Oddly engaging and boring at the same time

Rating: 5/10 (14 December 2006)

Unlike so many others, I thought the CGI was amazing 95% of the time. I thought there were times when the people looked real. Except for the Hero Girl; the dimensions on her face created some odd angles, and there were times when she looked as if someone forgot to finish the detail work on her. And the Elves. Besides the fact that several were Jewish (cuz there just aren't a lot of non- Jewish people who use the word 'meshuganna' in casual discussion), the elves were FREAKISH looking. When one of them kicks a kid down off the giant toy bag, and then turns to another and says, "Trust me"... whoa. I found it disturbing, for some reason.
Aspects which others thought boring and unnecessary - such as the ticket flying out the window - I found absolutely mesmerizing. I really admired and appreciated the craft that went into some of the more interesting visuals - like the ice breaking, and the dance sequence. But I do agree, these were utterly unnecessary for the story telling of the film.
Plot - hmmm??? Oh, plot! Um, yeah, it's here, somewhere,... sort of... maybe one of the many extemporaneous kids on the train - who all seem to believe in Santa, so what are they doing there???? - took it and hid it. Or maybe... there wasn't one!!! The plot 'didn't just work out for me."
I'd watch it again - just cuz it was so pretty. But unlike "It's A Wonderful Life" or "A Christmas Story" I don't think I could *listen* to the lame dialouge every year. That's what laptops are for!!!