The Polar Express a fully motion capture animated film based on the classic children's book of the same name. A book that I remember having read to me by my parents.
The story goes that a boy who doesn't believe in Santa Claus gets whisked away to the North Pole on a magical train called The Polar Express. Where on this journey he learns to believe again.
I saw this movie in the theater when I was seven years old and I distinctly remember I was confused when I watched it. It wasn't until after it ended when I realized that it was animated. At times I thought it was real but then there were moments when I thought it was animated! It baffled me and looking back on it, I understand why I was so confused by it! And that was my first experience with motion capture animation!
Motion capture animation is, what I think, a filmmaking style that hasn't been perfected yet. When used for elements of a movie like for Gollum in The Lord of the Rings or Caeser in Rise of the Planet of the Apes I think it is when it works. But when the entire film is made using motion capture is where I think needs work. In particular on the human aspect because the characters just don't look real. The biggest problem with motion capture is that the characters' emotions and expressions aren't fully developed. You can never tell if the characters are sad or happy. The eyes of the children look rather dead and lifeless. Gollums' eyes looked more alive than the children did in this movie!
Though there are other moments in the film that do look fantastic. Particularly any moment that had to do with the train. There are a few particularly stunning scenes involving the train that I loved. They were fast paced, exciting and a lot of fun.
Tom Hanks plays the conductor of the train and I liked him in that role. But that is only one of his six other roles in this film. Six roles. I swear am not making that up. I've heard of actors playing more than one role in a film like Peter Sellers did in Dr. Strangelove. But it worked for Sellers because he was able to disguise his voice for each different character. Unlike with Hanks who's voice is so recognizable that even when it is deepened I can still tell it is him. And that really takes me out of the moment because I end up focusing on the actor instead of the character.
As for the kids, I didn't really have a problem with them. None of them really ended up getting much development but I don't think that the purpose of the film was to give you a vivid backstory on each character. For example: We never know why the lonely boy says that "Christmas just does't work out for him." Maybe things like that is supposed to be left up to the imagination. Like how you never get to know their names. I really like that aspect. I think that that is really interesting.
I personally think that the story is the strongest element to the film. I might be digging to deep into the story, but I felt that they weren't just telling a story about a boy who stopped believing in Santa but rather someone who lost his religion and fell away from his faith. Which as a kid, learning that Santa isn't real is kind of like thinking that there isn't a God. That is a very interesting and difficult story to tell and I think it is done pretty well. I also like how he has to believe in Santa to hear the bell ring. Kind of like how you have to believe in God to fully receive his gifts. Again, just another parallel I found.
On a technical level, the best part of the film is without a doubt Alan Silvestri's magical score. I adore this theme. To me, when I hear it, I think of one word: Christmas. He manages to capture all the beauty, majesty and the wonder I felt as a kid at Christmastime. And the Josh Groban song at the end tops it off beautifully
Final Report: While I enjoy some of the visuals, Alan Silvestri's score and the deeper meaning to the story, The Polar Express is just a Christmas movie that is just alright. I think it's worth a watch but it isn't a Christmas movie that I have to watch every December.
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