The Polar Express (2004) was groundbreaking when it was released. It was the first motion picture to use motion-capture for all of the lead performances. Motion-capture had been used previously to create characters such as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it had never been used on as large a scale as in The Polar Express. Director Robert Zemeckis set quite a challenge for himself, and I think it worked.
All of the characters were portrayed by adults in motion-capture suits, including the child characters. Tom Hanks effectively played five different parts, all of them interacting on screen. (I hate that many websites claim he plays six parts, counting Scrooge, which is a puppet obviously being operated by the Hobo.) Most people probably don't realize that the main character, only referred to in the credits as Hero Boy, is also Hanks. The fact that an actor like Tom Hanks could play a young boy would open the door to endless possibilities for movie actors.
Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg (who also executive produced), the story is aided greatly by the visually inventive Zemeckis. His style lends itself very well to a story that is not heavy with dialogue. The film has a distinct look, almost like . . . well, like a book brought to life.
The story begins with Hero Boy (voice by Daryl Sabara), who's beginning to have doubts about Santa Claus and Christmas. He's awakened in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve by the sound of a train in front of his house. This is the Polar Express, which the Conductor (Tom Hanks) claims will take Hero Boy to the North Pole, where he can meet Santa and have his doubts laid to rest.
On the train, Hero Boy meets other children on the same journey, including Hero Girl (Nona Gaye), who is full of Christmas spirit and truly believes. There is also Lonely Boy (Peter Scolari; voice by Jimmy Bennett) and Know-It-All (Eddie Deezen). (Know-It-All is, for me, the only character that breaks the illusion of the rest of the story because it's painfully obvious that we're hearing the voice of an adult actor.) Also on the train is the Hobo (played by Tom Hanks), who might be more, or less, than he seems.
Christmas was borne out of Christian beliefs and traditions, yet The Polar Express is not overtly spiritual and doesn't seem to have some hidden Christian agenda. This makes one of the central themes of the movie even more interesting. The story is about faith.
Hero Boy's conversations with the Conductor and the Hobo are centered on faith, on whether or not "seeing is believing." The Hobo is able to sense his doubts but doesn't say anything reassuring. The Conductor, on the other hand, is able to say things that are pointed and direct (and not always subtle) and designed to encourage Hero Boy to make a decision. In the world of this movie, it doesn't pay to sit on the fence. It's implied that Christmas can only be fully enjoyed by those who believe. Children are usually eager to believe; it's only when we enter into adulthood that we grow cynical. Hero Boy has reached that age when we naturally begin to question things. His journey on the Polar Express represents a personal crossroads.
The film contains several great sequences, including one showing the train on ice. In another we follow a golden ticket as it is blown from the train and somehow finds its way back. There is a real sense of danger and excitement as the Hobo and Hero Boy ski atop the train. Many small touches add to the overall effect, including a snowman's arm waving in the breeze.
When the train reaches the North Pole, it's a different place than we've ever seen before in a Christmas movie. This North Pole isn't a quaint little village where toys are crafted by hand. The place is packed with industrial factories where Christmas presents are produced on a massive scale. Everything leads to a rally in the center of the city, and we see thousands of elves awaiting the appearance of Santa. (Of course, it would take thousands of elves to create presents for children all over the world.)
There is a moment, late in the film, when something happens for Hero Boy. It's the moment in the story that I anticipate the most, the reason I watch The Polar Express every year. The lessons learned by the children have nothing to do with material gifts, but gifts of spirit, friendship, and love.
In his review of the movie, Roger Ebert wrote: "It has a haunting, magical quality because it has imagined its world freshly and played true to it, sidestepping all the tiresome Christmas clichés that children have inflicted on them this time of year." There are a lot of things in The Polar Express that can be enjoyed on the surface. There are also many things worth pondering, if we look a little deeper. The same is true of Christmas.
