The Polar Express

Review by Tim Basham

After seeing The Polar Express two words come to mind -- trace elements.

My doctor says I'm not getting the full benefit of my vitamins if they don't contain trace elements—those extra minerals and other little things that make the vitamins work better. (Not to get too profound, but isn't it the little things that always make life better?)

Fortunately, The Polar Express is jam packed with trace elements—in the story line, in the computer-generated animation and in the elaborate, visually stunning scenes. When combined with a classic holiday story, it all makes for a surprisingly good film.

Based on the best-selling children's book by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express follows a train full of children as they journey to the North Pole.

The first scene sets the mood with a subtle beauty that permeates the entire film—a young boy lying in bed on Christmas Eve, listening to the sounds of the night as he questions his beliefs in Old Saint Nick.

The trace elements are as remarkable for what you notice as for what you don't, like the moonlight throwing shadows of falling snow through the boy's bedroom window.

Apprehensively, the boy boards the train and is soon swept up in an adventure of a lifetime, filled with dancing waiters, ghostly hobos, bumbling engineers and a steam locomotive with more lives than an alley cat.

Executive Producer Tom Hanks, who plays no less than six characters in the movie, gives a standout performance. His character-generated moves were modeled from his own, giving a challenge to the credits writer.

Is it just “voice by…” or is it “voice and realistic facial expressions and movements by…”

If you're looking for characters like Nemo and Buzz Lightyear, you won't find them here. And you won't find that kind of dialogue, either. In spite of some very intense action scenes (warning for small children), there's a quietness and fullness in The Polar Express.

By the time we reach the North Pole and meet Santa , the moment is not so much a climax as it is just plain satisfying. Kind of like sitting beside a fire and having a cup of hot chocolate after a long day of playing in the snow.

Now, I admit I'm a sucker for holiday movies. But I won't fall for just any jingle-belled, holly, jolly performance. (Dudley Moore’s ill-cast Santa Claus-The Movie comes to mind.) And I'm not sure if my enthusiasm would be the same if I had not seen the movie in 3D, which seems to add weight to the experience (the light and not uncomfortable 3D glasses are a big improvement over the ear-hurting, nose-pinching things from the past).

But even the most humbuggable Scrooge can find something to like about The Polar Express. Such as trace elements. Haven't you heard? They’re good for you.

4.5 out of 5

Polar Express
Australian release: Thursday November 18th
Cast: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Eddie Deezen, Nona Gaye, Michael Jeter.
Director: Robert Zemeckis.
Website: Click here.

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