“The Polar Express” (Warner Brothers)
Chris Van Alsberg’s book THE POLAR EXPRESS has become a children’s classic. Now it comes to life on the screen in a movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Tom Hanks. The beauty of Alsberg’s illustrations has been captured but the heart of his story is missing in action. What results is a film children will enthuse over but adults will only mildly enjoy.
The look of the film that is a cross between animation and live action is called “performance capture.” It is a new effect created by the actors wearing sensors and then the basic images being captured by lasers. It adds up to a look that is like a painting come to life, but it also is a look that creates non-emotional human beings.
The story that is brought to life concerns a little boy who has lost his belief in Christmas. On Christmas Eve night he is awakened by the sound of a train stopping outside his house. It is “the Polar Express” and when he hops aboard he is on his way to the North Pole.
Along the way the train skids across a frozen lake and later careens down a mountainside. These added adventures pad the running time but add little to the actual basic story line. And because the plot is so elongated the heart of the story gets stretched to where it is almost non-existent.
Hanks is very good as the conductor on “The Polar Express” and he also provides the mannerisms and the voices of the father and Santa Claus, as well as other characters. Peter Scolari, Hanks’ “Boson Buddies” buddy, provides the voice for a sad little boy, and Nona Gaye speaks for a girl on the train.
The film is rated G but the runaway train and other adventures might be a little frightening for the very smallest children in the audience.
Zemeckis and Hanks combined their talents and gave us “Forrest Gump” and “Cast Away.” This time out their efforts are noteworthy but this film will not be the Christmas classic it was hoped to be. It is good, and children will be enthralled. Adults however might find the going a little slow and the message a little weak.
“The Polar Express” chugs along with children’s attention in tow but for most adults the book was better.
I scored “The Polar Express” a well-trained 7 out of 10.
