Customer Reviews

The Polar Express (Limited Edition SteelBook) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This was a fun movie that the kids enjoyed on regular DVD, so with our New high def. TV and Blue Ray, I was expecting something special from the 3-D version -- not so. The cardboard red-blue glasses work poorly and fit neither the children nor the adults well. No adjustment on my 52" Sony Bravia could compensate for the double imaging, the blurr, the colour or other visual difficulties with the 3-D version. We tried it in daylight, night time, in cinema visual mode (on the TV), standard mode, and even tried adjusting the light personally. Nothing made much of a difference.

We finally switched to the regular version, but the moment was lost in the kid's disappointment with the outcome of 3-D.

The movie itself is a lot of fun, but they really need to wait till the technology improves before sending this out to market. Buy the standard version and take a pass on 3-D for now -- it is too expensive and the technology just isn't ready yet.

After hearing of this movie through word-of-mouth, I went to go see it one snowy day and was astounded. This film, following the story of a boy who stops believing in the magic of Christmas and so is swept up late Christmas Eve onto the Holday Express, is a heartwarming visual gem that is sure to be enjoyed time and time again. The music is fantastic, the story with actual depth, and the all digital animation was so much better than I had expected. My advice? Buy this movie now, because you and your family will end up renting it every Christmas to come anyways.

People look at me funny when I say that I had never heard of The Polar Express until this film was released. Somehow, I was never introduced to the book as a child. Hopefully, with this wonderful film now available along with the original book, no other child will grow to adulthood without taking a ride on The Polar Express. It's a wonderful story about the spirit of Christmas and the importance of giving. The incredible animation of the film may always be the first thing people speak of, but in the end it really does come down to the story. It is not what you see, it's what you feel - these are the memories that will linger.

The digital animation that brings this story to visual life is nothing short of astounding. This revolutionary "performance capture" technology makes these characters the most life-like animated characters I've ever seen. I think they look more human than actual humans, truth be told - except for Santa. It's a weird thing about this Santa Claus; he immediately reminded me of none other than Harry Potter's Professor Snape (even though Santa's voice was actually that of Tom Hanks). I've heard that some kids found the whole visual look of the characters rather creepy, but I think the uncanny technology really makes the film come alive. By incorporating the motions of live actors into the digital creative process, filmmakers were able to imbue their creations with the nuances of human expression, and one can hardly underestimate just how much that adds to the viewer's experience of the animated story. It's really quite incredible. Traditional animation would hardly have done this story justice, and it would have been incredibly challenging to film such a magical journey in the traditional manner. This film has some of the most unique and exciting camera angles and perspectives I've ever seen.

It's hard to see how anyone, child or adult, could not enjoy this movie. It's an incredible journey, filled with both excitement and comedy, to the North Pole, for Pete's sake. There are also moments of great warmth and emotion - most of them supplied by the Hero Girl (Nona Gaye). Tom Hanks may steal the show in his performance of five different roles, including the Hero Boy at the center of things, but the Hero Girl - who befriends a forlorn little boy (Peter Scolari) who shies away from everyone else - is the heart and soul of this film.

I chuckled when I read the editorial review because I also thought of Nuremberg when I saw the masses of elves rallying around Santa before his Christmas Eve departure. Clearly, though, there is nothing but joy and kindness in this mass assembly of people - er, elves. I loved this movie. Unless you're a grinch or a Scrooge, just watching it will take you back to your own days of childhood and the magic that Christmas once brought. The Polar Express is a visually dazzling, heart-warming, exceedingly good (in all senses of the word) motion picture.

Just wanted to clear things out a bit about the 3D effect on this bluray. I noticed some people here are talking about using some cardboard yell/blue glasses?!!
I just bought this 3D BLURAY for my new samsung 3D TV and 3D bluray player and let me tell you the 3D effects are just good and just as potent as when I saw it first at IMAX(less the screen size of course). The snowy train scenes came across really well in 3D. Sure, maybe not as potent as avatar, but still good. Remember Avatar was filmed like 5 years later so it's just not fair to compare.

I know it's kind of confusing now with this 3D marketing, especially now that they are advertising some older dvd and bluray as 3D- like Final Destination 3D. Which is unfair to the REAL 3D bluray movies. So be CAREFUL, cuz even the video-rental store clerks are confused with 3D at this point!
Simple guideline- if the bluray was released before 2010 then they are either talking about using the ancient paper glasses technology, or the movie was just transferred to 3D from 2d(i.e. not originally filmed in 3D). If the movie is in DVD format- don't even waste your time trying!! The new 3d technology everyone is talking about is only for BLU-RAY!!!!!

So in conclusion, get a REAL 3D BLURAY(released in 2010 or later) that specifically mentions to use 3D TV and 3D bluray player, and you will NOT be dissapointed in the 3D effects.

Hope this clears up some confusion out there!

The movie is fairly good on its own. It's not one of my favourite Christmas movies but when I saw it was out on DVD in 3-D I was excited to get it. First I was worried when I saw that it comes with the blue & red kind of cheap "3-D" glasses and now having watched some of it I am hugely disappointed. There is almost no depth to the picture, the colour is destroyed by the blue and red of the glasses and the image is sort blurry and doubled. Skip the 3-D version if you want this movie on DVD.

I had seen this movie before in its original 2-D format and the movie itself is incredible, but when they came out with the 3-D version, I could not wait to scoop it up. Total waste of time and money. You never get a clear picture of the faces, it is like watching it in double vision, and nothing jumps out at you. Waste of your money, just buy the 2-D version.

The animation in the movie is out of this world. Love that the train conductor looks so much like Tom Hanks. The music is cute and sweet, and it's really a wonderful Christmas story.

I bought this movie to see it in 3-D on a 3-D TV. I was not pleased to discover that it is not true 3-D. It is terrible I'm sorry I purchased it. This is my first movie DVD purchase via amazon and now it will be the last.

La commande est arrivée en très bonne état , dans les délais fixés. Donc, le service ainsi que le produit sont de première qualité

This has quickly become one of my families must see Christmas movies it is a great Christmas story and appeals to kids of all ages.