DOWN WITH PANTS!

The Down With Pants! crew just got back from the Pacific Science Center where we saw The Polar Express in 3-D on the IMAX screen. I'm not really a big Christmas movie fan especially in the middle of November, however The Polar Express in 3-D is incredible and highly recommended if you are planning on seeing this movie.

I doubt I would have enjoyed it as much on a regular screen. The movie was animated using motion-capture technology like they use in video games and at times it did look like you were watching the bad slow-motion dunks on NBA Live. With the 3-D, however, everything came to life and was rich even when the animation looked awful.

The story wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. The movie is adapted from the book of the same name which, apparently, is beloved. Death? said that she had read it numerous times when she was young. I had never even heard of it since I did my best to avoid books at a young age. It's sentimental and happy without being sugary and sappy (sugary and sappy are what scare me away from most Christmas movies) and manages to be interesting and suspenseful.

It's also very action packed and those scenes looked amazing in 3-D. The action scenes and scenery shots are really what make this film beautiful. The facial features and body movements are a little tough to watch at times but they got all the wide angle scenery and high speed action shots right.

There are a couple of awful songs in the movie especially the gut-wrenching ballad during the end credits which may have been sung by Josh Groban. I do not know this Groban fellow but I have been assured that he is a talentless hack.

So if you plan on seeing this film, find yourself the IMAX 3-D version and prepared to be blown away. If you can't make it to the 3-D version, don't bother going without a couple of rugrats, it won't be worth it. But if you have some kids in tow and can only see it on a normal screen then don't be afraid. The kids will love it and you most likely will find it at least passable.

Down With Pants! give the regular movie a lukewarm Pants Down, but gives the 3-D version two big Pants Down! Now I just wish that I could get my eyes to focus right again and my head to stop hurting from wearing those huge 3-D glasses.