Taking a new spin on the traditional tales of Christmas and the belief in Santa Clause, the 2004 computer animated tale “The Polar Express” is a straight up family holiday movie that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Based on the 1985 award winning children’s novel of the same name (penned by Chris Van Allsburg), “The Polar Express” pairs the behind the scene talents of Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr with Hollywood titan Tom Hanks for a Christmas tale that’s told with the digital generation in mind.
“The Polar Express” was meant to be viewed in IMAX 3D, but works well in any format (though some scenes were obviously better suited for the former). Once the viewer adjusts to the creepy computer animated characters, the story becomes a lifelike form of its own.
Seeing is believing is the mantra of the story, and as a pre-teen boy goes to bed on Christmas Eve, his parents take sad note of how he has crossed the threshold of believing in Santa Clause.
During the night, the boy is awoken by train called the Polar Express which mysteriously blasts to a halt right in front of his home. The conductor (portrayed by Hanks) advises the boy that the train is en route to the North Pole and the boy would be best advised to get on board.
I can’t recall the exact moment when I stopped being a child and started being an obnoxious adolescent.
One day, the magic of Christmas was all I looked forward to all year, and in an instant it was gone. Sometime as an adult, the belief thankfully resurfaced (I now not only believe in the magic of Santa but would love to relocate to the North Pole to work for him) but that comes from an appreciation that teenagers simply can’t have.
The moment when a child forgoes his or her beliefs in Santa Clause is great fodder for Christmas movies, and “The Polar Express” continues with this trend.
As the boy in the story (also voiced by Hanks) reluctantly boards the train, he sees it full of other children who share his own hesitance to believe. The journey to the North Pole is full of adventure, and rightfully concludes with a majestic viewing of what the real meaning is behind Christmas.
“The Polar Express” boasts some cool effects, though at times it seems the flash overrides the substance just a bit as Zemeckis may be more intent on flexing his technological muscle in lieu of telling a great tale.
Still, the cinematography is something to marvel at, and is employed well at keeping an old and well worn plot fresh in the minds of a current day audience.
Tom Hanks cemented himself as flat out brilliant with last year’s”Captain Phillips” and demonstrates his unique ability and multi-talents with his handful of roles in “Express.”
Lending more than just his voice, Hanks also serves as the model for the Conductor, with the animated specter looking exactly like the actor in an astonishing and somewhat chilling way.
A decade after its release, “The Polar Express” is a solid Christmas movie that can be enjoyed by all.
Its plot is simple and its graphics intense, and its the perfect way to start the month of December. “The Polar Express” is a Christmas story that the present day generation can be proud of.
by – Matt Christopher
