The Polar Express

The Polar Express

Starring Tom Hanks, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari, Eddie Deezen

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

The Story:
Having turned old enough to doubt the existence of Santa, Hero Boy awakens on Christmas Eve night to the sound of a train outside.  The Conductor (Tom Hanks) invites the young boy on board, bound for the North Pole.  At first hesitant, Hero Boy gets on board and meets Hero Girl (Nona Gaye) and Know-It-All (Eddie Deezen), and then Lonely Boy (Peter Scolari).  Together they embark on an adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa, and along the way Hero Boy learns that believing doesn't always come with seeing.

The Synopsis:
Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg (who also wrote "Jumanji"), "The Polar Express" is a magical, whimsical Christmastime adventure that was a marvel ahead of its time.  Back in 2004, it became the first film to be done in all motion digital capture, which was something unheard of at the time.  Now, it's pretty much commonplace, and the effect of it has gotten only better with time, but even its dated quality doesn't take away from the wonderful story at the heart of it all.

The film (along with the book) has obvious parallels to the classic Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol," with Hero Boy playing the part of Ebenezer Scrooge - a boy who's stopped believing in the impossible.  He doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas any longer, and is tired of seeing the Santa at the department store, because he knows he isn't real.  When the Polar Express arrives, despite the fact that it's obviously something that couldn't logically happen, he finds it difficult at first to get on board because of his bah humbug attitude.

When he gets on board, he meets several other children who are on the train, including Hero Girl, who is an African American girl he befriends and joins in their adventures.  Then there's the Know-It-All, a kid who knows everything about everything and has an off-putting attitude about it.  Then the train picks up Lonely Boy, a kid who sits alone in another compartment of the train and is obviously from the wrong side of the tracks.  These characters - although stock characters due to the fact that none of them have names (except for Lonely Boy, who's name is Billy) - are the ones we see this new world through, and learn important lessons about belief, friendship, and courage.  The Conductor is a stern yet friendly character who has equal parts childlike faith and adult-like responsibilities, always worried about making it to his destination on time, yet also willing to treat the children to special treats (like hot chocolate).

Even when they arrive at the North Pole and they embark on their own adventure there, Hero Boy has his doubts.  While the other children hear the bells, he can't hear anything.  Then he meets the real Santa, and the magic of Christmas re-enters his heart.  It's the most emotional part of the film, one that has an even deeper meaning for us as adults who watch it.  It serves as a cautionary tale to never lose our childlike faith in the unbelievable, because there's a special magic that can only be found there.

Tom Hanks has worked with Robert Zemeckis in "Forrest Gump" and "Cast Away," and here he performs several duties.  Not only is he the Conductor (obvious because the Conductor looks just like him), he also did motion capture work for Hero Boy, his Father, a Hobo, Scrooge, and Santa himself.  There's something about Tom Hanks that brings out the child in people - either his good-natured appearance or his calm, soothing voice - and having him as the lead role is a stroke of genius.

If there's any negativity, it's with the animation.  While it was a pioneer for its time, it hasn't aged well.  To me, it was like watching cut scenes for a Playstation 3 game.  The characters were so strangely created they looked very weird, but the story still managed to take me away from that.  Plus the settings are elegantly created - especially the North Pole, which looked more like a Dutch city than anything - that it helped add to the magic the film portrayed.  Plus the music (which earned Oscar nominations for Sound Editing and Mixing) was absolutely mesmerizing.  Everything about it took us on the ride with the children, and it was well worth the price of the ticket.

The Summary:
While the animation is a bit outdated, the message is as timeless as anything, and it'll warm your heart with the magic of Christmas.

The Score: A-