When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
Tom Hanks
Hero Boy / Father / Conductor / Hobo / Scrooge / Santa Claus
Leslie Zemeckis
Sister Sarah / Mother
Eddie Deezen
Know-It-All
Nona Gaye
Hero Girl (voice)
Peter Scolari
Billy - Lonely Boy
Michael Jeter
Smokey / Steamer
Josh Hutcherson
Hero Boy
Daryl Sabara
Hero Boy (voice)
Jimmy Bennett
Lonely Boy (voice)
Brendan King
Pastry Chef
Andy Pellick
Pastry Chef
Josh Eli
Waiter
Mark Mendonca
Waiter
Rolondas Hendricks
Waiter
Mark Goodman
Waiter
Jon Scott
Waiter
Gregory Gast
Waiter
Sean Scott
Waiter
Gordon Hart
Waiter
Chris Coppola
Toothless Boy / Elf
Julene Renee
Red Head Girl / Elf
Charles Fleischer
Elf General
Steven Tyler
Elf Lieutenant / Elf Singer
Phil Fondacaro
Elf
Debbie Lee Carrington
Elf
Mark Povinelli
Elf
Ed Gale
Elf
Dante Pastula
Little Boy
André Sogliuzzo
Smokey / Steamer (voice)
Isabella Peregrina
Sister Sarah (voice)
Eric Newton
Acrobatic Elf
Aidan O'Shea
Acrobatic Elf
Aaron Hendry
Acrobatic Elf
Kevin C. Carr
Acrobatic Elf
Bee Jay Joyer
Acrobatic Elf
Jena Carpenter
Acrobatic Elf
Karine Mauffrey
Acrobatic Elf
Elisabeth P. Carpenter
Acrobatic Elf
Bill Forchion
Acrobatic Elf
Devin Henderson
Acrobatic Elf
Sagiv Ben-Binyamin
Acrobatic Elf
Ashly Holloway
Sister Sarah
Jimmy 'Jax' Pinchak
Know-It-All
Chantel Valdivieso
Hero Girl
Hayden McFarland
Lonely Boy
Connor Matheus
Toothless Boy
Evan Sabara
Young Boy
Jack Angel
Wolves (uncredited)
Rodger Bumpass
Wolves (uncredited)
Dylan Cash
Boy (voice) (uncredited)
Cody Klop
Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Patrick Stogner
(uncredited)
Tinashe
Hero Girl (motion capture)
Director, Screenplay
Robert Zemeckis
Book
Chris Van Allsburg
Creative Producer
Enfys Dickinson
Screenplay
William Broyles Jr.
November 30, 2018
5
***Some kids with creepy dead eyes take a dreamlike trip to the North Pole on The Polar Express***
A boy from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is at the age where he no longer believes in Christmas, as far as Santa, his elves and flying reindeer go, but a magical train appears in front of his home on Christmas Eve and whisks him away on an adventurous trip to the North Pole with several other kids.
“The Polar Express” (2004) was based on the 1985 Christmas book and was the first mainline movie to use motion capture animation for all its characters beginning to end (think Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy). Some people think the animation is weak, but I feel it creates its own world and has its own charm. It holds up as long as you can adapt to those creepy dead eyes of the characters.
Some people love this movie while others think it’s weird, like a Twilight Zone Christmas flick. Roger Ebert, for instance, loved it and gave it a perfect grade. I’m sorta in the middle. I see its good points and appreciate them, like the haunting winter ambiance, parts of the trip to the North Pole (e.g. the quasi-rollercoaster ride) and the kids’ investigation of the Christmas factory. But there are some meh parts and dubious sections like the whole last act with the multitude of elves and the towering Santa who looked like he was modeled after 6’5” Christopher Lee with a pillow strapped to his mid-section.
The movie’s interesting in some ways but also quaint in a cheesy way, as well as peculiar and lifeless.
The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes.
GRADE: C
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$165,000,000.00
Revenue:
$318,432,432.00