The Polar Express 3D Blu-ray Review

At this time of year the holiday classics have a way of sneaking out in some special re-release to capitalize on the general public’s sentimentality for all this seasonal. “Who cares if we already own it? This one’s got a shiny new package!” Every once in a while, though, a holiday movie gets freshened up to do more than re-capture your hard-earned dollar. Case in point: Polar Express, which got a 3D Blu-ray release this year to go along with all those shiny new 3D TVs and 3D Blu-ray players (or updated PS3s).

Although I’d not watched every CGI-based 3D Blu-ray, I had started to lose a little faith that CG movies could deliver good 3D effects. Monster House was decent, Despicable Me was fantastic, but the rest seemed to fall in a sort of no-man’s-land of “meh.” Then along came Polar Express, a veritable gift from Warner Home Entertainment that renewed my faith in 3D CGI. In fact, Polar Express on 3D Blu-ray presents one of the best 3D Blu-ray experiences I’ve had to date, CG or not.

Things start out on a high note and never really drop off. It all begins with the snow. The snowflakes fall infrequently but impressively in Polar Express, with the very beginning and end of the film presenting the best opportunity to feel like you’re in the middle of a snowstorm. The flakes never seem like cheap “gotcha” moments, and it doesn’t seem as if Warner created additional 3D-only flakes for this 3D Blu-ray release. Somehow, though, the glistening crystals feel like they’re blasting forth from the TV screen, delivering one of the most phenomenal effects and best sense of depth I’ve watched so far on a 3D movie.

When viewers get their first glimpse of the Polar Express train the effect isn’t quite as strong, although watching the wheels and gears slowly grind up to full speed does present a nice sense of depth. On the whole, the success of Polar Express as a 3D Blu-ray is more sensual — not in the adults-only sense, but in the immersion and “overall feeling” sense. Between the depth of field that’s carried throughout and the occasionally jaw-dropping 3D effects, there’s simply an overarching sense of “being there” that most of the 3D films I’ve watched so far just can’t seem to deliver. Granted, the Uncanny Valley complaints about the main characters aren’t exactly helped by the fact that they look even more life-like in three dimensions, but that’s not something you can hold against Warner Bros. The studio was just doing its job, and doing it well, when converting Polar Express to 3D.

One important aspect that never hit home watching the original 2D version of Polar Express is just how many first-person scenes exist in this film. It wasn’t until I watched Polar Express in 3D that I realized how many minutes of this film seem custom-made for a 3D presentation. From the runaway train in the mountains to the assembly-line sequence in Santa’s village, these “mine cart” scenes in three dimensions become so much more memorable, so much more vivid, and so much less likely to be dismissed as fodder thrown in just to lengthen the movie. In the normal 2D version they felt awkward at times, but in the 3D version of Polar Express they’re downright enjoyable.

The camera angles as a whole do a lot to solidify the effectiveness of the 3D effects in Polar Express, because the cameras are positioned in ways that lend themselves to great depth. Whether it’s looking at the Polar Express train from the ground up, watching as the camera weave between gears in the engineer’s room or traveling Forrest Gump-style alongside a golden ticket, the angles just add a layer of depth to the movie that wouldn’t have been present if those scenes had simply been “filmed” from a standard perspective.

The depth of field, too, plays a large role in the film’s 3D delivery, as it helps reinforce the effects almost more than the lighting. That’s not to say the lighting doesn’t augment the 3D effects in Polar Express, but the depth of field just does more in that regard to set the stage to believe you’re actually on the fabled train and visiting Santa.

So, Warner Bros., as we celebrate Christmas and watch kids (and kids at heart) gleefully open their presents, thank you for the gift you provided to all of us with Polar Express on 3D Blu-ray. Far more than a simple way to capitalize on the 3D craze, Polar Express in 3D proves that 3D CGI films can not only look good, but provide 3D moments that hold their own against — if not surpass — the best 3D moments in a live-action film. After watching this film, you can consider me a 3D CG believer.

Click here to buy The Polar Express 3D Blu-ray/Blu-ray Combo Pack.

— Jonas Allen