Magical - an instant classic.

Rating: Null/10 (23 October 2004)

I took my 3 1/2 year old to a preview screening in Broomfield, Colorado. Not being particularly enamoured of either trains or children's movies, I had steeled myself for an indifferent 1 hr 40 mins. How wrong I was...
Putting it bluntly, this film is magical - an instant classic. A must-see this Christmas season. The animation, reminiscent of Rotoscoping, is an absolute joy, with the imagery and atmosphere lifted seamlessly from the book. The book has been fleshed out with some interesting, mysterious - at times scary - and hilarious characters. The dialogue is top-notch, and the story riveting. Surprisingly, this film contains a great deal of action. The scene crossing the ice floe is masterful and your pulse will race on numerous occasions. There are some musical interludes, and an interesting cameo by an elfin rocker...
While covering familiar territory, the film somehow avoids sentimental clichÃ© so typical of movies in this genre. I challenge all of you cynical nay-sayers to see this movie and remain unmoved. My son was transfixed, as was the entire auditorium, and I noticed several guys in the Men's restroom after the movie blowing their noses... myself included.
Kudos to Tom Hanks and the crew. I rate this a 9/10 and recommend without reservation. Fantastic, wholesome, fun entertainment. Raises the bar and establishes a new benchmark in festive fare.