The Polar Express (G, 2004)

common sense media says

Book-based treat is full of adventure and positive messages.

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that despite the wonderful messages and warm-hearted story, the film is primarily an adventure, with lots of roller coaster thrills and some scary characters that might be too intense and frightening for the youngest children. The Express roars, speeds, and skids on its perilous journey to the North Pole. Sometimes out of control, sometimes racing against dangers and obstacles in its path, it’s filled with suspense almost from beginning to end. The child heroes are frequently in danger: from falls, getting lost, left alone on a careening train, in dark and shadowy unknown places facing characters who may wish them harm. The story focuses on a boy who doubts whether or not there is a Santa. (According to the movie, yessiree.)

Educational value: No educational or informational intent, however, there are many positive messages expressed.

Positive messages: Filled with positive messages about the importance of believing, the value of friendship, respect for leadership and courage, and the beauty of being kind to others. Some specific messages: "The true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart," "It doesn’t matter where the train is going, it's deciding to get on that counts," and "There is no greater gift than friendship."

Positive role models: "Boy," the film's hero, is curious, questioning, and honest. Though he's rightfully fearful in numerous scenes, he overcomes his fear and always does the right thing. "Girl," the other leading child character exhibits ideals of behavior: courage, leadership, friendship, and loving kindness. Adults are portrayed as wise, caring, and intelligent. Only stereotype is the "smart" kid, who is smug and annoying, but does change over the course of the film.

Violence & scariness: There are continuous close calls: multiple careening rides (train, pneumatic tube) filmed from a child’s point-of-view; treacherous climbs and balancing atop the train; falls and lost kids; a runaway railway car; cracking ice beneath a speeding train; and a ghostly hobo appears to shatter into pieces at one point. No one is injured and the hobo reappears in fine form later.

Sexy stuff: Not applicable.

Language: Not applicable.

Consumerism: Not applicable.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about what they believe about Santa, and also about the Lonely Boy and what they think his real gift was.
Families can also talk about each of the lessons punched into the tickets given to the children. Why was each of those lessons the right one for that child? They can talk about the difference between that which can be proven and that which must be believed without proof. When the conductor says, "Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see," what is he talking about?
What is a "crucial year?" Why can't some people hear the bell? Who is the hobo and why is he there?

What's the story?

A boy who is beginning to question Santa lies awake on Christmas Eve afraid he won't hear anything. He hears a sound and runs outside to see an enormous locomotive pull up in front of his house; the conductor invites him to board. The train is bound for the North Pole and our unnamed hero/narrator will have many adventures and find the answer to his questions before he wakes up in his own bed on Christmas morning.

Is it any good?

Director Robert Zemeckis has done a fairly good job of maintaining the integrity of the brief story as it is expanded to feature length. The complications of the journey are well-paced and consistent with the story's themes, though the know-it-all character becomes grating very quickly. It is less successful after the arrival at the North Pole, when the expansion starts to feel like filler, particularly when a nice selection of timeless Christmas standards on the soundtrack gives way to a lackluster rock song that brings the story to a standstill for no discernable reason.

The animators have done their best to preserve the look of Chris Van Allsburg's lovely illustrations. The result is attractive, if coarser and less graceful. There are moments of great beauty, especially the vertiginous ride as we watch a golden train ticket carried away by an eagle. And there are wonderfully imaginative images, dancing waiters pouring hot chocolate from silver pots with triple-spouts, Santa's huge workshops with viewing screens for naughty-nice monitoring and pneumatic tubes for transporting toys, and sometimes people.

Movie themes & details

Themes

magic and fantasy, adventures, book characters, holidays, trains

Movie Details

Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari, Tom Hanks
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 92 minutes
Theatrical release: November 10, 2004
DVD release: November 14, 2005
MPAA Rating: G
MPAA explanation: all audiences

This review was written by Nell Minow

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What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

greatland
adult

Taken for a Ride!

What a disappointment! This movie had so much potential -- It had a beautiful story for all faiths, stunning art, Tom Hanks' captivating voices, and a world of fantasy where truly great film could have happened. But once the Polar Express pulled out of the boy's neighborhood, it was a runaway train. The action scenes were so repetitive that by the umpteenth rollercoaster ride, I was wishing my watch had an illuminated dial. Some of the "exciting" scenes - featuring the train skidding across ice, cracking under its weight -- were terrifying to my children, who live in Alaska where cracking ice claims several lives each year -- but worse, these scenes were repeated so many times that I wondered why the producers couldn't find some other misadventures to fill up the time. The addition of a handful of characters (also a time-filler) worked about 50% of the time -- the ghost on top of the train was interesting to the over 13 set; younger kids didn't get it. The redneck engineers seemed out of place, and added nothing to the movie. The main characters worked, but the animation made the insides of their mouths black, which was creepy. The "poor kid" was a wonderful addition, but his character seems to have been given short schrift, so Tom Hanks's ghost could get more airtime. A shame, given the point of the story. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this movie was the music. What an opportunity there was, for a truly memorable score! Except for one sweet song sung by the lead female character - to a modestly successful background -- the score was as hollow as the animated characters' eyes. There was nothing that approached "Can You Feel the Love Tonite?" or "Colors of the Wind". The musical let-down was compounded toward the end of the movie, when Frank Sinatra-style Christmas songs were piped through loudspeakers in a deserted Santa Land. The sound was so eerie, and the scene so strange, I couldn't wait for Santa to load up the sleigh and take off. I wanted to get outa there. What a nightmare, indeed!

Movie Details

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Genre

The Polar Express (G, 2004)

common sense media says

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

More on The Polar Express

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

What's the story?

What's the story?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?

Movie themes & details

Themes

Movie Details

Review It

Review The Polar Express

What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

Taken for a Ride!

Excellent for kindergarten and up

a wonderful and fun movie that teaches kids the true meaning of chrismas.

Disappointing

AWESOME MOVIE

Excellent on all counts!

not the book

Should be rated PG, not G

Nice, one of my favorite Christmas movies.

Love it!!!

Best movie!!

Don't see it. Too creepy for young kids

Appropriate for most preschoolers

Nothing Too Serious

Great movie!

The best Christmas movie ever

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