A very good holiday film!

Rating: 8/10 (7 November 2009)

OK guys, I've heard the pros and cons and I think most of you are missing the point. This is a kid's movie about a magical train ride to the North Pole. It isn't Schindler's list or the Shawshank Redemption. It also isn't Top Gun or Lara Croft. It's just supposed to be a fun holiday film.
Tom Hanks does a respectable job in the characters he plays. The animation is good and the plot represents multiple themes. The hero girl has doubts as the hero boy repeated asks her 'Are you sure?' The hero boy doubts if Santa is real. The know-it-all needs a little humility and poor little Billy just needs some friends and a Christmas to remember.
The action scenes are good and you must remember that the train is also a co-star. Just as the Sharps rifle is a co-star in Quigley Down Under, the train sequences are very important to the story.
Yes, the story was modified from the book to be more inclusive, but remember that the author was a consultant and co-penned the screenplay. If the author approved then I can't pan the story. My grandkids watch this film with us every year and my nine-year old still believes. I'll dislike the day when she loses the magic. Lighten up and enjoy the film. It's a good one and will be a holiday favorite for years to come.
As a parting note, I've been on a Baldwin Berkshire locomotive and the animators hit it spot-on! Right down to the sand dispensers!
Lighten up and enjoy!