The Polar Express
Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Beowulf) delivers the 2004 film The Polar Express. The film was based on the book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. Zemeckis’ film is entirely live action, but it uses performance capture technology that incorporates the movements of the live actors into animated characters. This creates an animated film experience that is like few others. Zemeckis would go on to use this technique again in the film Beowulf, which also came out in 3D versions for IMAX theatres.
The Polar Express is a nice Christmas film that doesn’t ask too much of its audience and is, for the most part, perfect for young children. With exciting scenes that work with the creativity of Zemeckis’ medium of performance capture, The Polar Express is a fun adventure ride backed by beautiful scenery and truly engrossing adventure sequences. The film has the unenviable task of turning what is a relatively short story into a full-length feature film, so a number of sequences were derived from single sentences within the book and were stretched out to incorporate sequences in the film. The “Hot Chocolate” sequence, for instance, was taken from a single sentence in Allsburg’s story, but was turned into a song for the film. Many of the characters in the film were also created solely for the purposes of the film experience, such as the hobo and the “know-it-all” boy.
The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy on Christmas Eve who is hoping for belief in the true spirit of Christmas, like many of us. The boy falls asleep and, not long after, a train pulls up outside the front of his house. The boy is, of course, awakened by the sound and rumble from a huge train on his suburban street and heads out to see what the ruckus is about. The train is, naturally, a magical train called “The Polar Express” and the conductor (Tom Hanks) steps out to make sure the young boy gets on the train. He does, after some hesitation, and the train heads off down the tracks and to its destination of the North Pole, picking up a few more passengers along the way and never stopping to skimp on the adventurous moments.
The main focus of The Polar Express is not particularly the strength of the characters or the strength of the plot, as each element to the natural storytelling process remains relatively simplistic. The characters, with the exception of a few, are not even given names. Instead, we are treated to “Know-It-All” or “Hobo” or “The Engineers.” This creates a quality of character that implies that we are all simply along for the ride on a magical journey. It doesn’t matter who is sitting next to you on “The Polar Express” because we all have the same purpose and the same reasons for being on this magical train. Instead, The Polar Express is a film about the incredible journey aboard this fantastical train on a snowy and chilly Christmas Eve. It’s about the comforts of friendship and the magic of Christmas.
The Polar Express did well at the box office and, as word of mouth spread, it became one of those rare films that actually expanded upon its first few weeks as time passed. The film was a big hit around the holidays and stacked up box office receipts, much to the surprise of the critics of course, by New Year’s Day of 2005. In fact, by New Year’s Day of 2005, The Polar Express had grossed just over $150 million in the United States alone and was gaining steady ground throughout the rest of the world. It was a big hit in IMAX 3D as well, which would certainly have been a treat and a wonderful experience.
Let’s face it: The Polar Express will not move mountains, but it is a visually impressive experience with a good heart for the holidays. It contains a sweet story with enough satisfying action and excitement for the kids. Its characters are not particularly enthralling, but that isn’t particularly the point of this exercise from Zemeckis. Instead, The Polar Express is designed to impress, engross, and enthrall its audience due to its visual style and its nose for adventure. Judging from the home sales of the DVD and the general excitement this film seems to bring around the holidays thanks to numerous TV airings, Zemeckis’ experiment has paid off and The Polar Express is a fun treat for holiday viewing for the whole family. Enjoy it and Merry Christmas!
Trailer:
