Product Description

Voice of Tom Hanks. Robert Zemeckis directs a this delightful tale based on the favorite childrens' book about a magical train that whisks boys and girls to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus. Animated. 2004/color/100 min/G.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4282 in DVD
• Color: Color
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2005-11-22
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Animated, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, Color
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 100 minutes

Features

• When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.Running Time: 100 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN Rating: G Age: 012569740648 UPC: 012569740648 Manufacturer No: 74064

Amazon.com
Destined to become a holiday perennial, The Polar Express also heralded a brave new world of all-digital filmmaking. Critics and audiences were divided between those who hailed it as an instant classic that captures the visual splendor and evocative innocence of Chris Van Allsburg's popular children's book, and those who felt that the innovative use of "performance capture"--to accurately translate live performances into all-digital characters--was an eerie and not-quite-lifelike distraction from the story's epic-scale North Pole adventure. In any case it's a benign, kind-hearted celebration of the yuletide spirit, especially for kids who have almost grown out of their need to believe in Santa Claus. Tom Hanks is the nominal "star" who performs five different computer-generated characters, but it's the visuals that steal this show, as director Robert Zemeckis indulges his tireless pursuit of technological innovation. No matter how you respond to the many wonders on display, it's clear that The Polar Express represents a significant milestone in the digital revolution of cinema. If it also fills you with the joy of Christmas (in spite of its Nuremberg-like rally of frantic elves), so much the better. --Jeff Shannon

The World of The Polar Express

The book by Chris Van Allsburg

The Soundtrack

The Magic Journey (Polar Express the Movie) (book)

Stills from Polar Express (click for larger image)

From The New Yorker
Chris Van Allsburg's twenty-nine-page picture book about a young boy's travels to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus gets an expanded, expensive telling in Robert Zemeckis's Christmas bauble. The film is a hybrid of sorts-a computer-animated movie filmed with live actors in a process called "performance capture." This technique makes for a gorgeous holiday card (the digital backgrounds twinkle and shine), but the look of the "captured" characters is something of a disappointment. Tom Hanks (in a number of roles) and the other actors do a nice job of voicing their parts, but the waxy animated faces they've been given are off-putting. It's a bit like watching mannequins act. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Video Description
From KIDS FIRST!: This book-based film is so extraordinary and remarkable, I don't know where to start. First off, the images are not only true to the book, but are the most realistic animations I've ever seen. The use of motion-capture technology to turn actual actors into animated characters is nothing short of fantastic, giving the character an almost life-like quality. Their facial expressions and body movement leads you into thinking they are real. The moving train scenes almost make you dizzy at times. Most important is the core story by Chris Van Allsburg that winds its way into your heart. It's definitely a holiday classic. The storyline is about a boy who questions whether Santa is real and suddenly, the magical Polar Express comes to his front door and picks him up to visit the North Pole. Along the way, the boy makes friends with other kids on the Polar Express. The film, like the book, captures the Christmas magic and everything Christmas represents. My favorite part of the film is when the boy runs outside in his pajamas to the magical Polar Express at the beginning of the film. The train is so believable and the sounds are very much the sounds of a real train! I love the rich colors in this film. The music is also very powerful and gives it the feeling of the Christmas spirit throughout the film. Here is what our kid reviewers had to say: This beautiful film is based off of Chris Van Allsburg’s book. When I was little, I loved reading this book. “The Polar Express” movie reminds me of nothing I have ever seen before. This is a great family film. All ages can watch this, although I think for it's best for kids ages 5 to 12. It might be difficult for them to catch everything the first time seeing it. However, that's what makes it fun to watch over and over again. DVD. Ages 5-12. WARNER HOME VIDEO