The Polar Express (2004)

The Polar Express

• This is easily one of my favorite Christmas movies ever, and I look forward to watching it every year. Although it’s not the best Christmas movie made, it’s definitely fun, entertaining, and delivers a great message. It helps you feel the spirit of Christmas in an awesome, heartfelt way. The movie is based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, which only makes the movie better. The story may seem kind of childish, but I’d say even the oldest of adults can take something away from this movie. There is definitely a scene or two that is kind of scary, and they terrified me as a kid. But, the rest of the movie helps block that all. Especially the hot chocolate scene, which to me, is my favorite Christmas movie scene of all time. The animation might be a bit iffy sometimes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie. All the characters are great (except for Know-It-All), and they all help embody the spirit of Christmas. You might as well call this the “Tom Hanks Movie”, as he plays five different characters. He does a phenomenal job, and all the voice actors and mo-cap bodies are talented and underappreciated. The setting is great, and it’s fun watching a trip to the North Pole via magic train. It’s definitely not something seen in a movie before, which makes it unique and original. But to me, the greatest thing about this movie is the score. It’s absolutely beautiful, and I’d say it’s my favorite Christmas movie soundtrack. It contains classic Christmas songs from Kate Smith and Frank Sinatra, which gives the movie a great feel. The original score by Alan Silvestri is so stunning, and I love every second of it. I got to play music from this movie in 10th grade band, so being able to hear it again when I watch this brings back great memories. Every song has a Christmasey feel to it, and though some bits of it sound a little sorrowful, they also sound hopeful and exciting. Overall, this movie is great to watch, and I’d definitely recommend it to all Christmas lovers. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go see it now!