The Polar Express, despite all of its technicalities, is a whimsical bland adventure.

Rating: 6/10 (25 February 2018)

Claimed to be the first full digitally captured motion picture, it was one of the most expensive animated features at the time. Giving such a daring project to an experienced director like Robert Zemeckis was a wise choice. Children all board a train called 'The Polar Express' which is heading to The North Pole. During this expedition, the children soon learn and experience the magic and spirit of Christmas which will make all the non-believers change their mind. It's a pretty standard plot, but one that is utterly accessible for the younger audience. However for others, there is a substantial disconnection between the characters and story that it comes across as monotonous. Although we can all agree, the animation and bold attempt for a entire digital movie was excellent. A technically sound film. No question. Despite a few jagged mouth movements and character motions, it's surprisingly fluid for the most part. Snow falling as the train ferociously powers through ice or even a herd of caribou, it all looked realistic and with a huge budget it needed to be. A whimsical tale that is not overly jolly. It doesn't force Christmas themes constantly (until the third act), there is a hauntingly magical undertone that doesn't feel glossy. I admired that, was rather mature at times. The characters themselves, well, were dull. Considering that nearly all of them are anonymous, there is a huge disconnection that prevents us from investing into the story. Therefore, Zemeckis just uses them like puppets in order to showcase the visual effects. From one situation to another, it came across as gimmicky. This easily could've been avoided by introducing some personality within the characters. Speaking of situations, some of them felt ridiculously random in order to evoke a sense of wonder. Singing about hot chocolate, a convenient man who assists the protagonist and then disappears like snow, Steven Tyler as an elf (way too weird!?), it didn't work for me. Style over substance.