The Polar Express IMAX 3D Review

The Polar Express is a 2004 Christmas movie based on the book of the same name about a young boy who is losing his belief in Santa. But on one Christmas Eve, all that changes when he boards a mysterious train that takes him to the north pole, along with many other kids who have things to learn on the ride there.

The Polar Express is the film that started Robert Zemeckis's lukewarm and relatively brief trend of motion capture animated movies, and it is the one most people often remember the most. Just like A Christmas Carol, which I reviewed just a few days ago, it's a film people either really love or find just ultimately "meh." And most of that has to do with that fact that while not everything quite clicks together in a satisfying way, it still delivers unforgettable experience.

If you've read my review for A Christmas Carol, I've touched on what things about it worked and what things didn't. The reason I bring this up is mainly because the case for that movie is, in most ways, the same case here. In that review, I've determined that the motion capture animation often gets in the way of the actors' performances and the roller-coaster like mentality the film has can quite make the film feel more like a thrill ride than an actual movie. But the visuals remain stunning and the style is unique. Ultimately, whether you like that movie is determined by whether or not you're sold on the film's style and direction and whether or not you are willing to sit through its flaws, however big, because of that.

Being from the same director, and being the very movie that invented this unique manner of filmmaking, The Polar Express doesn't differ all that much from A Christmas Carol. The rubber faces would almost immediately turn plenty of people away, the characters that are supposed to be charming and investable sometimes aren't because of the rubber faces, and the film takes plenty of detours to get to its destination. If you are the kind of person who is nit-picky about these kinds of things, you'll find quite a bit to complain about. Yes, Tom Hanks plays on too many roles, the hobo ghost adds very little to the overall movie, and the roller coaster sequences and adventurous moments can sometimes feel a bit tedious and quite unnecessary. And of course, that know-it-all kid isn't one to help these matters.

However, at least in my opinion, being a film as simplistic as it is, I believe that most of these elements don't take away that much from the overall story. Personally, I believe The Polar Express, like most of the other motion capture films, wasn't created so much for the story as it was the experience. With that in mind, the film's direction and choices make a bit more sense. Even then, it's not a perfect film. But it make for an ultimately entertaining train ride. As I mentioned before, the film has many chaotic twists and turns that don't really seem to service the story, such as the roller coaster sequences and the subplots about the other kids and the problems they have to overcome. And while that might be true, it doesn't prevent you from staying with the film to the end. And for many, including me, it makes the film all the more interesting and engaging.

And that doesn't mean the story is totally glanced over either. There is a message about faith that serves as the crux of the whole story. And it's actually built up pretty well. Even the ghost hobo I mentioned earlier helps to serve this narrative, in the few scenes he's in. The message about belief isn't taught in a preachy over-the-top way, but rather allows the story to tell itself and let you figure out the details for yourself while you're on this visually grand adventure. To me, that's pure storytelling magic. While the surrounding kids' story arcs might seem a little unnecessary, they do help the extra characters feel like they truly belong in this story. And sure, the hyperrealistic animated faces might turn off a lot of people. But with the film's unique and surreal qualities already in place, it honestly seems like the motion capture animation fits right in. And the film actually goes surprisingly far without having to rely on the character's facial expressions. Once again, most of that has to do with how the film is more about the experience than the drama. On top of all that, the music is simply incredible.

All things considered, I can see how people can view The Polar Express as a bit of a mixed bag. But personally, it's a film that I enjoyed very much. In fact, I liked it even more than A Christmas Carol. While it's story isn't quite as impactful, or as tight, as that of Ebenezer Scrooge's, the motion capture move-the-camera-wherever-you-want format simply works better with The Polar Express. It's a simplistic story that takes you on an entertaining journey through the strange world the film has created while also getting across a thoughtful message through in some equally thoughtful ways. The best way I can describe The Polar Express is as a "fun train ride." Is it a good movie? Well, to this day that's still a bit debatable. But if you're looking for something that delivers a surreal, one-of-a-kind experience, it will leave you with something to appreciate, you and those along for the ride.

OVERALL FILM RATING: 4/5

During its initial theatrical run, The Polar Express hasn't really brought in some impressive numbers at the box office. However, its IMAX 3D release, and re-releases, have continually gotten lots of butt of seats. And there's a very good reason for that. Robert Zemeckis's first motion capture project, and also first venture into 3D, uses the technique of moving the camera how and wherever he desires, that comes with the magic of animation, to make for some very engaging 3D that places you right in the middle of the film. While The Polar Express might not quite have the same impeccable 3D of A Christmas Carol, mainly because that one came out five years later after some gradual improvement, the 3D experience it delivers still deserves plenty of praise. The 3D Blu-ray deserves it's own review for another day. But for now, I will be focusing on how well the 3D effects played out on the IMAX screen.

In the Avatar Blu-ray 3D review, I complained about how there were scenes where the depth within the screen became lacking or outright none-existent. However, when I saw the film later in the IMAX cinema, this issue didn't really matter because the on the ginormous screen, the depth appears realistic anyway. That's virtually the same case for The Polar Express. Positive parallax throughout the movie remained at a surprising minimal when I saw the film on 3D Blu-ray in the past. And while the IMAX 3D version of the film retains the same issue, it became less of a problem simply because of the sense of wonder brought out by the big screen.

Another interesting thing The Polar Express does is instead of using extensive positive parallax, it puts the background right on the screen and lets everything in front of it pop out. The 3D shape will be given to things either coming right out or are on the screen. This was done in The Adventures of Tintin, and I guess we can see where that film's inspiration came from. While I wouldn't really call this use of 3D genius, it does allow the film to pop out right into the theater, making it all the more immersive. Right from the beginning of the film, the opening logos hover right over the screen, retaining interesting 3D shape and size. When the first shot begins and we see the neighborhood in the background, you aren't exactly reveling in how deep the picture looks. But when the shot begins to move closer and closer to the hero boy's head, the bed sheet start protruding the screen, and eventually, the boy's face. It did look a little off, mainly because the seat I was sitting in was close to the screen. But still, I could definitely feel his presence, especially his face is four stories tall.

And from here, it only gets better. We get everything popping out at us from model planes to floating words from a book to a stair rail. There's even an interesting shot where the boy is looking at his sister being tucked in through a keyhole while they're discussing something the story considers important. What he's looking at remains flat, but the surrounding keyhole is in negative parallax. When she's finished being tucked in, the camera goes to the other side of the keyhole then shows the boy slowly moving his head away from the keyhole. The camera then goes through the keyhole and into the boy's room. This is just one interesting usage of 3D the film presents us with. When the Polar Express does pull up the boy's house, the train has proper 3D shape and protrudes the screen plenty. But even better is the snow falling right into the theater. And when the train actually gets moving, the snow comes flying right past you or directly at you. Inside The Polar Express, everything still retains decent 3D space. And the camera movements make the 3D imagery all the more mesmerizing. During the hot chocolate song sequence, we get everything from hot chocolate being sprayed into the audience to active dances throughout the 3D space to flying plates.

That isn't the only 3D highlight of the film, though. Like they say, there's plenty more where that came from. Those roller coaster sequences benefit greatly from the extra added space, giving you the impression you're flying down a long steep track or right beside the wheels of the train engine. That seemingly pointless scene of the ticket flying out of the train car and getting taken up by wind and several different animals is lots of fun to watch, with the ticket flying right out of the screen. And in IMAX, it appears to be floating right in front of you. And there's one shot where the hero boy stops the train and the snowplow on the front of the train stops just short of your face. That shot alone is worth the price of admission. And once again, the handy camerawork continually draws you into the experience, making a high up track seem really high up, making you feel surrounded by a series of cables carrying up Santa's bag, putting you up above a cityscape, and placing you in the midst of a bunch of elves. Because of the lack of positive parallax throughout the film, I think the positives I mentioned above might be more due to the fact that I was seeing it on an IMAX screen with a bombastic sound system. But none the less, the experience was for sure immersive, and the 3D certainly added to it.

If I did have one thing to complain about regarding the 3D, it would be that there is an unfortunately high amount of shots where the negative parallax gives off a "double image" of sorts. I believe it's referred to as ghosting, but it's there none the less, and while it's not prevalent enough to downplay the entire experience, it can be none the less very distracting. I thought this was an issue that only existed on the 3D Blu-ray, but I guess not.

The IMAX 3D experience of The Polar Express was nothing less than mind blowing. In fact, in terms of 3D, I'd even say it beats Avatar. While Avatar certainly makes you feel part of the world in 3D, The Polar Express gives you a fun ride that makes the addition of the extra dimension worth it. Robert Zemeckis may not win over everybody with his motion capture technology. But he does prove that when you know how to use 3D properly, you can create a thoroughly entertaining thrill ride. The Polar Express is not quite the best 3D film ever, but it does so many things right and delivers such an engaging experience that to see it without 3D is like eating a cake without the delicious frosting on it. Even if you are not into 3D that much, The Polar Express 3D still is an absolute must-watch. After seeing this film in IMAX 3D, you will definitely believe.

3D RATING: EXCELLENT

Other sources that review this movie's 3D:

Real Future Picture's IMAX 3D Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KJwkH2hL8w

High-Def Digest's 3D Blu-ray Review: https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/4059/polarexpress3d.html

Tommy Boy 3D's 3D Blu-ray Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsMTuQ7nDp0

Go Find Fun's 3D Blu-ray Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWx0lJS1ho

FINAL THOUGHTS:

As I said before, The Polar Express is a movie that either people love or find just kinda ok. Personally, I fall into the former category. While sure, the movie may not be the most well-told story, it certainly delivers a fun and entertaining adventure. And obviously, the IMAX 3D experience is the best way to watch the film. Not only does the bigger screen and sound system immerse you in the film, but the 3D brings you right into the world of The Polar Express, which is filled with wonder and danger. Sure, 3D sorta already does that anyway. But with this movie, the direction Robert Zemeckis gives not just makes the 3D good, but necessary to the experience. If you have the opportunity to view The Polar Express in IMAX 3D, the way it was meant to be seen, be sure to take it. It'll be one ride you won't soon forget. And if you're lucky, you might even see a 3D trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water (it looks amazing, by the way).

DID YOU LIKE "THE POLAR EXPRESS" IN 3D

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