Heavy on bass, the standard 5.1 audio track pumps out sound at a slightly lower-than-usual level. Dialogue tends to drown out when the film is going through one of its action scenes. The focus is more on making the action immersive than advancing the story. It does fine in this regard, with extensive use of all five channels.

Extras in this two-disc set are wonderful for both young and old. A commentary wouldn't have hurt, especially given the involving process of making the film and Tom Hank's multiple roles. A lot could have been cleared up.

That said, extras begin on the second disc. True Inspirations is a short piece on the book's author Chris Van Allburg and his personal history. Josh Groban at the Greek is a live concert in which the singer performs the wonderful theme song. Meet the Snow Angels is a three-minute piece on Christmas experiences from the various cast and crew. Behind the Scenes of Believe looks at the creation of Josh Groban's song. A short directional-based game is fair for little ones as they steer the Express out of harm's way on the ice.

Things continue with You Look Familiar, a piece on the animation process in plain English while showcasing Tom Hank's talents. Genuine Ticket to Ride is the longest piece at 12-minutes. It's a promotional making of made up of multiple chapters. While it covers specific areas of the film, this is information contained in other areas of the special features.

Michael Jeter performs in an unfinished deleted song sequence that runs for five minutes. Jeter passed away shortly after his role was completed, so this stands as his final performance. A PC game demo and numerous hidden easter eggs showing split screen comparisons between the finished film and Hank's performance are there if you play around with the menus.

Available in three different forms (not including the pan & scan editions), Polar Express is one to own. The best of the three is a gift set that included the two-disc special edition reviewed here, a snow globe, and toy train. The package looks great, and the snow globe is a nice collectible.