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By
WAYNE KLEIN
Although audiences initially
gave "Express" a chilly reception the film
actually more than broke even at the box office
due to repeat visits from fans of the film and a
vaunted IMAX presentation. While there have been
complaints that the motion capture technology used
here (a familiar technique used less extensively
in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "I, Robot" and
"King Kong") giving the characters a creepy look,
I found the film to be perfectly charming and no
less inviting than watching any other CGI movie.
While it's clear that this technique is still in
its infancy (or, perhaps, in the toddler phase at
this point), director Zemeckis makes good use of
the technique to render characters that are
believable and amazing background for the film.
"The Polar Express" is guaranteed to be a
perennial at Christmas time. Tom Hanks essays a
number of roles in the film which is something
that could have been done without CGI (think of
Peter Sellers and all the characters he played in
"Dr. Strangelove" or Mike Myers in the Austin
Powers movies) but the use of CGI makes the
transformation into other characters a bit more
believable visually.
"Express" looks quite good on DVD. We don't see
any analog artifacts (not a surprise given that it
was shot digitally and rendered in a computer) nor
do we see edge enhancement or other digital
artifacts I've come to expect from movies shot
either on film. Again, this isn't a surprise given
the fact that this was transferred directly from
the digital files to DVD. The colors on the train
are warm and inviting while those set outside in
the chilly, snow filled night has just the right
frosty edge to them. The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound
track sounds marvelous with crisp, clear dialogue
and nice use of the surround format. The rear
speakers get considerable workout with ambience
and the rattle filled ride on the train enveloping
us in the world of the film.
The release of single and double disc movies is
becoming more of a trend. It's clear that studios
recognize that there are those who watch only the
movie and have begun tailoring their DVD releases
more and more for different segments of the
audience. The single disc edition has just the
movie and a trailer (unless you purchased the
single disc edition at Best Buy--it comes with a
mini-DVD that features footage from "You Look
Familiar" one of the extras on the two disc
edition).
On the two-disc edition you get a whole lot of
extras some of which are interesting but hardly
essential. "You Look Familiar" focuses on the
performances of Tom Hanks and others in their
multiple roles and the use of performance capture
to enhance their acting for the film. We see
footage of the live performance capture work show
with the scene from the film which is a nice
before and after comparison.
"Genuine Ticket to Ride" features five featurettes
after an introduction. "Performance Capture,"
"Virtual Camera," "Hair and Wardrobe," "Creating
the North Pole" and "Music." At under 12 minutes
it can't possible offer the depth that filmmakers
might want. Nevertheless you'll learn a thing or
two about the production and the obstacles,
challenges and triumphs that faced the film crew.
"Josh Groban at the Greek" features the popular
singer performing the song "Believe" as well as a
featurette on the creation of the song. "Meet the
Snow Angels" Share the memories of cast and crew
about their favorite Christmas. "Polar Express
Challenge" provides an interactive game. It's not
bad but kids will only want to play once or twice
and forget about it once the novelty wears off.
There's also a number of bonus clips throughout
the second disc that are called "Stocking
Stuffers" to be discovered for those who wisely
use their remote control.
Surprisingly Warner chose not to provide much
detail or in depth background on the production of
the film and its CGI rendering techniques. That's
too bad. While this kid friendly approach will
certainly be appreciated by the film's core
audience, adults like to be entertained and
informed as well. Perhaps we'll see something more
adult orientated in the "Special Special Edition"
that will no doubt come out just in time for the
Holidays next year.
"The Polar Express" charms with its delightful
performances, groundbreaking use of CGI and
"performance capture." While the extras could have
been more comprehensive and more filling, they
aren't bad. I'd suggest sticking to the single
disc edition since the movie is the real highlight
and the second disc probably won't be watched more
than once (if that). Zemeckis has done a terrific
job translating this children's story to the
screen although it does have the feeling that it
is padded a bit. I'd recommend the single disc
edition vs. the two disc as I didn't feel the
additional extras were all they were cracked up to
be. Everybody jump on board but make sure to bring
some hot chocolate and a nice warm blanket as it's
going to be a long but fun filled ride. |
