Believe... - The Polar Express Reviews

This is probrably one of the few animated films that most people will enjoy, which proves to be a charismatic, energetic, and thoughtfully creative outlook on the spirit of Christmas. Director Robert Zemeckis executes, as always, a technological advance in visual effects as well as a journey to find belief in something too extraordinary to be real. This film will remind you of those long Christmas Eve nights when you were a child, too anxious to fall asleep, staring out the window in curiosity, waiting for the sleigh bells to ring. The main character, who has grown quite skeptical of the existence of Santa Claus, is caught between his belief and his logical reasoning. He wants to believe there is a Santa, but he cannot believe it, it is too far-fetched and sounds like a fairy-tale. Especially when he caught his parents setting the presents last year. He hears a distant rumbling which grows on a tremedous crescendo and before he knows it, he skirmishes out the door and face-to-face with an old locomotive train parked right in his neighborhood street. When the conductor invite him on the ride, he is at first relectant to board, until the train starts to leave. He rushes on before it's too late and the journey to the North Pole begins, which is more like a journey to find the faith that he lost. Each child on the train carries a ticket that is hole stamped in a shape of a letter by the conductor (Tom Hanks plays the role of every grown-up introduced). But when one loses a ticket, it travels on a small adventure of it's own to return back to the train it was lost from. (You will notice the strong similarity of the fluttering ticket to the floating feather in Forrest Gump, one of Zemeckis' previous films) The film is full of breath-taking scenes both on and off the train. You are taken on a powerful roller-coaster ride and you feel the lump of your stomach rise into your chest as if you yourself are onboard with the characters themselves. There are some magnificent scenes in the North Pole with elves bursting with joy and you can't help but be swept up with the beauty of the Christmas spirit. Throughout the entire film, you feel as if you are watching a play with the characters dancing and singing in some moments to entering see-sawing conflicts with the character's mind. When he reaches the North Pole, he can see the city, all the elves, but he cannot hear the bells of Santa's prescence. Even when Santa makes his appearance, he is not allowed to see him no matter how hard he tries, not until he tries to believe again... Only then can he hear the chime of a special bell ring... Thankfully, Zemeckis uses his own money and techniques to use in this film, so he doesn't have to put up with the tampering and results that Pixar usually comes up with. (Most Pixar films turn out sickeningly sweet like Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, A Shark Tale, The Incredibles) We are given something that is not so much a children's film, but a heart-felt film that makes you feel good about Christmas, as well as yourself, much like the results of Hanks' recent film, The Terminal. I hope that this film is at least nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. I would strongly recommend the 3-D IMAX Experience since it offers so much more and the three dimensional screening heightens the thrills and entertainment the film offers. This is is a movie that delivers what you go in expecting. Some critics would say the CGI has difficulty capturing the emotions of a human face, but it is never intended to do that. It's much more like seeing an illustration in a book. The effects made me feel that aweing inspiration that I felt when I watched Toy Story for the first time in the theatre as a kid. You will go in the theatre and come out anxiously waiting for the arrival of the Christmas season. It gives you a feeling that you don't want to go away! -My Rating: .::B::. - Pretty Good Recommended: The Polar Express: 3-D IMAX Experience, The Terminal, Toy Story, A Christmas Story -Jerry Johnston