The Polar Express
The Polar Express Image
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Metascore
61 out of 100

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

User Score
7.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 115 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Michael Jeter, Tom Hanks
  • 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. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Luke Y. Thompson
    80
    If you have a chance to see the 3-D IMAX version of the movie ignore any objections. But if your only choice is a regular 2-D screen, The Polar Express is still three-fourths of a great movie.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    58
    The screenplay, by Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr., plumps Van Allsburg's simple fable about the purity of childhood faith in what can't be seen with all sorts of wholly invented characters, complications, and declarations.
  4. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    30
    Actually, the wonder The Polar Express induces feels something like a coma.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 56 out of 73
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 73
  3. Negative: 13 out of 73
  1. EnaB.
    10
    Wonderful. Magical. A Holidays classic.
  2. sil3nt_nick
    8
    A unique way of animating the story from the 1985 children's story, putting their own spin on some scenes.
  3. WriteFilmLive21
    7
    "The Polar Express" - Robert Zemeckis's first foray into motion-capture animated features - is a lovely and delightful holiday film, beautifully animated and packed to the seams with creativity, imagination, zaniness, and a truly wonderful music score (although the main theme is played perhaps a tad too frequently). Some of the effects come off a bit dated now, since animation has advanced so quickly since then, but it is nonethless a great movie, and an easy must-watch around every Christmas time.… Expand
  4. Matt
    1
    I couldn't even watch the first 20 minutes. It was so bad. I quit watching after the part with the train over the frozen lake sliding part/finding the ticket. When were those parts ever in the book? The book was awesome. This movie is nothing like the book. Not even close. I had a great childhood and I remember growing up as a kid I used to read the book with my parents. After watching this garbage movie it made me want to throw up. If you want to see a good film with excellent animation go and see the Incredibles or Monsters inc.… Expand

See all 73 User Reviews

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