I see Red and Blue!
The joy of 3-D has always been wearing those goofy 3-D glasses. From Captain EO (yes, I was alive when that was out) to the more recent Journey to the Center of the Earth, the 3-D technology has been ever growing, especially nowadays (Star Wars rumors anyone?).
The Polar Express in 3-D really fascinates me as an adult. It works out so well because the movie is so beautiful and intense at times. There’s always something happening, people jumping, singing, trying to survive and out-of-control train, it’s the perfect environment for 3-D technology.
If you’re not familiar with the film, here’s a recap. A nameless hero wakes from his bed to hear his family having a slight argument over the reality of Santa Claus. Our hero begins to doubt the existence, until he is picked up by a mysterious train called the Polar Express. The destination? The north pole. On the way, the train picks up various other children who are doubting themselves as what the true meaning of Christmas might be. On the way to the north, many mishaps occur, like the misplacement of a train ticket, a misplacement of a conductor and the misplacement of train tracks. The struggle to get to see Santa is the adventure of a lifetime to both kids and adults (yes, I thoroughly enjoyed it).
It was rumored that Tom Hanks, in a moment of weakness, announced that he would never do a voice-over for a CGI film. Wow, he debunked that rumor! Pretty much playing the majority of all the characters in the film, Hanks takes over and runs away with the film putting tons of personality into every character he voices over. He also makes each character VERY different. At one point I couldn’t tell it was Hanks doing the voice (thank GOD for IMDB.com for confirmation). What’s also great about the film, outside of the fantastic acting job of Hanks, is how well the 3-D works. While there isn’t a close comparison to the 3-D in the theater, the 3-D effect for the home version of this film is still quite amazing. It looks real, there are moments (especially when the characters are on top of the train) where you will literally fall back trying to avoid snow and whatever might be flying towards your face. Again, it’s a perfect film to apply this technology to and it works really well.
Now as for this The Polar Express being a holiday classic, it certainly fits with the Grinch and A Christmas Story. Now, with that said, here’s a bit of a warning… it’s an intense film. The book couldn’t really express how intense the story is, but the animated version does the job pretty well. My kids were jumping at certain points of the film that surprised them, but the film always evens out with something warm to fall into. You might have an out of control train running rampant on ice, but follow it up with revealing the north pole. It always evens out, but it is intense.
3-D a problem? Not really
The film comes with a 2-D version of it, just in case you don’t want to don the stylish paper glasses. That works extremely well for kids and adults who have some eye issues. Without my glasses I can only see through one eye, which makes the 3-D effect a bit too colorful for me. My daughter suffers from the same genetic ailment. It helps to cure that need to just want 2-D. It’s the perfect add-on instead of actual features. Better to have options than none. Even better, for $20, it’s not a bad deal.
