When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
Nominated for 3 Oscars. 5 wins & 26 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
Director Robert Zemeckis once again harnesses a new technology to an engaging fable in this digitally animated adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday tale.
– Andrea Gronvall,
Chicago Reader,
9 Dec 2013
fresh:
At some point very early in the 3-D IMAX version of The Polar Express, technology trumps banality and you helplessly surrender to the shock and awe of this big, often thunderous movie.
– Richard Schickel,
TIME Magazine,
9 Dec 2013
rotten:
Tom Hanks (in a number of roles) and the other actors do a nice job of voicing their parts, but the waxy animated faces they've been given are off-putting.
– Bruce Diones,
New Yorker,
9 Dec 2013
rotten:
As a spectacle, The Polar Express looks remarkable. As a film, however, it's the equivalent of an elaborately wrapped Christmas present containing a nice new pair of socks.
– Keith Phipps,
AV Club,
9 Dec 2013
rotten:
People in Hollywood should never work with children or animals, W.C. Fields once said. Maybe that should be expanded to hyper-realistic computer-generated children and reindeer, too.