Movie Review: The Polar Express

The trailers started popping up for this months ago, heralding the arrival of a potential holiday classic. Now that the film is out, I think that the word "potential" can be dropped. This is destined to be a film that pops up year after year on people's lists for holiday viewing. It is not perfect by any stretch, but it is a wonderful fantasy for the whole family. It is nice to see a film that is as magical as it is spellbinding.

A simple tale by Chris Van Allsburg has been translated to the screen by screenwriter/director Robert Zemeckis. He took the short story and stretched it out to fill a 90 minute film, and does a fine job of it. I admit, I am not terribly familiar with the story of The Polar Express, I have flipped through the book, but I couldn't tell you what it was about. I can tell you that it has some wonderful illustrations, and those images have been translated beautifully to the screen.

The film tells the tale of a young boy, who is not given a name, who is at that age where he begins to question the existence of Santa Claus. That Christmas Eve, a large train pulls up to a stop in front of his home. The boy goes out to investigate, and comes face to face with the Conductor, who informs him that he is to be a passenger on a trip to the North Pole. Of course the boy is a little wary, curiosity wins out and he is off on an adventure of a lifetime.

The trip to the Pole fills the bulk of the film. Taking us on a roller coaster ride, quite literally, and more adventure than you would have thought possible for a train ride. From the peaks and valleys they climb, to the frozen over tracks, to skiing down the roof of the train with a mysterious hobo. Friends are made, obstacles crossed, and lessons learned on a journey where time seems to have slowed to a crawl. And we cannot forget the train's destination. Once arriving at the North Pole, the friends leave the group and find themselves in another race.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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