Tom Hanks

Rating: 2/10 (18 December 2005)

I wondered how they were going to get an hour and a half movie out of a 32 page book. It turns out that the key is out-of-place musical numbers, gratuitous chase scenes, and a 10- minute scene where the camera follows a ticket (out the window, around a pack of dogs, eaten by a bird, vomited up, and finally returned to the train). Tom Hanks voices all the main characters, which are differentiated solely by pitch. The one high point is the introduction of the elves, who, based on their accents, seem to be members of the mafia. I guess you need good organized labor to turn out millions of presents each year. If you want to preserve your childhood memories of the book, don't see the movie.