Scary, depressing, and violent, meant for kids?

Rating: 4/10 (18 November 2014)

Few films are as polarizing as the Polar Express; people either love it or hate it. I'm curious if kids actually like this dismal film, the train conductor is angry and abusive, yelling at the kids, threatening to throw them off the train, yanking them topside in the blinding snow. The town is like some depressing little English industrial burb with lots of strict rules and short-tempered workers; it's like having Christmastime at a brick-making factory. The children characters are annoying, especially the kid with the glasses. Not to worry, the film is overlaid with jolly old muted colors where blue becomes gray, bright red becomes maroon, and Santa himself is seen through the darkest sunglasses you've ever worn. I agree with everyone else who commented about the frightening eyes on the characters, "Manson lamps" as Tony Soprano would say. A cold and cheerless film with exactly zero lessons to teach kids about anything. Merry Christmas?