Russo Review — “The Polar Express 3-D”

Reviewed by: Joe Russo (Film Critic & SoSF Contributor)

Actors: Tom Hanks, Leslie Zemeckis, Eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Format: AC-3, Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, 3D, Widescreen
Language: English
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Number of discs: 1
Rating: PG
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: October 28, 2008
Run Time: 100 minutes

The Polar Express has never looked better at home.

There is this weird thing about seeing the Polar Express at home, I don’t believe Robert Zemeckis ever intended on the film being an ideal pick for the small screen. The computer animated Christmas spectacular wasn’t just a movie; it was an event, an experience people needed to see on the big screen.

In fact those of you who shrugged off Polar Express in the theaters last year, because it was easier and cheaper to wait for it to hit DVD, will probably be completely under whelmed by the film. The reason for this is the film is filled with many roller coaster, thrill ride like visuals that were designed intentionally to make use of IMAX 3D technology. In other words unless you have a mammoth TV in your living room don’t expect to be anywhere near as exhilarated by The Polar Express as you otherwise could have been.

Based on the classic children’s novel written by Chris Van Alsburg and adapted for the screen by Zemeckis, The Polar Express is about a young boy who is beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve a mysterious steam train takes him on a magical adventure to the North Pole where he finds the true meaning of Christmas.

While the basic premise of the book is heartwarming and timeless, it would be stretched quite thin if it were alone made into a feature length film. That was where the collaborative and imaginative minds of
Zemeckis, and his collaborator and star Tom Hanks, came in. Hanks, who provides the voices and the facial features of the adult male characters, and Zemeckis have turned the children’s book into quite an exciting spectacle.

The film takes its stunning visual cues directly from the book itself and it pays off spectacularly. The cool, pastel look has been recreated digitally and brought to life using computer-generated graphics. Perhaps the only drawback to the visual look is the cartoonish and somewhat hollow look of the characters up close. They all seem so devoid of humanity, and some just look bizarre. The young girl’s face in the film looks strangely like a predecessor of Homo sapiens, with very ape like features resembling a Homo erectus or a Neanderthal.

Equally as disturbing are many of the characters voices. While some are fairly good, many of them are blatant adult voices behind the animated children’s faces. However many of these faults are forgivable
since the roller coaster ride the visuals takes us on are so exhilarating.

Now released at home on DVD and BluRay in 3D, the IMAX experience is nearly recreated for at home audiences. However, not only do you lose the obvious advantage of screen size, but the gorgeous color as well. While the image is crystal clear, the red and blue 3D glasses taint the beautiful palate of the picture. Luckily, audiences are treated to the original theatrical print of the film, and in 1080p it looks flawless. While nothing beats the IMAX experience, The Polar Express has never looked better at home.