'The Polar Express' 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review - Hop On Board For A Bit Of Christmas Magic (2024)

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr. It is based on the classic Caldecott award-winning children’s book written by Chris Van Allsburg.

For thoughts on The Polar Express, please check out my overview of the film here.

Video Quality

The Polar Express comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a dazzling and vibrant 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. When compared to the ancient Blu-Ray from 2008, which has thankfully been replaced with a remastered Blu-Ray in this package, the results are nearly night and day. That being said, it is important to note that the film is fast approaching its 20th anniversary in a couple years. Given its age, it is fair to say that it does not have the seamless qualities that we have come to associate with modern animated films. In fact, it has been harshly criticized for its “creepy” and “lifeless” animation since it was first in theaters, although we have never been as bothered by it as others. The film is not a clunky mess, but this 4K UHD upgrade is not going to enhance basic digital animation techniques that make the film slightly dated from a visual standpoint.

With this fact in mind, we can still report that the animation is given a nice boost in basic textures and details with this new release. You only need to look at the interior of the titular locomotive to see more refined textures. Nearly every element you can imagine from clothing to character models and environments is presented with greater clarity than ever before. Brightly lit scenes are especially pleasing to witness with an unparallelled visual splendor. These elements may not be photorealistic, but they still suit the story quite well.

Where this disc really shines is in the implementation of the HDR10. The colors present in this transfer are practically jumping off the screen with the wide range of hues permeating the frame. Each color is presented with a bit more nuance so that everything appears a touch more natural to the intended aesthetic. This is naturally supposed to have a storybook quality which is achieved well. The depth of field is also increased by a nice margin. Black levels are greatly improved with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. The white highlights are handled with more stability in a way that never fails to impress. Overall this is a transfer free of major encode issues. This is a stunning 4K UHD Blu-Ray presentation that blows the previous Blu-Ray out of the water, and it is an experience that fans will love.

Audio Quality

This release boasts an immersive DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that really takes you on an adventure. There is a significant amount of activity in the low-end due to the various musical sequences and other kinetic moments of the train chugging along. Dialogue comes through clearly without getting suppressed by any competing sound effects or score. The music in the film is very effective in stirring up powerful emotions that make you feel in the Christmas spirit. Atmospheric effects are deeply immersive and convey a real sense of dimensionality to the locations. The track engages all of the channels with panning effects and environmental sounds that create a fully fleshed-out world. While an Atmos track would have been fun, this presentation is no slouch and marks a big upgrade from the Dolby Digital 5.1 track on the original Blu-Ray. Warner Bros. has delivered a crackerjack audio presentation that brings this story to life quite nicely.

Special Features

• You Look Familiar: A four-minute look at how performance capture technology allowed Tom Hanks to take on multiple roles in the film.

• A Genuine Ticket To Ride: A six-part featurette totaling nearly four minutes in which two of the main kids from the film take you through various aspects of the film including the art of performance capture, the virtual camera, creating the hair and wardrobe, bringing the North Pole to life, and the music in the film. These are all pretty brief but worth checking out.

• True Inspirations – An Author’s Adventure: A nearly six-minute look at author Chris Van Allsburg who recalls his idyllic upbringing, his early interest in art, the origins of his stories and more.

• “Believe” – Behind The Scenes: A nearly five-minute look at the development and recording of this song featuring insights from Glen Ballard and Josh Groban.

• Flurry Of Effects: A five-part featurette totaling nine minutes is provided here which gives you a side by side comparison of a finished scene with the original live-action motion capture footage.

• “Smokey and Steamer” Deleted Song: A nearly eight-minute deleted musical scene between the two characters in the steam room is provided here in a rough unfinished form.

• Josh Groban at the Greek: A nearly five-minute live performance of “Believe” by Groban.

• Meet The Snow Angels: A three-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss some of their fondest Christmas memories and what the holiday means to them.

• Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Polar Express is an easy target for haters with its dated animation style which does not quite achieve its creative ambition. Yet, when you look past the quirks of the aesthetic, you are treated to a world of Christmas wonder and genuine emotion. Sure, the film is padded quite a bit to make a full feature, and elements like an animated Aerosmith leaves you scratching your head, but it all adds to the unparalleled experience of taking this adventure. You are probably already keenly aware whether you are a person who has warm feelings towards this one, or if you are already bored or terrified by the thought of it. If you are the former, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a terrific upgrade to the A/V presentation along with a host of legacy supplemental features that fans will love. Recommended

The Polar Express is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.