The Polar Express
The Polar Express Image
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Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 126 Ratings

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  • Starring: ,
  • Summary: 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. (Warner Bros.)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 36
  3. Negative: 4 out of 36
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Duane Byrge
    100
    A story that soars with breakneck pace but slows in all the tender moments. Visually, this train ride is both majestic and edge-of-your-seat.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Jennifer Frey
    90
    Every detail of the beloved children's classic is meticulously reconstructed in the film, with visuals that can only be described as wondrous.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Megan Lehmann
    88
    Devoid of 21st-century irony, this visually stunning, action-packed yuletide treat is sweet and, yes, magical in a way that will enchant kids and give older viewers a twinge of nostalgia.
  4. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    67
    A genuinely handsome film, and it tells a story that is well worth knowing. It's a kind, gentle and sweet holiday confection. But my Christmas wish is that the DVD comes packaged with the book.
  5. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    63
    While the 29 pages of his (Van Allsburg's) mini-classic would have made a superb half-hour TV special, Zemeckis and writer William Broyles Jr. have created a steroidal monster with a heart about one size too small.
  6. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    The film's characters, computer-animated over motion-caputure footage of flesh-and-blood performers, are as blank-eyed and rubbery-looking as moving mannequins -- the stuff of nightmares, not dreams.
  7. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    25
    The result is a failed and lifeless experiment in which everything goes wrong.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 74
  3. Negative: 13 out of 74
  1. EnaB.
    Dec 17, 2007
    10
    Wonderful. Magical. A Holidays classic.
  2. MarkyMark
    Nov 26, 2005
    10
    I find reviewers' reaction to this film and their comments say a lot about the kind of person they probably are inside. After watching this amazing movie, I was glad to discover that I am an emotionally healthy and alive human being. I am both the adult i am now and the 8 year old kid I was 46 years ago. I had tears running down my cheeks. Absolutely wonderful movie.… Expand
  3. MichaelF.
    Jul 6, 2006
    10
    the greatest job was done on the animation, being very realistic, and the sounds of the train being the most spectacular i ever witnessed in an animation. i enjoyed watching this film, and it is the best animation i have ever seen. it's a 10/10 well deserved.… Expand
  4. JJFerreira
    Dec 4, 2005
    8
    The Polar Express is interesting in it's conception, creative in it's execution and charming in many small but meaningful ways. Others reviewers have zeroed in on the technical flaws and limitations of attempting to adequately capture human emotions in animation, especially in eyes. Technology can always be improved upon and, in time, those limitations that exist in this films will likely be overcome. Where Polar Express shines is in the ability to convey the simple yet oft-forsaken idea that wonder, belief, trust and friendship are compatable with adulthood and maturity. The idea that belief, not just in Sanata Claus or the North Pole or elves but in one another, in family and in friends is as vital an element in life as breathing, eating and sleeping. To dismiss this film as a technological wonder or a paean to childish dreams is to close one's mind to the deeper meaning found within the story. It isn't mindless feel-good entertainment nor is it ideologically-laden cinema art. It is a reminder that anyone with the desire can find hope and honesty if only they allow themselves to believe. In the grans scheme of things, perhaps that's not such a bad discovery to make, especially if one has grown jaded and cynical as they have aged.… Expand
  5. EvanP.
    Dec 11, 2009
    8
    This Movie successfully captures the wonder and magic of Christmas. I don't care if it promotes false truths. Most who hate this movie have forgotten what it was like to spend Christmas as a child and can therefore not connect with this movie. While it is simplistic in its plot and has excessively busy visuals, it doesn't take anything away from its spirit. My only complaint would have to be the elves that are introduced at the end of the film... Creepy.… Expand
  6. F-XT
    Dec 19, 2005
    6
    It could have been better for a child movie even more that it's a pretty short movie. I think that the wors where the animation that somtimes was not realistic.… Expand
  7. nickb.
    Dec 24, 2005
    0
    It made me cry cuz it didn't make any sense.

See all 74 User Reviews

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