2008 Woodie Awards
The Polar Express in IMAX bring magical book to life
Kate Ambrose
Issue date: 12/7/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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If you didn't believe when you were little, the book The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg always put you back into that holiday spirit and maybe made you believe in Santa for just a few minutes. This year, director Robert Zemeckis portrayed the book loved by children everywhere on the screen. The Polar Express came to both the regular movie theatre - such as your Lowes and Sony's - and also the IMAX 3D theatre.
The IMAX 3D is a totally different experience. You, as the audience, become part of the movie and feel as though you are actually there riding the Polar Express to the North Pole. Although the 3-D glasses were annoying during the first few minutes, once the movie began to unfold I completely forgot I had them on.
The animation was so real - you could count the number of hairs that made up the little boys head. When the wind blew, you saw his hair move. When you looked into the eyes of the train conductor, you could feel his soul. It was unlike any other animation - it even topped the greats such as Monsters Inc. and Toy Story. Although those movies are amazing, The Polar Express was so lifelike that at times you forgot you were watching a computer generated little boy and computer generated train.
The story of The Polar Express plays out somewhat similarly to that of the Van Allsburg's book. A little boy (Tom Hanks) reaches the age where he doubts the reality of Santa. On Christmas Eve he goes to bed not believing in Santa, but rather believing that his parents are the ones who make his Christmas wishes come true. As he hears a rumble outside and his room begins to shake, he jumps out of bed to see a train outside his window. As he makes the choice to ride the train that Christmas Eve, his belief in Santa is forever changed.
Once on the train Van Allsburg's book takes a backseat to the mastermind of Zemeckis. The conductor (Tom Hanks) again plays a major role in the film version and adds so much to the plot. As the doubting boy rides the train he encounters a hobo who enlightens him and challenges his thoughts about the big guy, he loses a friends ticket and fears he may have lost the little girls chance to reach the North Pole, and a lonely boy who has not had good experiences with Christmas or Santa in the past.
The IMAX 3D is a totally different experience. You, as the audience, become part of the movie and feel as though you are actually there riding the Polar Express to the North Pole. Although the 3-D glasses were annoying during the first few minutes, once the movie began to unfold I completely forgot I had them on.
The animation was so real - you could count the number of hairs that made up the little boys head. When the wind blew, you saw his hair move. When you looked into the eyes of the train conductor, you could feel his soul. It was unlike any other animation - it even topped the greats such as Monsters Inc. and Toy Story. Although those movies are amazing, The Polar Express was so lifelike that at times you forgot you were watching a computer generated little boy and computer generated train.
The story of The Polar Express plays out somewhat similarly to that of the Van Allsburg's book. A little boy (Tom Hanks) reaches the age where he doubts the reality of Santa. On Christmas Eve he goes to bed not believing in Santa, but rather believing that his parents are the ones who make his Christmas wishes come true. As he hears a rumble outside and his room begins to shake, he jumps out of bed to see a train outside his window. As he makes the choice to ride the train that Christmas Eve, his belief in Santa is forever changed.
Once on the train Van Allsburg's book takes a backseat to the mastermind of Zemeckis. The conductor (Tom Hanks) again plays a major role in the film version and adds so much to the plot. As the doubting boy rides the train he encounters a hobo who enlightens him and challenges his thoughts about the big guy, he loses a friends ticket and fears he may have lost the little girls chance to reach the North Pole, and a lonely boy who has not had good experiences with Christmas or Santa in the past.