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THE POLAR EXPRESS (2004) (***1/2)

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Based on the award-winning children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, this film from director Robert Zemeckis (WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT) is an enchanted ode to believing in the potential for magic, mainly in Santa Claus.

Using motion-capture technology to animate a digital version of the actors, the film is part visual effects, part animation and part live-action acting. A lot has been said about the creepy nature of the characters, which has led to a love it or hate it attitude toward the film. From my rating you see that I fall into the love it club. I agree at times some of the characters look stiff and not life like, but for the most part I didn’t notice or better yet didn’t mind.

Like the book the main characters do not have names, Hero Boy was performed by Tom Hanks (FORREST GUMP) and voiced by Daryl Sabara (SPY KIDS). He has accumulated all the facts that he needs to prove that Santa isn’t real. As he lies down to sleep on Christmas Eve, he is awoken by the arrival of the Polar Express -- a train that carries children, who are close to not believing in Santa anymore, to the North Pole. On the trip, Hero Boy meets Hero Girl (Nona M. Gaye, THE MATRIX RELOADED) and a poor boy named Billy (Peter Scolari, THAT THING YOU DO!). Also invading the train is a Know-It-All kid (Eddie Deezen, TV’s DEXTER’S LABORATORY), who has a fact to spout for every occasion. Helping the characters on their journeys both physical and emotional are the Conductor and a mysterious Hobo, who lives on the roof of the train. These two characters as well as Santa and Hero’s Boy’s father were all performed by Hanks.

The film is filled with wonder and mystery. It contains some of the creepiness of WILLY WONKA and WIZARD OF OZ and the heart of the CHARLIE BROWN specials. A special note of accomplishment must be given to Zemeckis and co-writer William Broyles Jr. for transforming a relatively thin children’s book into a feature length film without at any moment making any part feel like it was padding. This was a problem with THE GRINCH.

I saw the film in IMAX 3D and recommend audiences to catch it this way. I’m sure the grandness will wear off on a smaller TV screen. If you plan to go to the movies with your family for some holiday cheer then you will not go wrong with this film. It’s destined to be a holiday perennial and a heartwarming reminder of what the holidays are all about. In terms of the IMAX 3D, I’ll quote a young boy who was in the audience with me – “This is awesome!”

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks