The Polar Express --- a holiday train wreck

Title:
The Polar Express (B-)
PH Release Date:
November 24, 2004
Actors:
Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye
Musical Appearance:
Steven Tyler
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Based on the book:
“The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg
Screenwriters:
Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr.
Composer:
Alan Silvestri
Cinematographer:
Don Burgess
Producers:
Gary Goetzman, Robert Zemeckis et al.
Studio:
WB



“… it doesn’t matter where you’re going, what matter is deciding to get on”

Okay, I guess you’re wondering why my tagline is so profound. Well, it’s hopefully where I am heading with my writing, plus, it’s the holiday season. The need to share some love and peace is compulsory. Discarding the fact that I love that line so much I can give this movie an A+ for it alone. But of course, as always, the unforgettable line won’t save this movie from the train wreck it’s bound to be.



Santa is the icon of Christmas for children. He is the icon for the boy who awaits his coming during Christmas Eve for his present and for the sheer glimpse of him. But this boy is about to experience his greatest journey in life. A mystifying train suddenly appeared in the middle of the road and its aim is to reach the North Pole, where Santa is residing, before midnight. Struck by curiosity, the boy joined the group and experienced the dream he considers a reality.

Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks joined forces once more, this time for a Holiday offering from the widely popular children’s book. The two have great chemistry where Castaway and Forrest Gump came about. These two movies garnered high accolades and established both of them as sorta pillars in moviemaking, especially when they’re working together. Expectations were high. Sadly, the train seemed to have traveled the wrong rail.

I have not read the book (that’s a shock), but I could say that it truly was a children’s book, only that it’s much more depressing, dull and slow. I do not know what kind of pacing it was but it was bad. The writers oh so perversely try to dig deeper to the boy’s character while simply giving hints of the holiday values. What’s funny is that the only thing it emanated from me was unadulterated annoyance.



It showed nothing but the utter stupidity of the main character. It lacked about a barrel of coal realism and it’s sick humor deserves to be flushed out faster than a fat man’s stool (eew!!!). The only time I thought this moviee was actually a holiday movie was when two of the children sung “When Christmas comes to town”. I eagerly awaited for another doze of it the rest of the time but nada. That scene was so perfect, brilliantly executed and the beauty of the song is exquisite.

One thing undeniably exemplary here were the visuals. It was so beautiful. I think this has been the closest CGI has ever been to humanness. A little more time and they could come up with a real life CGI version of Madam Auring, which I doubt will look human as well. Is she even human? Moving on, I think this is where they concentrated more and less with the story. I honestly believe this is the only reason why it reached the $100M mark, aside from the fact that it’s one of the very few G rated movies shown around.

Tom Hanks did well playing almost half of the cast. This is his movie. It’s all about him. The kids were good as well, not that I see them act in any way but they’re voices were good enough.

This movie is best seen inside an IMAX theater while you’re suffering from total deafness. Though the sound of the movie was great, you might not be able to handle some of the lines. Not to mention, quite a number of scenes that made me squirm and forced me on the verge of walking out. This movie will be great for kids, just watch out for their falling heads. I just think kids are smarter now and they recognize a genuinely enjoying movie from nothing but an eye candy.