The Polar Express
(2004, Rated G, Family and kids, Starring Tom Hanks, Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari)
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Most Recent Reviews
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
It had some dark parts.
On the trai and with the toys it was kind of dark. A bit too moody for the toddlers we brought with the rest fo the family. I would reccomend for school aged children. It's an okay, not brilliant, movie, but again, some fo the imagry is a little dark and moody.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Disappointing
I read the book to my kids when they were younger, and they all loved it. So when we saw a trailer for this movie, we all rushed to the theater the day it came out. By the time the movie was over, we were all almost crying with disappointment. This movie is so unlike the book in so many ways.The conductor and waitors on the Polar Express break out dancing at random moments, there's a ghost on top of the train, and the movie doesn't explain how he got there or what his purpose is. Read the book, don't see the movie.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
You must see this!
The movie is awesome. The breaking ice part might be a little scary for 2,3, and 4 year old kids. My favorite part is the hot chocolate song! NHM 5 years of age, typed by his mother
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Great for older kids
Very well done and the details in the computer animation are amazing but I think some scenes (trains sliding on ice) are scary for younger children. Also, my 3 year old son loves trains but did not sit through this movie; older kids will appreciate the story and the message.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Great Movie for Kids
This is a great movie for all kids ages 10 and under. It has wonderful animation and a great story line. Our kids have scene it several times. I wish all kid movies were this well done.
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
i cried!
This is a Really GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!for kids to see my daughter love it.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A NEW STANDARD FOR CHRISTMAS CLASSICS
This Movie was awesome. The only thing I had a problem with was the hobo (spirit) That was always poping up. They could have made him real like everyone else. This movie is sure to be a favorite for years and years to come.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Lovley classic Christmas movie
My son admitedly is too young for this movie at almost 3 but he loves it. He's enthralled with the train, the elves, and the idea of traveling to see Santa. The movie is sweet but does have disturbing scenes. The children are celebrated for who they are and are encouraged to believe, lead, and trust. This will be a classic in our home for years to come.
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Fabulous family entertainment-- a total CLASSIC
My 2 year old had to see this movie TEN times in the theater and I never regretted a single screening. There was always something new to enjoy. The animation is extrodinary. The hairs and cloth seem so realistic, but beyond artistic excellence, this is really a fun film with refreshing storyline-- it's really something Joseph Campbell would have explored to analyze the archetypes a single person matures through to the journey of Faith (the soul), and it's easy to imagine because all the heros are performed by Tom Hanks-- from the boy, to the father, to the conductor, the vagabond hobo, the engineer and ultimately Santa. Some would say that Harry Potter holds the market on deep thought, but I must say that this film quietly has earned this golden award. Well done! Oh, but now that the DVD is out, I recommend that you buy the WIDESCREEN and NOT the TV formatted version.
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
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!
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title off for age 8 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Imaginative
We have the book and my 3 year old daughter begged me to take her to see this. Before we went, based on feedback from many other parents, I sat her down and prepped her that the movie was "VERY SCARY" at times. We talked about what we would do if we were scared and she helped come up with solutions ("We'll go get popcorn", "I'll cover my eyes", etc.).
With the prepping she was just fine and very proud of herself that she wasn't too scared during what she viewed as the two scary parts ("the puppets and broken toys" and the "wolves"). In fact the only way I knew she was scared was the pause in popcorn chomping.
It was a great mother/daughter event because I enjoyed it too. The animation, albeit a bit creepy (too human but not human enough), was technologically fascinating and who can dislike Tom Hanks?
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
Good, but....
Our daughter is 4 and we were looking for a good "first movie" to take her to. Since "Polar Express" was rated G and I had heard good word-of-mouth, it seemed like the right choice, although I was sceptical of the animation quality. Had I read the Common Sense review first we would have better known what to expect and might have chosen to put off the first movie a little longer. Our little girl found the roller coaster-y train rides frightening, and from our perspective the story is a bit thin. All in all it was ok, and our daughter enjoyed more of the film than not. We actually enjoyed it more than we thought we would too, but I wish we had known it has some frightening action scenes.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Parent & Educator Reviewers Say | Kid Reviewers Say
- I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
- My highlights are:
A little creepy but original
Some parts creeped me out when I watched this. But it was a good story on believing in the spirit of Christmas, which every kid needs to know. Withouth it, where's the innocence? It's got musical numbers and some weird parts I didn't really get, but it's visually superb and simple in writing, which in this case is a good thing. You don't wanna complicate a book that had less than 30 pages in it.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
This movie is a good family flick. there is nothing to look out for by the way so go check out this kid flick.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Must Watch This Christmas!
This is definetly in my top 5 for best Christmas movies on earth. I love the story, the way that it is shown, and the holiday spirit. My wholee family loves this movie, and is a must watch for any family who celebrates Christmas!
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
fun holiday fun for all!
this is a fun movie with lots of holiday cher. there are some slightly scary scenes that may bother toddelers, but kids 5 and up will like it.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
It was a dissapointment
This was a good movie but I was kinda dissapointed. The book was a lot better. They added too much to the movie so it got boring. It was completely different from the book.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
A great Christmas Movie for the whole family!!!!!!!!!
I really liked the Polar Express. It gets a little long for young ones in the middle of the movie, but overall it's a great Christmas movie for the whole family to go and see. There are some movies you go to and come out of it thinking "Why did I waste my money on that?" But, Polar Express is definiteley not one of those shows!!! It is a cute show. You should go see it.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Fantastic!
Wow, this movie was amazing. Take your kids, even if they're sixteen! GO SEE THIS MOVIE - but there are some intense roller-coaster scenes that may not be for sensitive young children.
