Vivid and imaginative

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2004)

The Polar Express is indeed a vivid and imaginative film created by Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis. It is a stunning adaptation of a holiday classic that will be cherished by many for years to come. This is indeed the ideal Christmas story about a young boy who doubts the existence of Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, the boy encounters a massive locomotive known as The Polar Express, which guarantees a round-trip ride to the North Pole. The boy is reluctant at first but then decides to board the train perhaps because he is curious or perhaps because deep inside his heart there is still the belief in the unrealistic. While on board, the boy encounters a variety of characters including the appearance of a ghostly hobo, who teaches him that seeing is believing. However, the boy still has many questions which no one has the answer to except himself. Throughout the film, he goes on a journey of self-discovery and decides at the very end whether or not he still believes. The film has heart and is both touching and magnificent. Tom Hanks plays six characters in the film but does his best work as the conductor, who doesn't need proof that seeing is believing. There is also the appearance of the dead toy car, in which there are various amounts of toys that have been neglected over the years. The scene is both haunting and filled with sorrow at the same time. Yet the most touching sequence comes when the boy receives the first gift from Santa Claus towards the end of the film. The boy receives proof that some parts of life are not fantasy and learns that all of us must have faith in whatever you believe. Not only is the film powerful emotionally but it is also a visual wonder. Robert Zemeckis has used the remarkable technology of performance capture to create a world so genuine and realistic that you begin to question if the film is animated or not. It is a roller-coaster ride of adventure and Christmas spirit that never ceases to amaze. Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis have taught us to believe in the Christmas spirit with this magnificent adaptation of The Polar Express. The film will definitely go down in the annals of such Christmas classics as It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. Terrific, Terrific Film-making!
Lenny's Grade: A-