The Polar Express (Widescreen Edition) [DVD]

Description

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 ShannonThe 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)
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window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); Review A
truly satisfying holiday picture, the kind everyone can enjoy. –Washington
Post, Desson Thomson A story that soars with breakneck pace but slows in all
the tender moments. Visually, this train ride is both majestic and edge-of-
your-seat. –The Hollywood Reporter, Duane Byrge Like the coolest train set a
kid ever had. It’s not real and the faces on the toy people don’t look human,
but it has bells and whistles galore and will take you as far as your
imagination allows. –Baltimore Sun, Chris Kaltenbach See more

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Kids & Family, Animation, Science Fiction
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, Dolby, Subtitled, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Contributor: Eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye, Robert Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman, William Teitler, William Broyles, Jr., Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari, Chris Van Allsburg, Steve Starkey, Michael Jeter, Jack Rapke, Charles Fleischer See more
• Initial release date: 2006-10-03
• Language: English
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.40:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ G (General Audience)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.6 x 5.3 x 7.5 inches; 2.72 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ WHV74064DVD
• Director ‏ : ‎ Robert Zemeckis
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Animated, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, Dolby, Subtitled, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ October 3, 2006
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Tom Hanks, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari, Michael Jeter, Eddie Deezen