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Polar Express
2004
Director Robert Zemeckis revolutionised the art of animated film in 1998's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT by dropping cartoon characters into the same frame with flesh-and-blood actors. In THE POLAR EXPRESS, live action and animation have merged seamlessly, resulting in sparkling super-realism. A landmark technique Zemeckis and his .. Read more
| Starring | Tom Hanks, Leslie Zemeckis, Eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Zemeckis |
| Genres | Animated, Children, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
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Polar Express
Director Robert Zemeckis revolutionised the art of animated film in 1998's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT by dropping cartoon characters into the same frame with flesh-and-blood actors. In THE POLAR EXPRESS, live action and animation have merged seamlessly, resulting in sparkling super-realism. A landmark technique Zemeckis and his Sony Pictures Imageworks team call Performance Capture perfectly suits the tenor of this wondrous children's Christmas story by Chris Van Allsburg. A disillusioned little boy, just old enough to doubt the existence of Santa Claus, has the adventure of a lifetime one fateful Christmas Eve. Clad in his pyjamas, he climbs aboard a magic train to the North Pole, driven by a kindly train conductor (voiced by Tom Hanks who starred in both Academy-Award winning films by Zemeckis (FORREST GUMP and CASTAWAY). Among myriad jaw-dropping moments, the train plummets brakeless through crystalline mountains in a simulated roller coaster ride. Going off the rails, skidding sideways, and snaking violently across a frozen lake, the train arrives at the North Pole (a vast, glowing city of brick buildings). At that moment, the car carrying the kids detaches and they're sent tumbling down never-ending chutes and slides until they land in the middle of Santa's Workshop. With its fascinating tale and impressive technical frolics, THE POLAR EXPRESS is destined to become both a holiday classic and a new turning point in the art of animated cinema.
| Starring | Tom Hanks, Leslie Zemeckis, Eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari, Brenda King |
|---|---|
| Director | Robert Zemeckis |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 36 mins Blu-ray: 1 hr 36 mins HD DVD: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Animated, Children, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
| Language | DVD: English Blu-ray: English HD DVD: English |
| Dubbed | Icelandic |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, English, Icelandic |
| Released | DVD: 14 Nov 2005 Blu-ray: 26 Nov 2007 HD DVD: not available Production year: 2004 |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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In this animated tale based on Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, a sceptical boy finds his belief in Father Christmas restored by an incredible journey to the North Pole on board a magical train. Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis's fantasy adventure is undoubtedly technically impressive, thanks to the introduction of “Performance Capture” — a new type of CGI that transfers the live actions of actors into a digital format. The process enables star Tom Hanks to take on six different roles, from the young hero to Santa Claus himself. However, as a fast-moving life lesson about faith and hope, the film weaves sentimentality and gentle moralising into every scene. But, though the emotion feels contrived, that's nothing compared to the flashy set pieces and meticulous detail, which do more to flaunt the technology than move along the story.
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A technically fascinating movie for its use of 'performance capture' animation techniques to digitally create and alter its actors and sets, this weakly scripted tale about uninteresting characters soon runs out of steam.
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Most helpful member's review
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80 out of 81 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
magical.....
This is an absolutely wonderful film, with loads of fantastic imagery that make you feel like you're on the train itself. Along with great music and acting... more
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Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Polar express - disappointed
This film was a feast for the eyes with fantastic graphics but a disappointing script that was almost sinister in places. There wasn't enough to keep ... more
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News and features
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The LOVEFiLM Autumn Preview 2007
- 19 Sep 2007
After that long, mildly hot and often ridiculously damp summer, the next couple of months promise a return to normal conditions - cold and wet - but at least we're going to see more varied fare at the multiplex. October brings us The London Film Festival (Oct 17-Nov 1), headed up by David Cronenberg's gangster thriller, Eastern Promises . This is also the period when distributors trust discerning audiences to come out for quality dramas, and the Hollywood studios begin to unveil their Academy... Read more
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Polar Express, The - HD DVD Version
Director Robert Zemeckis revolutionised the art of animated film in 1998's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT by dropping cartoon characters into the same frame with flesh-and-blood actors. In THE POLAR EXPRESS, live action and animation have merged seamlessly, resulting in sparkling super-realism - a ...
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Polar Express, The - BLU-RAY Version
Director Robert Zemeckis revolutionised the art of animated film in 1998's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT by dropping cartoon characters into the same frame with flesh-and-blood actors. In THE POLAR EXPRESS, live action and animation have merged seamlessly, resulting in sparkling super-realism - a ...
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- Polar Express
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Director Robert Zemeckis revolutionised the art of animated film in 1998's WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT by dropping cartoon characters into the same frame with flesh-and-blood actors. In THE POLAR EXPRESS,... -