That's because our family was at the theater watching The Polar Express in 3-D on an IMAX screen. I can't remember having a more enjoyable Christmas Eve and much of that is due to seeing this movie with my daughter and parents, wearing 3-D glasses and a Santa hat.

I must admit that at first I was not all that excited about seeing this movie when it began showing in November. I was not familiar with the story and felt that a movie about a train ride might be kinda boring. However, every time I went to see a different movie, I would notice how The Polar Express: an IMAX 3-D Experience was ALWAYS sold out, days in advance. Then word of mouth started pouring in from relatives and friends. It took a while, but by Christmas Eve, I was a believer.

And THAT is exactly what this movie is all about. It is about believing in something that you have not yet seen. It is about hearing the jingle of the bells of Santa's reindeer when others around do not.

The main character of this movie is billed as "Hero Boy"; however, for all intensive purposes he may as well be you or me. He is getting older and is starting to question whether or not Santa truly exists and even reads in the Encyclopedia that the north pole is "barren." He lies awake, straining to hear the sound of jingle bells that he sadly decides will never come as his belief and eyelids fall. When he wakes up to a shaking house and a bright light streaming through his window, he rushes outside to discover that a train has stopped right in front of his house. It is "The Polar Express" and its destination is the North Pole. He treats it with suspicion, but when the time comes for him to climb aboard or to be left behind, he chooses the former and quickly realizes that this is no ordinary train.

The rest of the film takes us on a journey of magic, adventure, and fun. There is enough action and problems to be overcome that we remain engaged and excited for what is to come next. Along the way, we meet several interesting characters, many of whom are played by Tom Hanks, but the most meaningful characters are other children who are fellow passengers, including a lonely boy devoid of hope and a caring girl who dares to help him find it. The film's climax comes when the boy is finally able to meet Santa Claus but only after he makes the all-important decision to believe. The film leaves us with a tender moment in the family's living room on Christmas morning as he realizes that he can still hear the jingle bell even though his parents no longer can.

The story is touching, powerful, and sentimental. The adventure is wondrous and fun. The music, most of which is by Alan Silvestri is emotionally piercing and lingers in the memory long after the credits have rolled. I can still hear "When Christmas Comes to Town" (written by Silvestri and Glen Ballard) in my head and it is now 2 days afterwards. He's also put some amusing music in there as well. There's a song "Rockin' On Top of the World" which features a cameo by Steven Tyler. My favorite, however, is "Hot Chocolate" which is featured towards the beginning of the train ride (pictured below). Acrobatic waiters are rushed in to serve the children the requisite beverage and do so in bewildering fashion.

However, the heart-warming story and the superb music are overshadowed by the visual effects. I'll purchase the DVD when it eventually comes out, but it just will not do justice when compared to seeing this movie on an IMAX screen in 3-D. There's simply no equivalent. Everything looked so real...the rooms, the train, the snow. The people looked animated, yet had very realistic qualities to them including their hair, movement, and expressions. But it was the 3-D effect that really made everything pop out at you. It is amazing to see an animated feature that has depth. Other computer animated features, while still the very best of quality, do not offer the sense of depth and realism that the 3-D effect presented here gives you. It is stunning, spectacular, and I feel ashamed that my words are so woefully inadequate in describing the experience.

If you are reading this while it is still being featured in the theaters, then by all means get your ticket for The Polar Express today. The conductor will be happy to wildly punch it for you.

Spectacular!