Technology comes together with a beautiful story to create a classic

Rating: Null/10 (14 November 2004)

I sat in the dark not knowing what to expect, never having read the book and having read some pretty tepid reviews. What ensued was a visually-astounding journey of emotion that left me, at times, on the edge of my seat, other times tearful.
The children in the audience did find some scenes a little scary but, as the characters all triumphed over the potential disasters, the children sighed a relief and moved on. I saw the film at a regular theatre and imagine the scenes of the train's drop or the eagle's flight would be astonishing in an IMAX version.
For myself, at the movie's denouement, I was sorry it was over and tempted to buy another ticket and see it again. That, to me, is the earmark of a terrific film. This is the first holiday movie I have seen in ages that I have felt was destined to become a classic.