The Polar Express

Eberts review:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/...VIEWS/41006005

It got a very good score. perfect. a 4 star film.

I don't know what it is about this movie, but it has classic written all over it. I know that Tom Hanks' name instantly raises the probability of me loving it, since he's very rarely in a bad film. But what has me more hyped is the trailer. It just looks... creepy. But in a Jacob Tu-Tu and the Hooded Fang type sense. When you were a kid there was always one movie that was a little bit creepy that it made you interested, and almost used it as a thrall over you.

This movie has that. Aside from a good story the movie is animated using motion capture, a first for movies. Tom Hanks plays like every character in the movie (obviously I'm being facetious). I can't wait to see this movie in action. Actually it opened tonight, but I don't think it's gotten enough publicity. I remember seeing the trailer for it last year and wanting to see it, and then it sort of fell off the face of the planet for awhile.

Anyway, post your impressions or thoughts.

I'm extremely excited to see this, and will probably go tomorrow night. It really seems like they took the ENTIRE story from the book and made it into a movie, rather than taking the important bits and then adding a bunch of unimportant parts (Harry Potter, for example).

And the graphics are just amazing.

They could have filmed this with the children of the damned and they would look more lifelike and animated than the character models used in this.

I noticed that one of the head designers is Doug Chiang, who worked extensively on SW Episode I ship design (the game Earth & Beyond too, IIRC). He's a fantastic artist technically speaking, but his stuff is almost devoid of soul. A strange choice for a children's Xmas movie.

But they used motion capture, so it's supposed to be extremely realistic! SHUT UP YOU'RE KICKED OUT OF MY THREAD BACON.

Eh, I keep hearing the same thing about the character models...that they're supposed to look like lifeless, hollow-eyed mannequins. Sounds creepy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Andrew

SHUT UP YOU'RE KICKED OUT OF MY THREAD BACON.

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TEH OH NOES!!!1

WAIT FOR THE DRUM ROLL!

YOU'RE BOTH CUT FROM THIS THREAD.

Seriously, that's sad to hear. I'll still go see it and post impressions, but that really sticks in my craw.

I've heard nothing but glowing reviews of this, regardless of the hollow-eyed creepiness factor. I didn't read Ebert's review, but I saw him and Roeper review it on Ebert & Roeper At The Movies and one thing I'm surprised wasn't mentioned is that this movie is also being released in 3D for IMAX and apparently, from what I've heard, take the incredible soon-to-be classic non-3D movie in wide release and multiply its greatness by ten and you get the 3D version. I'm really wanting to see it that way. This is apparently a really magical film.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scourge

I've heard nothing but glowing reviews of this, regardless of the hollow-eyed creepiness factor. I didn't read Ebert's review, but I saw him and Roeper review it on Ebert & Roeper At The Movies and one thing I'm surprised wasn't mentioned is that this movie is also being released in 3D for IMAX and apparently, from what I've heard, take the incredible soon-to-be classic non-3D movie in wide release and multiply its greatness by ten and you get the 3D version. I'm really wanting to see it that way. This is apparently a really magical film.

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YOU'RE CUT TOO.

NO REASON I JUST DON'T LIKE YOU VERY MUCH.

They actually said the little bit of creepiness that this movie embued helped propel it into classic territory. They said it will be scary for kids, but not scary enough that they'll want to look away, but scary in a suspense ridden way.

Quote:

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They said it will be scary for kids, but not scary enough that they'll want to look away, but scary in a suspense ridden way.

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Also proabably also scary in a "when kids are told the Santa doesn't exist, they will not be disappointed, but rather relieved after having seen the creepy-ass glassy-eyed mechanical portrayal of him in this movie" way.

Ah, it's probably not so bad once you get used to it, but lifeless CGI is a big mark against this for me.

I'm going to try this again. There is a 3D version of this movie that is playing at IMAXes and that it is supposed to be even better than the already supposed-to-be great non-3D version. IMAX. 3D. !!!!!!!!

I saw this movie already. It was pretty good I thought. Kinda cheesy in some parts but overall it was just a fun CG christmas adventure.

The characters lost a lot of their feelings towards each other though. You'll see what I mean

After all that happens, they just leave each other and shake hands? No kid I know ever shake hands. They made a big deal of showing us this lonely kid who says Christmas doesn't do it for him but then never show us why.

But with it's flaws and cheese, it was still pretty well done and the CG was breathtaking sometimes.

The animation looks horrible and I refuse to see it. There is no reason trying to use realistic CG humans (even if you are using SPECIAL MOTION CAPTURE), especially when it just can't be done right now.

No kidding. If the goal is realism, just use real people.

Some of the animations look VERY real. Sometimes it was hard to tell that it wasn't a human.

Near the start the kid is looking through his door to see his mom and dad putting his sister to sleep and honestly when the mom kisses the daughter I thought it was a real person. It was very convincing. Sometimes though, the animations do look odd.

they used a different style to animate a lot of the movie, making it look obviously more life like.

ANYWAY

after work gives me an emergency call, guess whos working their first day of work in 3 months in IMAX?

ME! Ill come back and post later if this movie is getting any busy

I wish companies would stop raping my favourite childhood memories.