Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #577 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-01-01
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Customer Reviews

A true christmas movie
Fantastic film for children and adults alike, even my husband enjoyed it and he doesn't sit through films well. This film puts you in the mood for christmas and makes you believe in the spirt of christmas that you may of had when you were a child. Absolutely love the film and highly recommend it to anyone.

*** ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS VIEWING ***
I took my daughter to see this at our local cinema and it was the very first movie that totally captivated her: She sat bolt upright entranced throughout the whole movie and cheered at the end of the movie.

[...]later when we purchased it on DVD it was exactly the same. She absolutely loves this movie and as a consequence so do her parents. In fact I have not met any parents that haven't raved about this movie and how much their kids love it. That I think puts this movie in perspective. It's a Christmas movie for kids and families and it's a Christmas movie loved by kids and families. Essential Christmas viewing! Believe.

Everyone should ride on The Polar Express at least once
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.