Media Credit: warnerbros.com

11/19/04

"The most real things in the world are the things we can't see," says the conductor of the Polar Express.

If that's true and the meaning of Christmas is invisible, then Warner Brothers' new film The Polar Express is a good idea of what it probably looks like.

Chris Van Allsburg's classic book has been delighting children every Christmas season since it was published in 1985. Now the big screen adaptation takes the story and expands on it, creating a theatrical thrill for audiences of all ages.

The film tells the story of a young boy who is beginning to lose his belief in Santa. He lies in bed on Christmas Eve, anxiously listening for the jingle bells from Santa's sleigh. He has not had his picture taken with a department store Santa, he has not sent a letter to the North Pole, and he made his sister leave out the milk and cookies. He has even accumulated a collection of news articles and photographs that seem to suggest that Santa is a hoax.

All of this changes, however, when a large train pulls up to his house and the conductor yells, "All aboard!" The Polar Express, heading straight to the North Pole, is filled with children who have reached their "crucial year" and are beginning to doubt the existence of Santa. Hopping on board, the boy sets himself up for a night of adventure and excitement.

The boy's journey to Santa's workshop is filled with different escapades and accidents, adding an element of suspense and excitement to his trip. He rides down the steepest slope in the world, is served hot chocolate by a crew of singing and dancing waiters, and he even drives the train himself, as Christmas rapidly approaches.

All of these adventures are brought to the big screen by computer-generated images that strikingly resemble the illustrations from Allsburg's book, keeping faithful to the original inspiration. The soft, murky colors and tones used in the scenes have the same feel as the book, with some of the scenes exact replicas of the illustrations.

The film utilizes a technology called "performance capture," in which the animation originates with the human actors performing the movements which are then tracked censors on the actors' bodies. The result is startlingly accurate human motion of the animated images of the actors. The conductor, voiced by Tom Hanks, has all of his mannerisms and quirks, as well as his eyes and nose. Hanks also provides the voice for the father, the mysterious hobo who hovers around the train, Scrooge, Santa Clause and the grown-up version of the little boy.

While Hanks' performances are certainly praiseworthy, the supporting cast enhances the movie a great deal. As the Hero Boy, Daryl Sabara gives a remarkable performance as a child on the verge of adolescence. His voice is young and innocent but holds hints of the mature and doubtful. Nona M. Gaye makes the hero girl sweet and smart, and Eddie Deezen's Know-It-All provides just the right amount of humor and haughtiness. Peter Scolari's Lonely Boy also brings a solemn reminder to the film that Christmas isn't a joyous experience for everyone.

The characters of the movie could easily be overlooked, however, because of the beauty of the scenery. The dark, snowy woods, the ice-crusted mountains and the majestic images of the North Pole and Santa's workshop are breathtaking. They are realistic, but still magical.

However, there are a few scenes where it is obvious that the creators of the movie went a bit overboard. Although he drives a traditional sleigh, Santa has a fluorescent purple and pink laser whip. And there seems to be a Christmas elf-version of Steven Tyler rocking and rolling with the other elves on Christmas Eve. But these flaws are easily overlooked in the delight of the final product.

People may not be able to see the magic of Christmas, but The Polar Express will certainly help them feel it.

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