User Reviews

On the one hand there are many delightful moments in THE POLAR EXPRESS, not the least of which is the entire look of the film--appealing in a way that great illustrations of children's books always are to young and old. Tom Hanks and the others enter into the spirit of the whole thing with gusto--and all the performances are right on target.

On the other hand, much of the film is an excuse to dazzle with roller-coaster-like rides on the express train that roars across various landscapes making wild leaps and turns, all the while thrilling us with a sense of adventure and excitement. For the very young, the ride might be a scary one, especially when the daring young hero rides atop the train during a blustery snowstorm.

Things barely quiet down once the destination is reached at the North Pole. Still there are dangers lurking and the thrills continue with some amazing photographic tricks that can only be done in this new process of computer generated animation.

And to add a cozier touch to the proceedings, certain famous Christmas songs are interjected at intervals to give the North Pole--and the film--a warmer glow.

All in all, quite an imaginative and innovative achievement--impressive enough to assure its place among future Christmas favorites with unlimited appeal for the young in heart. The message of Christmas is lightly hinted at but when Tom Hanks as the train conductor tells the little boy, "The true meaning of Christmas is in your heart," we can be assured that children everywhere will definitely "get it".

Visually, it's a stunner. I didn't see it on the IMAX screen where I imagine it really knocks your socks off, but at a multiplex where picture and sound were impressive enough to convey just how advanced special effects technology has become. There is much artistry involved here, especially when the night scenes of the train's fast-moving travel through a blustery snowstorm capture some rich winter landscapes, including a frozen lake that threatens to demolish train and passengers before danger has passed. The camera-work is continually fascinating as is the artwork involved.

A pity there couldn't have been more of a story in the children's book which is the source--but the artistic visuals are the main source of entertainment here and they are superb. The busy background score by Alan Silvestri is reminiscent of works by John Williams. Although none of the sprightly song tunes are particularly memorable, there is a wistful quality to one of the new Christmas ballads sung by the children.

P.S. - I have just watched it on DVD, a year after writing the above review--and it's definitely a keeper--just as wonderful as you could want, an amazing technological achievement that should delight all ages who can still hear that bell! Tom Hanks, as the conductor, is my favorite character--brilliant job.

I have to say that I adored 'The Polar Express'. It was just the sort of film I needed to truly get me into the Christmas mood. The story revolves around a young boy, who is coming to an age where he is doubting Santa Claus' existence, until the Polar Express- a magical train destined for the North Pole- takes him and a group of other young children on a journey to Santa and to reaffirm their faith in Christmas.

I had reservations about the use of CGI animation since I felt it really only worked for stories about cute animals but having seen the film, the CGI was the best way to capture the spirit of the film. It really wouldn't have worked as well in live action, the sense of other-worldly magic would have been lost. And as it was, the artwork was beautiful, especially the snowy mountainous scenery that the train passes through.

This film took me back to my childhood and that tingly-feeling every child gets on Christmas Eve in anticipation of Santa's visit. The story was sweet and innocent without being nauseating, and I think every one of us can empathise with the boy who wants to believe in Santa but is growing away from the innocence of early childhood and faith in magic. Much like Raymond Briggs' 'The Snowman', I predict 'The Polar Express' will go down as a Christmas classic. It certainly makes a pleasant change that this year's Christmas film was actually about Christmas and I hope they make the re-release of this film an annual Christmas event.

Directed by veteran Robert Zemeckis, It is a production that unveils, throughout its 100 minutes, the story of an American boy in the late 1950s. By witnessing the polar express stop at his door, the young man will have the most fantastic experience of his life. Life, something that will mark him forever and allow his belief in Christmas, not as firm as one would expect for a child, to become even more solid. Initially reticent, the young man agrees to leave on the train that takes him on a tour full of incredible adventures. Each piece of territory crossed is a different learning experience, marked by its still incipient trajectory. He fights with Scrooge, the famous evil Christmas spirit, immortalized by the literature of Charles Dickens, passes by the famous Polar Aurora, a place with the optical phenomenon due to the brightness observed in the night skies of the polar regions, due to the impact of particles of solar wind with the high atmosphere of the earth, channeled by the magnetic field of our planet, that is, an impressive visual spectacle that leaves no one indifferent.

In the face of conflicts, as it is worth mentioning, the boy no longer believes in Santa Claus, the narrative becomes an allegory for the need to believe and invest in the "so" Christmas spirit. We check with some resistance, because the foot in reality does not allow us to surrender too much to the utopias proposed by the American cinematographic discourse. However, one of the "tasks" of art is precisely to allow us to clarify reality through fictional proposals, thus, the ticket to enter the world of Zemecks film is "bought" by all those who indulge in the charms of art. Narrative that unfolds before our eyes, a set of scenes built using visually incredible resources.

Zemeckis's filmography is known for playing with the ludic, and here it is no different. The script to be well digested by the viewer needs to be seen as a story about magic and aborted beliefs. Alan Silvestri's music helps to punctuate this feeling that life in the eyes of a child is more beautiful, even if that child no longer believes in legendary figures, as is the case with the central character. In "The Polar Express" we have a short, simple and objective plot. The director's intention was never to create a work of art in the plot with this film, but to prove that you can rescue barbaric feelings and emotions with the Christmas theme. Now imagine Tom Hanks facing five different roles in the same film. Imagine? Something very crazy to think about, mainly because the "motion capture" technique (technique used to make the character Gollum from the series "The Lord of the Rings, for example) was used, which captured all of Hanks' movements and transferred them to the computer, mixing reality and animation, fantasy and flesh and blood beings. The actor plays a boy who does not believe in the Christmas spirit, his father, a locomotive driver, a stroller and Santa Claus himself. It is a versatility never seen in the world of movie theaters.

This technique was used in a magnificent way for the sake of narrative. To get an idea of what was done, all the actors in the film acted in front of an empty screen, with motion capture sensors attached throughout their bodies. The data from these sensors were passed on to computers and served as a template for the creation of the character in the film itself. As these sensors were responsible for capturing movements and facial expressions, the actors did not necessarily have to have the same body as the character. This allowed Hanks to play five different characters. And look, it was not easy to shape all of his expressions, so much so that the work lasted almost a year. The interesting thing was to see Steven Tyler, vocalist of the band Aerosmith, as Elf singing a song at the end of the film. Very funny! They managed to capture the essence of their appearance (big mouth and ears)!

The film makes use of a very new advent for its time, and at least the main character is very excited. Already adults and peripheral child characters are astonishing to look at. This is thanks to the concept of Uncanny Valley, which preaches that figures that imitate human beings when they approach what man is become strange. The dialogues and interactions are quite artificial, but not as much as the attempts to make musical numbers. The waiters who serve the wagons are so tough that they look like imitations of androids. This issue is somewhat appeased by the parties involving animals running, flying and interacting with the typical things in the scenarios. Wolves and eagles represent more than just animals typical of North American fauna, and result in representatives of the work's sense of adventure. The criticisms received at the time of the launch, stoning the flesh-and-bone characters, their lackluster movement, their rubberized look and their glazed eyes, forgot the most important component of any short story: simplicity and narrative poetry.

And although the visual is the only really negative point of this technique, like ignoring the perfection of Zemeckis's camera, it went through, following in the smallest details the movement of a lost golden ticket and the travellings that lead us nimbly in and out of the train, especially during the free fall on the tracks and crossing the thin ice? The option for elegant frames also stands out, and the counter-plongée, which accompanies the little boy's belief through the frozen floor, not only dignifies the moment but anticipates the arrival of Santa Claus. Meanwhile, the photograph by Don Burgess and Robert Presley is breathtaking - as shown in the image below -, and the intense gold of the train ticket or the lighting of the bonfire on the face of a Beggar, the angel presents in the vast majority of people. Christmas stories, is enough to make a beautiful Christmas story shine.

At the end of the projection, we were left with the feeling that Zemeckis achieved his goal, of combining technology and magic in the same product. He, who is admittedly one of the directors who most seek to develop and perfect techniques and technologies, ends up creating a plastically flawless film, transposing to the screen with admirable perfection the engravings from Allsburg's book. Zemeckis also creates practically unimaginable plans and sequences, in a brutal effort to want to innovate. Zemeckis also loves to make references to other films. This time, he made the children's classic "The Fantastic Chocolate Factory", starring Gene Wilder. The ticket that gives access to the train is golden, just like in the classic movie. In addition to similarities like the big chocolate factory, the gift factory or even the driver with the funny Willy Wonka.

Assuming a metalinguistic tone on purpose - the Conductor, one of the characters voiced by Tom Hanks, refers sensibly to abandoned toys - and accidentally - Ebenzer Scrooge's puppet would serve as a mold some years later for the personification of the classic character by Jim Carey, O Polar Express culminates in the detail plan of a hand bell, which is much more than the complete proof of the fantastic journey, it is the true Christmas spirit within each one of us. The inner child who screams and cries out for the sincere remembrance of his attachment to the beautiful illusion of the good old man, of the communion of gifts and brotherly love, whose sound materializes in the tinkling of the bell at the ear of the, now adult, little boy.

On the other hand, it is noticeable that the biggest problem of The Polar Express is not so much its innovative and uncomfortable aspect - something crucial for a Christmas plot - and its plot, common and obvious. The protagonist is a boy who is starting to stop believing in Santa Claus. He is growing up, and with that, forgetting the magic of childhood. The events in The Polar Express take place in a very traditional and unoriginal way. There are not many news or discoveries: everything goes very smoothly, without scares or surprises. The few moments of suspense and tension soon dissipate, and normality then dictates the course of action again. The impression is that he devoted a lot of time to the appearance of the film and very little to the development of the script.

The film itself looks more like a roller coaster. You will have fun watching the ups and downs of the trip, with exciting moments and action sequences where the beauty of the most magical time of the year is paramount, while others are strange and out of place, like the setting of children singing songs. At least when the final season arrives, the home of Santa Claus, the magical character is rescued with a sequence of events that show the intimacy of the elven officials, including the architecture of miniature houses since they are small. There comes a moment in the film that is surreal to imagine that a boy can walk on top of a moving train, but it does not bother you because you are already involved in the fantasy atmosphere provided by the characters.

The care with the visuals of sets and costumes of the inhabitants of the magical place breaks the skepticism of the central character of The Polar Express too much, and this is certainly a film that has a lot of audacity, being a pioneer in many points that would become quite common in children's productions. And adults later on. The movement capture technique, new at the time, brings to the film the combination of "real images" and animation, in one of the most surprising Christmas cinematic experiences in the history of cinema. In addition, The Polar Express is a very, very beautiful and careful film with its theme, even if the story could have denser characters and conflicts to make the experience even more unforgettable. Still, it is a beautiful production about friendship and how we should, without being too deluded, cultivate our dreams, with a view to making our existence more bearable.

When I was a kid I watched this like, a million times. My native language wasn't english, so despite being a child not understanding anything, I loved the movie. It's full of christmas and spirit. I would want a train like that go by my home

This is one of the better Christmas movies I've ever watched. It's fantastic. I watched this again after ages and right after 'A boy called Christmas' which I didn't like at all. You could say that I watched this to cleanse my eyes because that movie is quite bad.

It's an amazing fantasy Christmas movie with spectacular animation. Tom Hanks' animated character looks just like him. I didn't find the other characters as jarring as people claim them to be. The film's animation is so good that it's easy to overlook the "creepy" looking characters.

The film has extremely breathtaking visuals, gripping scenes, a jolly atmosphere. It also has songs which is really fantastic and something that happens to be missing from Christmas films including'A boy called Christmas'. The moral that this movie has is also quite beautiful. So overall a really great movie to watch during Christmas. All this hate is just not justified.

"Wow!"

I found myself saying this over and over as I watched this movie on DVD went it came out just before Thanksgiving of 2005. It continually amazes me how far computer animation has come in the last decade. Each time I think I've seen the most beautiful or amazing artwork, something better - like this - comes along. I couldn't believe how good this looked on my flat-screen TV. I can't imagine how good it must appear on an expensive plasma television.

The visuals are just stunning, scene after scene. The sound ain't bad, either! Those not playing this on a surround system are missing an integral part of this movie and a lot of fun. The roar of train as it comes and goes, for one example, is awesome.

The story is very simple but yet entertains all the way with some very adventurous scenes. There are a couple of roller coaster-type scenes which were especially fun, and actually thrilling. Normally, 100 minutes is a bit long for me to sit through an animated film but this was filled with so many amazing sights and fun action scenes that time was no problem.

The only drawback I found were the kids in the story. Most of them were not anyone you could really warm up to, except for the girl and she was so overtly politically correct it was sickening and an insult to anyone's intelligence. A black girl was NOT in the book but the typically-Liberal filmmakers not only change that character but make her the only one in the film with absolutely nothing wrong with her. She's so sweet she makes Mother Teresa sound like The Grinch. None of the kids in the film, however, were brats or annoying. The only funny kid was the nerd, of course.

PC baloney aside, this was fabulous entertainment. Tom Hanks did a great job voicing over five characters and I've just simply never a better-looking film than this.

So it was with much trepidation and even utter fear in my heart that I went to see this movie. After all, the last time I went to see a full-length adaptation of a favorite Christmas story, what I got was Ron Howard's absolutely God-awful "The Grinch". Having grown up with the book "The Polar Express" (according to my mom, I cited it as my favorite Christmas present when I was seven), I did not want to see this story bastardized in any way. Honestly, I was prepared for "Polar Express" to be a complete wreck. But instead…

It soared. Completely. What makes the film such a success is not so much even the story itself, but an execution which somehow manages to inject every frame of the film with a feeling of childlike wonder and exuberance. In addition, there are so many clever touches and details added throughout that a feeling of mystery and excitement just fills the viewer. Among these are the waiters dancing and singing while serving hot chocolate to the kids on the train (a very funny scene, as well), the factory where the presents are prepared, and a ghost-like hobo who is never really explained, but is incredibly crucial to the feel of the film. At one point, three of the children wander lost through the empty streets of Santa's North Pole town. As they wander, various old Christmas recordings are heard playing on phonographs throughout the town. The music provides a pleasant and nostalgic ambiance to the scene. It's touches like this that absolutely make the film.

I'll never understand why films seem to be required to be at least 90 minutes long. I would pay money to see a 40-minute film, as long as it were good. And even if it sucked, I would have at least wasted less time. What I'm getting at is I have no idea why a 32-page picture book needed to be a 99-minute movie. What this means is that the original story is VASTLY expanded upon. However, what is added in actually fits quite well with the essence and spirit of the book. Some of it is just sheer entertainment; the train track is like a roller coaster, characters ski on top of the cars, danger lurks around every step of the journey to the North Pole (but admittedly fun danger). Other aspects further illuminate and expand upon the book's basic theme of the virtue of belief in the implausible. So I have no idea why this was made into a full-length, but in the end, I'm glad it was. It didn't even feel too long (and I think everything is too long).

Much criticism has fallen on the look of the characters in the movie. I can agree to a point. While there is incredible visual detail in the faces, they usually seem void of expression. In general, a lot of the motion seems rather wooden, as well. The scenery, on the other hand, is gorgeous. Overall, the minor problems in animation (which really boil down to a matter of taste anyway) are certainly not enough to diminish what is an overwhelmingly successful movie. Score: 8/10

Chris Van Allsburg best selling children's book is considered by many to be classic children's literature. The film version is an animated which benefits the story further. Tom Hanks plays the narrator, producer, and the train conductor. The animation is first rate, award winning, and breathtakingly realistic as well. Of course, this is a children's story and there are some dark moments like the girl who didn't have her ticket and the main character who found it and planned to return it to her so she doesn't get kicked off the train and the ending. Of course, I am surprised that there was negative criticism. If I had children, I would love a classic film like this about the true meaning of Christmas. The act of being the giver and the receiver is what the story is about. Let's not talk about the nativity, that's for another story. If It's good enough for Chris Van Allsburg, it's good enough for me.

I've read the book, the Polar Express and later on, saw the movie. I myself have always visited Santa Claus when I was a lad and so did my nephew. I did in fact did a search on the real Santa Claus. He was originally known as Saint Nicholas of Myra. A Eastern Greek Orthodox Bishop. My nephew knows very little about the origins of Santa Claus. But eventually he'll learn the truth and know the true meaning of Christmas.

My favorite Christmas movie!

The animation is so good

The story is so good

So charming

So magical

It's near perfect.

My only issues is that is slows down for a moment a couple times and I'm having such a good time it always annoys me, I'm like let's get back to the fun!

It's a must watch every December. Alone with eating pizza! I don't know why put I'm always in the mood for pizza and snuggle up while watching The Polar Express

I need to read the book, I didn't even know it was based on a book. I recently fount that out, that the movie sucks compare to the book. If that's true... How good is the book then?! Cause the movies is the best Christmas movie ever! And I'm not even all that big in Christmas movies, just a handful that I like.

The Polar Express is a rare exercise in pure cinemagic, where everything is dreamlike and exists in a world run on the motor of whimsy. It's a beautiful looking film, with every shot so mindbogglingly detailed and every action sequence so paralyzing in its charm and excitement. I can only imagine the everlasting impact an IMAX experience would've had on me as a longtime cinema-goer.

I have major sympathy for the parents of America, who year after year, are likely subjected to the lowest common denominator of family entertainment at home and at the cinema. When rating a family film, I ask the question, "is it fun for the kids?" and then ask, "is it fun for the adults?" They pay the ticket price; don't you feel they should share the enjoyment of what is being on screen and not just hope to see something resembling the beginning of a long line of end credits? Bless the fact that Pixar films have begun to take the attention of anxious kids and parents, and at least during the Christmastime in 2004, The Polar Express lurked in theaters for weeks so that the masses could be treated to the beautiful qualities imaginative cinema had to offer.

I'm positive everyone knows the story to the beloved children's book, penned in 1985. On the night of Christmas Eve, a young boy, skeptical about the idea of Santa Claus, is taken on a journey after seeing an enormous train pull up to his front yard with the train conductor (one of the five characters Tom Hanks voices in the film, not including the narrator) proudly shouting, "all abooooooard," before taking the young boy and several other nearby children on the ride of their life. Their destination is obviously the North Pole, where the kids can hopefully meet Santa Claus and receive a present for their good behavior this year. During the long ride, the young boy (who remains nameless, along with most of the others on board) meets a young black girl and a young boy named Billy, and the three children wind up having the ride of their life, as they not only avoid several scenes of uncertainty, but challenge the perilous conditions brought on to them by using quick and wise judgment. Not to mention, these three kids are just absolutely lovable. You're Scrooge if the children's beautiful song at the back of the train doesn't summon a tear to your eye.

The film exercises our unalienable right to imagine and dream. What kind wouldn't have wanted to take a ride on The Polar Express at age eight or nine? When I was small, my town held a little "Polar Express" event where children go board a train and cruise through nearby towns. It was a less than memorable experience. The singing was mild, the people weren't as fun, and the rule about hot chocolate wasn't in place because it was already broken by the time we received it.

If I would've seen something like The Polar Express in IMAX theaters, say, nine years ago, I would've been delighted. The kids who appreciate the most will be between seven and ten because the film gears itself to more mature children, who are still possibly clinging to that last bit of childhood innocence that is believing in Santa Claus. This picture shows that magic continues to exist long after your beliefs are over, and paints the most lavish and awe-inspiring portrait of the holidays that I have ever seen.

Director Robert Zemeckis, the laudable visionary of Back to the Future, provides us with one of cinema's many landmark, this one being for the digital age. This is the first film in history to utilize the motion-capture style of animation for the entire length. Motion-capture animation is when actors are fitted for special suits and proceed to act out the motions of their character, which will be converted to digital animation using computers. In recent times, let's take for example, Mars Needs Moms, a later picture by Zemeckis that left loads to be desired, the medium was gimmicky and unnecessary. Here, it's extremely enchanting. The inherent zombification of the human characters isn't explicitly found like in other motion-capture animation films, and it provides for nothing but smoothness in the sequences when The Polar Express flies off the train tracks and on to a bed of ice. Even the scenes with Santa's sleigh, zipping and zooming past a crowd of thousands looks beautifully enhanced thanks to this medium. This is one of the most detailed and great looking films ever made.

The Polar Express is a magnificent cinematic achievement in terms of look and feel. The action sequences are brilliantly staged, offering up the feeling of placement and depth instead of giving us indistinct location shots and messy editing skills. Everything is clear, broad, and vivid, and the characters are innocent and easy to love. The film has been compared to a roller coaster ride in a derogative manner, but turning that around to fit a positive connotation, the picture gives us one of the most fun cinematic rides in recent history, visually and emotionally.

Voiced by: Tom Hanks. Directed by: Robert Zemeckis.

I think this movie deserves a higher rating than a 6.6 on IMDb. I know its just an opinion to everyone else, but I just don't think it deserves to be ignored because "The Polar Express" is one of the greatest experience that I have ever seen, since when it first came out back in 2004 in IMAX 3D. My favorite part in IMAX 3D is where the train starts to go too fast, and we get this awesome experience that you are on a roller coaster ride. I felt like that I was part of that ride, and it was like "WOW!" Of course, I am only watching this in 2D which is fine but it will never be the same experience as what the IMAX 3D did. So, with that said, "The Polar Express" is about a boy who doesn't believe as he gets on a magical train known as the Polar Express as it leads up to the North Pole so he and the rest of the children are about to go see Santa Claus on Christmas Eve late at night. I don't know if the movie has a message but if it does, then I thought it is well done as we should know that seeing is believing as it for us on what we believe. The animation in this movie is spectacular, and I thought the animators did a great job on rendering these characters to make them look real. Of course, you can argue about on why Robert Zemeckis should have just shot this movie in live action instead of animating it. So, what do I know because I honestly don't know; maybe it is just for that kind of style as they are trying to make these characters to be more faithful to the book. Anyway, I thought Zemeckis does a great job on making this movie, and making this a whole lot of fun. Tom Hanks does a wonderful job to work with motion capture as he is playing each character that he is doing; it is also kind of hard on which actor or actress is voicing these characters or doing motion capture but I will leave that up to you. Nevertheless, Hanks was really good in it. The music by Alan Silvestri is very well scored, and the songs that he teamed up with Glen Ballard are pretty good too. I also don't mind if the filmmakers had to add new scenes that have nothing to do with the book, because folks, the book is short so that is probably why they had to expand the book into a movie that is over an hour an a half long. I was fine with it, and have nothing to complain about. So, enough talking about who or what is having problems with this movie, I just thought "The Polar Express" is a wonderful experience and would love if this was brought back into theaters, as well as showing it in IMAX 3D. I give this movie a 10 out of 10.

Come on, guys. This film was made at a time when these visuals were still groundbreaking. Don't complain now that they were not as far along then as they are today. Thanks to pioneering work like The Polar Express, filmmakers can now create even more beautiful things. A lack of historical perspective is a major shortcoming for the contemporary viewer... And yes, it is always a joy to watch Tom Hanks, whichever movie he's in. Now and back then.

Charming and worthwhile adaptation about a timeless and marvelous Christmas story dealing with a boy boards a magical train which's driven to the North Pole and Santa Claus's home . Polar Express is an enjoyable Hollywood production , set on Christmas Eve , a wonderful and straight forward approach to the original's source material , based on a storybook written by Chris Van Allsburg who also created ¨Zahura¨ and ¨Jumanji¨ , being splendidly adopted . It is given the full ¨Motion Capture¨ deluxe treatment in this superior Holiday film . The production values & acting are both excellent, with just enough attractive to appeal to the tenderhearted, and with moving doses of allucinogenic adventure , thrilling events , case of the potentially frightening elements and adding sentiment ; all of them are blended into the mix, until, like a nice Christmas punch, the result appeals to all . The Christmas story tells of a boy who has reached an age when he begins to have materialistic doubts believing in Santa . The young boy is lying awake waiting for the sound of sleigh bells ringing from Santa's sleigh . The little boy receives a surprise, a steam engine's roar and whistle can be heard outside his window , he jumps from his bed and sees a train in the middle of his street , as he is visited by a strange Polar Express . A rare conductor (Tom Hanks) who displays no charity to mankind generally invites him on board to take an extraordinary trip to the outside his window . The doubting boy grabs his robe and rushes out the front North Pole with many other pajama-clad children . The little hero boy meets a group of children (voices from Nora Gaye , Eddie Deezen, Peter Scolari) . There, he gets an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience a nd will learn the error of his ways . To his delight, the roller-coaster ride complete his beliefs in one night giving him the opportunity to mend his thoughts to reaffirm Mr Claus .

Splendid Tom Hanks who plays the train conductor of a magical express heading for the North Pole, in addition to five other parts. A marvelous recounting of a Christmas tale and Tom Hanks demonstrates once again his versatility on screen in this retelling of a surrealist, fantastic adventure that results to be a kaleidoscopic marvel . It packs spectacular set pieces , breathtaking sound effects , highly imaginative camera angles and impressive special effects ; furthermore a sensible musical score by Alan Silvestri , including a touching leitmotif . Atmospherically as a complete package it demonstrates the perfection of modern computer animation techniques . The movie is as comfortable and heartwarming as an old Christmas card .The whole concept of looking at a rapid train towards North Pole is creative in and of itself. After watching the movie, you may look at your life from the same enjoyable perspectives . Special effects add a nice little touch , but it is Tom Hanks's interaction with the various characters that really steal the show . Hanks manages to capture pure magic with his stunningly awesome portrayal of main characters , the Hero boy and the conductor , and it is definitely worth a look . It's fun and different approach to the Christmas tale with top notch effects by means of ¨Motion Capture¨ , a technique magnificently developed by Robert Zemeckis who will repeat in other films as ¨Beowulf¨ and ¨Christmas Carol¨ . A highly recommended film that nobody should miss it especially during Christmas time . ¨Robert Zemeckis's Polar Express¨ still ranks as one of the best adaptations of Christmas stories ever. This animated retelling about a doubting little boy taken on a journey of self-redemption and knowledge will appeal to Tom Hanks buffs , computer games enthusiasts and eye-candy fans .

A simple story . . . beautifully told . . . magnificently visualized.

The IMAX experience was stunning.

I did not expect to enjoy the story as much as I did. Simple but quite heartwarming.

Although it started a bit slow, it continued to gain momentum (no train analogy intended) through its conclusion. I was not a great lover of the animation of the human characters, but the other animation, whether it be the train, the scenery, the reindeer, or the elves (are elves human?) was quite well done.

Perhaps the best review I can provide is that after I watched the Polar Express, I just felt happier.

There is a fleeting moment in THE POLAR EXPRESS where the title vehicle passes a department store with an elaborate Christmas display in the window. Everyone is excited by the sight, especially the story's protagonist, "Hero Boy," until he sees the mechanical gears that reveal the display's Santa Claus to be a machine. That's the problem with THE POLAR EXPRESS, it is a splendid, wildly inventive machine, but it keeps on reminding us that it, quite literally, lacks a human face.

Based on Chris Van Allsburg's slight but textured children's book, the film attempts to capture that book's subtle, albeit dark, visual tone. And for the most part the filmmakers do a stunning job. The artwork and animation, done largely with computers, is rich and detailed and often about as close to lifelike as any animation that I have ever seen. Therefore it is ironic that the remarkably high standards the film sets with most of the animation and artwork only serves to highlight the other aspects of the art that do fail so jarringly. The train, the snow, the sweeping landscapes and even the animals such as wolves and reindeer are all so incredibly meticulous in detail and movement, that it only makes the failure of the artists to replicate the human characters all the more startling and disappointing. The human beings in the story seem trapped in a limbo, being neither quite cartoon and certainly not quite human.

It is strange that the animators do an outstanding job of recreating skin texture and coloring and even the various subtleties of hair, but can't quite recreate the most revealing aspect of being human, the eyes. The mouth movements are disappointing too, but it is the eyes that are, well, just plain creepy. Like the characters in Japanese anime or the sad orphans painted on black velvet, these characters have eyes that have a cold, spookiness to them. They are a mild, if unrelenting, distraction in some scenes, but they quietly spoil many of the major moments where the film strives for an emotional intimacy. It is a serious problem when you literally don't want to look a character in the eye, especially if the character is a child.

The film uses a technology called "performance capture," wherein an actor actually gives a three-dimensional performance which is recorded digitally by a computer, to then be manipulated into animated art. Performance capture is an extension of CGI and, as used in films like THE LORD OF THE RINGS, further blurs the line between what is animation and what is special effects. The process seems to work fairly well as far as body movement goes; the animated characters move with genuine lifelike grace that is far superior to previous attempts, such as the animated action sequences in SPIDER-MAN or THE HULK. Indeed, a dance sequence involving a band of hyperkenetic waiters is a showstopper. But the process just does not work as far as detailing facial features.

Cartoon humans from Elmer Fudd to Fred Flintstone are more simplistic, yet more human than the waxworks faces in THE POLAR EXPRESS. Their cartoonishness gives them a personality that is missing from the POLAR EXPRESS characters. I suppose that as the technology progresses, the ability to create totally believable human faces will be achieved to some credible degree. But the question is why? It's like making vanilla wafers with artificial flavoring; why seek a substitute for something natural and superior.

The director of THE POLAR EXPRESS is Robert Zemeckis, a clever and skilled craftsman whose work includes the brilliant WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, a film that blends real and cartoon images wonderfully. THE POLAR EXPRESS would have been so much better had they followed the lead of ROGER RABBIT and, like SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, merged high-tech trickery with the simple honesty of the human face. Repeatedly throughout THE POLAR EXPRESS, I found myself wishing certain scenes were featuring real actors; I can't think of any other time where I thought a cartoon would be better as live action.

Despite its optimistic Yuletide moral about the power of believing and its child's eye view of the world, the film really isn't a kids movie. THE POLAR EXPRESS has a Twilight Zone quality to it; not unlike the many versions of A CHR1STMAS CAROL or IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The film is dark, and even in its most upbeat moments the story and the storytelling are strangely subdued. Not quite brooding or grim, but far from joyful. While obviously directing the film towards children, the filmmakers don't seem to understand kids. Little things are telling, like failing to give the characters names other than generic titles, like Hero Boy, Lonely Boy, Hero Girl, Know-It-All, etc. Such a lame literary device as reducing a character to a nameless symbolic entity is lost on children; they want to know people's names. Children can't relate to nameless, faceless characters. Neither can adults for that matter. Humans have names, and for that matter so do cartoon characters.

Though it is seriously flawed, THE POLAR EXPRESS is still a remarkable effort, visually stunning and ultimately even emotionally rewarding. But no amount of artistic talent can capture the simple beauty or honesty of a living child's face; it may have been folly for the filmmakers to even try.

Clearly the reviewers who panned this wonderful film can no longer hear the ringing of the silver bell. I am reminded of the know it all kid in the film when I read these reviews. Some said it was too dark. Too dark? It was set at 5 minuets to midnight.....As I recall its dark then. Another called it ghostly; a condition true of a Christmas Carol, the film is in good company there. While I will admit that the computer motion capture in facial expressions is not as strong as it could be it did not detract from the story. Some reviewers did not like the roller-coaster effects. One even pointed out that trains can not do what this one does.....It's a dream...physics don't count. It is a sad commentary that the meaning of Christmas and belief in it's historically documented magic is so lost on those with access to the press. My review...it's good and it is best if you make up your own mind. I could hear the bell ring and I hope you can too.

It was astonishing to read the lead in review. The complaint laid forth by the critic that the director's view of the North Pole and Santa's workshop did not reflect his, too bad. Maybe the critic could do better but it's doubtful. As for the line that the Elven town looked like something out of a German city, so what? Didn't many of the concepts of Christmas begin in Germany? My family (two seniors, a twenty year old father, his 3, almost 4, year old son) loved it. The colors were brilliant. The number of elves dancing, singing, and rushing to create an entrance for Santa was outstanding. Santa, himself, proved to be exactly as he should. Intelligent, sturdy, and kind. His reindeer, just as impressive. Forgetting the North Pole and remarking on the rest of the movie, how well done! The artwork, just great. The excitement, our grandson was out of his chair and standing while holding onto the chair-back of the row in front of us. There were scenes that could have seemed somewhat scary for a youngster, he didn't find them so. He laughed several times out loud, had his eyes glued to the screen when something serious seemed to be happening, loved the entire movie. He wants the DVD for Christmas (he will have to wait a year). He also told us that he wants to see the movie once more before Christmas. Out of the mouth of a three year old, his favorite movie.

How can a critic want to re-design that? All because he didn't like the city at the North Pole.? I guess he was looking for buildings made from peppermint sticks. To each his own. As for the three adults, we too were amazed. We went for our grandson. We enjoyed it so much, we applauded (as did others in the theater). It will be easy to return for a second showing. And, the DVD, this family will be buying more than one. My summary states that this was the best Christmas story ever made (put on film, actually), we think it was more than that. It surpasses other great animated films. Once purchased in a DVD format, Toy Story will be relegated to the back shelf, even during the middle of summer.

If anything this is a movie you've have got to have seen in theaters because the experience is something else. But even that it's such a fantastic christmas movie. I can't really think of any other animated christmas movie that reaches the level Polar Express does. It has an engaging story, is extremely well paced, great voice acting and a fantastic soundtrack.

The art direction, the fantasy of it all. There's so much fun put into this movie, not just the writing but the action moments, the scenery (like the twisting mountain which the trains goes around like a christmas tree).

The animation still holds up extremely well to this day, it does start to show its age regarding the character facial animation though. But it's not distracting.

All in all I'd add this movie to the ''must watch'' christmas movie list..9/10

The Polar Express is a fantastic movie with a very well developed storyline and a terrific voice cast.This and Elf are one of the most recent films that I consider a Christmas classic and happily watch every December,it is beautifully directed and the animation is absolutely stunning,there's s lovely Christmsd feeling all the way through.Tom Hanks was terrific in this film and I didn't even know he voiced so many characters ,particularily Santa Claus and the Hobo,they didn't sound a bit like him,but the Conductor was without a doubt my favourite.I do think this movie would have looked a lot better if it was live action,all the sets could have been amazing and I will admit that Robert Zemeckis's animation style is a little creepy because it's so close to real,but I will accept the way he chose to make it as it still looks great and he is my favourite director.I would highly recommend Polar Express for the whole family to watch at Christmas time.

A young boy who no longer believes in Santa Claus is given the opportunity to go on a train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve to meet the man himself.

Don't get me wrong, I liked this movie very much. It is nice to watch around Christmas time. The film respects the book of the same name, which I think is a great one. Actually it was one of my favourites, a timeless Christmas story about the power of belief, faith and hope. Back to the film, one thing that was a definite plus was the visuals. They were phenomenal, colourful and looked as though the animators had gone to extreme lengths to make it neat. The character animation was just as impressive. The music is very good, with sparkling motifs and haunting secondary themes. The end credits song is truly beautiful. Another plus was the voice cast, Tom Hanks stands out obviously. He voices five or six characters here, and he was great as always. However, the film does take a while to get going, and the script is rather simplistic. And while the visuals were outstanding, the story while respectfully true to the book(while adding characters and changing existing ones) just isn't compelling enough, and is made up of disconnected,unexplained and sometimes rushed scenes in terms of story telling. All in all, a nice Christmas film that is well worth watching chiefly for the visuals. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is really an amazing movie, taking place on christmas eve. Those people who are like "its not realistic" it's a christmas movie for gosh sake. Enjoy it. It gives me flashbacks of how I always used to have christmas. It's very amazing. We watch it every year!

This movie gets better every year we watch it, I've heard some think its creepy.Its NOT creepy you're just not used to animation this GREAT!! Its actually a work of art, and omg what a great story. Its actually a spin on the Christmas Carol go read the trivia on IMDb. Anyway Tom Hanks is phenomenal in this already Christmas classic and the animation is incredible. We're some of the VERY lucky ones who get to watch it in lustrous, astonishing, phenomenal 3d!!! I purchased ( feel like I stole it) for a whopping 19.95 and for that measly amount of money I own a hundred million dollar MASTERPIECE that needed 100s of people spending thousands of hours to make and I can watch it anytime I want for 20 bucks!! I should feel guilty I thank all involved for allowing myself and family to EXPERIENCE this work of art!!!!!!

"The Polar Express" is based on the classic picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, and brought to the screen through the magic of computer animation. The movie is a huge spectacle of wondrous imagery. All this surrounds the story of a skeptical young boy who takes a Christmas Eve ride on the Polar Express, in attempt to convince himself that Santa Claus is real. Tom Hanks is the star, providing the performance of several characters, including the stoic Conductor, who plays it strict in one instance, then endearing in the next. Much has been made of the liberties taken with the original story. This is just a case of having to stretch a simple story into feature length. But a lot of added sequences are enjoyable and breathtaking, including the snappy "Hot Chocolate" number. You can expect this to be a new holiday classic that will be remembered for years!