"Polar Express" Talkback

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Dak K

New member
I saw this movie today, and was blown away by the visuals and and stop-motion movement. It was really amazing and a great treat. I usually tell people to wait and rent a movie, but I really feel that this one is worth seeing on the big screen (also avaliable in IMAX).

One thing I noticed in the film is the rollercoaster feel. From the swooping trains, to giant slides, there is a great sense of high speed movement in the movie.

The look and actions of the characters are stunning. Not since "Final Fantasy" have I seen something so well done. What did you think of it?
 
This was actually pretty decent. Can't believe they were able to stretch a short 32-page book into a film.

I suspect Pol-Ex will gross decent because it would be getting the Incredibles overflow - when that's soldout, Pol-Ex is the next best choice by the kids.
 
I'm quite surrprised how few of us have anything to say about this movie. I think more of us so Final Fantasy: Spirits Within... :sweat:
 
I haven't seen it yet but I have a story.

My sister's 3rd grade teacher went to the principal and asked if she could the class to see the movie.

Principal: "Absolutely not."

Funny, probably because of the Christmas theme or maybe because it's rated PG (that school says they can't show PG movies even to the older grades.)
 
^ I just saw it, and think the only reason it's PG is because some of the action sequences are intense enough to frighten littler children. But they're really no worse than certain parts of 'Fantasia', which is rated G. Odd.

'Polar Express' is definitely worth watching for those sequences, and for having a look unlike anything we've seen before, and for a couple tunes which deserve to become holiday standards. (There's also one character whose voice seems to have been transplanted directly from Mandark, but I guess I can forgive that.)
 
Motion capture? Is that why the kids all have two or three actors credited to them? Because I was very confused by that.

I couldn't help constantly asking what kind of maniac would build train tracks like that. o_O

Edit:
Oh yes, I forgot. I wish they'd used a different voice actor for the know-it-all kid. Every time he spoke my mind said "Mandark!"
 
> Is that why the kids all have two or three actors credited to them? <

I think they have one actor providing the face, another doing the voice, and an animator coordinating the two.
 
This is really an IMAX movie. I've had the pleasure of seeing this movie in both IMAX and regular screens and there's no contest. Infact I found the movie hard to sit through on the regular screen. All the flaws really came out when you weren't immersed in it.

It's no wonder the IMAX screenings are selling like mad. There are so many scenes that are exhilarating and look to be made specifically for IMAX.

It's not a great film or a perfect film but it is a fun movie to take your little neice or nephew to. I hope the movie has the legs to make it through the Christmas season. With the only are major holiday-themed movie being Christmas with the Kranks I don't think that will be a problem.
 
Saw the movie right before Thanksgiving @ the Henry Ford Museum IMAX, all I can say is....WOW. :eek:

It was such an awsome Christmas story. It was written by this guy, who lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan (or around there) since I'm Detroit, Michigan it's on the westside of the state.

A friend of mine at who knows somebody, who helps run a steam locomotive program & museum (Steam Railroading Institute) up in Owosso, Michigan, and they own the train that was used to model the CGI one which is in the movie. Its called the Pere Marquette 1225. Here's a link to their site - http://www.mstrp.com/. Michigan railfans that I've talk to are not 100% sure if its the actual train that the author Chris Van Allsburg saw when he was little, but he has seen this one (recently) and said it was nearly identical to what he remembers; the closest to the train he saw as a kid.

Ironically, it was the 25th of 39 locomotives to be made of that model. Its the ONLY surviving one of the original 39 engines that still runs (one other apparently exists, the 1223 but isn't running). And of course the obvious correlation of its number 1225.....12/25......Christmas day. And oddly enough this train was completed shortly before Christmas in 1941. How cool is that?

And the author remembered coming to MSU Spartan games back during the 1980s when the train was parked near the football stadium. And he remembers seeing the train back then and even standing on it. And now its the exact same train being used for the movie based on his book.

BTW, they are selling the book in a hardcover version (with wrapper cover like the old days). I don't remember the last time I saw the book. Probably when I was a kid and owned the book myself. I have no idea where that book is now.

Go see this movie @ the IMAX near you, it's such a wonderful movie to experience. :cool:
 
Color me surprised...this was actually a rather fun movie!

Can't say all the animation agreed with me, but in the end the story won out and I thought it was a pretty fun use of my time. At the same time, I was amazed as to how closely it followed the book, but still added in its own story to the mix.

I'd buy it on DVD I think...atleast I'm sure lots of people will for the holiday season next year.
 
If you hacven't experienced this beautiful movie yet, go see it! I saw it today with my best friend, and I loved it!! It was so magical, it looked like paintings come to life! The story was so touching and the songs were so lovely, you'll tear up! I almost cried during some scenes and the action...you'll get caught up in it!! I swear, if that looses the Oscar this yer to 'The Incredibles' for Best Animated Feature...there is NO JUSTICE or TASTE left in the Awards crew!! :)
Merilee
:cool:
 
This movie works on the obvious, and not so obvious...Clearly the visuals are incredible, but, the story is greater...The subtleness of the real story lies not in the major character, and Santa, or the train, and its trip, but in the little poor boy who gets on the train at the last minute..He is the real point to the movie...While you think about this ,to the few that read this, I honestly believe that Zemekis meant the story to be about him..not the Tom Hanks character..this poor kid does indeed get a a nice gift at the end, but, would he really? would he really get on the train at all...where does he sit in the train..-the last car- a lounge car, for rich people, alone and dark, yea, that is what those type of cars were for, the rich, not the poor....Christmas is wonderful time, but not everyone participates in the festival, and the good times, think about it. That is what the writer/director really says,... at least that is what I think it is about. (It took me four showings to see the Iron Giant as the resurrection, then I understood it), you can disagree with this interpertation of the Polar Express of course, but give it a chance, and you may come to see it as a dark movie about the poor who miss out..recall that last shot of the poor boys house, clearly not the "best of times" ...Stuart
 
I had a long talk with a friend about Polar Express, she has an outstanding understanding of Tom Hank's background and beliefs..The darkness and additional characters added, she believes are Hank's doing..Evidently, he is a deeply religious person, who wanted to add something special to the film. While Gibson is someone to shows this openly, Hanks keeps this much more quieter and in a subtle way..She also believes that a lot of the extra meaning, came from Hanks, not Zemekis as I stated earlier..I really don't know...Hanks has shown in many of films, deapth of characters that go way beyond the obvious...perhaps this interpertation is correct..Stuart
 
I know, that's I think the overall message in the movie, help out the poor, do stuff for others less fortunate so they can try to have a Merry Christmas as well.
This movie influenced me so much..the day after I saw it I went shopping and I saw the Salvation Army Santa..and I was influenced to give ten dollars to help the poor. Even hearing the song 'When Christmas Comes To Town' is enough to get the point across and make you tear up.

I loved this movie and the lovely message, it should win for best Animated Picture of the year, if not Best PICTURE!! ( if it were me, that';s what it would win! To heck with The Incredibles- YUCK!!)
Merilee
:cool:
 
I just got back from seeing it. I was determined to see this during the Christmas season. I thought it was pretty good. I took my mom and she enjoyed it also. It looked very nice. I think they weren't going for complete realism, but sort of realism with an artistic flair. It was a little awkward, but not as unnatural as I had expected. Many of the fast-paced scenes were done well. Those kids just kept getting into predicament after predicament. I thought the movie was a little thin on plot, but it was based on a children's book. It did have enough heart to keep me interested. The subtle story ideas, as already mentioned, greatly added to the movie.

I thought Santa was the worst thing about it. It's my understanding that the look of the movie was based on the book, but the design of the North Pole and especially Santa didn't really appeal to me. Not only was Santa off to me, I didn't like his voice. I don't really think Tom Hanks did that great a job voice acting in this movie, but I think his motion acting was fine. The few gripes I had with the film are easily overlooked.

I thought it was interesting that the characters didn't really have names. Hero Boy, Hero Girl, Lonely Boy (a.k.a. Billy), and Know-it-all.:p

I've never read the book myself, but it was read to me once. I think I may read it eventually, just to see where the movie was coming from.

It was an enjoyable outing and a movie worth seeing, however, I am not planning on getting the DVD... I'll have to think about it. It is a nice holiday movie.

Too bad this topic hasn't had more replies.
 
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