Christmas equals noise

Rating: 2/10 (9 November 2005)

This was considerably worse than expected. The fact that it clearly targets an American audience, up to the point where some details become difficult to understand for people who grew up with different Christmas traditions (milk and cookies as a sign that Santa hasn't been around yet, for example - I had to look that one up), is OK, obviously - maybe not as appealing to others, but I can't blame the film for that.
Unfortunately, the movie fails to deliver in nearly all other fields as well. The animation is strangely lifeless. Especially kids and elves look more like robots than like kids - expensive technique doesn't automatically bring spirit into a film. An exception might be the Tom Hanks characters, but I think he just stands out because all the others are so bad. At no point was there any bond between viewer and protagonist, which is a big step towards a boring film. But there are more.
The plot itself is rather thin. Two of the kids on the train don't really believe in Christmas, so they need to learn - but why is everyone else on board? Why does the train have so many cars when only one is used, when there are millions of other kids who stopped believing? What's the meaning of a train in the film anyway? Unfortunately, I know the answer to that: It's in it as an excuse for unmotivated roller-coaster rides that have no meaning for the film at all.
There are a few moments when some nice messages are transported: friendship is important and Christmas is a cool time of the year. As soon as we get to these messages, though, we get loads of kitsch as well, which makes them hard to endure.
The main message of the film seems to be: Christmas is a time for noisy roller-coaster rides and bright lights and for showing off your animation skills. Oh, and it is the time when Santa comes and showers you with gifts the size of yourself. For me, Christmas is a lot more than that.