Heavy on bass, this powerful 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. Separation is significantly more noticeable in many scenes when performing a direct comparison with the SD-DVD. 
Extras are wonderful for both young and old, all contained on one disc instead of a flipper or two-disc set. A commentary wouldn't have hurt, especially given the involving process of making the film and Tom Hank's multiple roles. A lot is left for the audience to figure out on their own.
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 clip 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 rounds off this set.
Available in four different forms now (not including the pan and scan editions), Polar Express is one to own regardless of format. The best of the four from a value standpoint is a gift set that included the two-disc special edition SD-DVD, a snow globe, and toy train. The package looks great, and the snow globe is a nice collectible.
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