A Simply Magnificent Experience

Rating: Null/10 (28 January 2005)

Aside from occasionally choking on moments of excessive sentimentality, I found this movie a glorious, enrapturing, imaginative, goose-bump-provoking experience. Simply the ride on the splendid train, with the astonishingly-faithful rendition of the glories of a large steam locomotive, and a brightly-lit passenger train flying through the night, would have been worth the time and the ticket price. But then there was Tom Hanks the slightly prudish but paternal conductor, Tom Hanks the world's most classic King of the Road, able to feast upon the freedom provided by computer animation; Tom Hanks the Santa Claus with dignity palpable without even seeing his face. Moments of the acme of zaniness, imaginativeness and humor, such as the crazy scene on the lake, or the nutty exchange that clears the caribou. The reindeer, and the departure of the sleigh from the North Pole, was more dramatic than anything I had ever imagined during my days of believing in Santa Claus. Let those who sniff at the plot or the roller-coaster rides go get lives - and then come back and enjoy this richly delightful holiday film.