Review of The Polar Express (2004) by Chris O — 24 Dec 2015

The Polar Express will be a classic film for kids to watch every Christmas season, and although its attempts with symbolism and allegories are touching, it is a bumpy ride throughout and its execution is lackluster at times.

So its been around 10 years since I've last seen "The Polar Express", and I really did love this movie as a child. I loved watching the adventure that these kids went on, and it was a fun Christmas that I could enjoy yearly. Until now, I had never gotten to closely examine this movie and break it down, and although there were many positive things I still drew from this film, it lost its magic as I grew older.

To start out, on the outside of the film, everything looks great. The visuals are actually pretty stunning, and it still holds up in today's entertainment. Although there are a few moments where the visuals looked fuzzy or off, overall, the cinematography was impressive.

The real voice actor that stood out to me here was Tom Hanks, as he once again put up another amazing performance. I feel like people don't really appreciate just how much talent it takes to bring a character to life from behind a microphone, and although the animators and editors deserve a lot of credit, Tom Hanks was by far the star of this movie. He was the master of multiple roles, and he was my absolute favorite part of the movie. I loved almost all of his characters and he brought a different element to different parts of the story.

Now, this movie will be a fun adventure for kids, and it will even have a little bit in there for its older generations. On one side of the spectacle, kids will mindlessly watch this film as an adventure to visit Santa Clause, but they will also subconsciously learn a few valuable lessons from the characters themselves. As I broke down this film, I noticed that each character represented their own little thing. Each and every one of them had a message behind their personalities, and they were all unique and meaningful in their own way. The problem is, I never felt like any of these characters or messages were really expanded on. Although I admire the effort they put into instilling these messages and beliefs, it ultimately felt kind of bland. None of the messages really stuck with me, and it felt like they were trying to shove it blindly in my face. There wasn't enough effort to inspire me or make me feel gratified, and it just felt a little bit incomplete. Kids will learn something from this movie, and even adults might take away a little something, but this movie doesn't neccesarily execute it cleanly. It could've cleaned up in a few spots and it could've focused in on a few central messages, or at the least, given us better reasons to care for the characters at hand.

In the end, this is a great holiday movie for the family, and its one that really isn't half bad. It boasts some great visuals along with an amazing voice actor, and there are plenty of messages that people can take away from this film. The story at hand is pretty messy and the movie felt incomplete overall, as its execution wasn't flawless by any means, and it lacked on story-telling. Although this movie has its problems, it will always hold a place in my childhood, but I will still give this movie the most accurate and honest rating I can. I was still entertained by this film, and I truly think it deserves a fresh rating.