Despite being an Oscar® Award winning filmmaker, Robert Zemeckis as a genre filmmaker somehow seems to fly under the radar when one things of filmmakers associated with big budget and groundbreaking genre films from Producers like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Peter Jackson. Since this is a holiday film, it is difficult to imagine anyone over ten years old wanting to view this motion picture again and again outside of the holiday season, which is a shame because the excellent multiple character work Tom Hanks delivers in the film as the boy protagonist, his father, a ghostly hobo, Santa Claus, and the Train Conductor could easily be missed by adults and if there is one thing I can say about Robert Zemeckis as a filmmaker is that he has helped pioneer great digital effects in feature films like “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, “The Back To The Future Trilogy”, “Death Becomes Her”, and “Forrest Gump” and it is quite easy to take the breakthroughs he has helped bring to fruition in digital technology to express a cinematic narrative for granted.

The Polar Express is a magical train that picks up children on Christmas Eve and gives them the chance to see Santa Claus at the North Pole. For each child there is a lesson gained from the experience whether it is to learn, lead, or believe. As a condition Tom Hanks brought to the project was the guarantee that he would get the assignment to play the Conductor, but through his acting talents and the technological wizards at Sony Imageworks, he plays the five characters mentioned above and it’s easy to not necessarily recognize him in those roles. As visually stunning as “The Polar Express” can be, not everyone will be comfortable with the manner in which the computer animation makes over the characters. Still there is a reason for the look of the film and it is another step forward in the virtual back lot that is changing the way we interact today in many industries outside of filmmaking. Available on HD DVD, “The Polar Express” looks magnificent with a widescreen (2.40:1) aspect ratio coupled with a very well mixed English Dolby Digital 5.1 Plus Surround Soundtrack. A French Language (Dubbed In Quebec) as well as a Spanish Language Dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 Plus Surround Soundtrack is also encoded onto the disc along with English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired and English, French, and Spanish Language Subtitles made available as options. The theatrical trailer (1:02) is also presented in high definition, but the rest of the extra value materials are presented in a (1.33:1) aspect ratio and are more or less the same features found in last year’s two-disc special edition set. The interactive menu options that can be activated without interrupting the film are flawlessly rendered andeasy to navigate.

Bonus features include a bonus song cut out of the film entitled “Smokey And The Steamer” featuring the later Michael Jeter, who the film was dedicated to. The animation was never completed since the segment was cut out of the production schedule early on in the process. Then there is a short featurette with Tom Hanks (4:11) and behind the scenes video of his playing the various characters wearing a motion capture suit and little rod like things that capture his facial mannerisms and so forth for the computer rendering. Next is a four-part documentary short focusing on the behind-the-scenes secrets that made bringing “The Polar Express” to the big screen a reality. These parts can viewed individually or as a whole using a “Play All” feature and are made up of the following subtopics labeled as “Performance Capture”, “Virtual Camera”, “Hair And Wardrobe”, “Creating The North Pole”, and “Music” (11:27).

There is also a short profile on Author Chris Van Allsburg (5:29) as well as a performance clip of Josh Groban singing “Believe” (4:33) as well as a featurette about the recording of the song (4:24).

“The Polar Express” is a classic for the twenty-first century and: is available on HD DVD now at retailers on and offline courtesy of Warner Home Video.

Return To The Previous Page

Buy This HD DVD Now By Clicking On The Icon Below!