Saw this with my step-grandfather in theaters almost 20 years ago, and I think it's just a wonderful Christmas movie. Tom Hanks voices the narrator, the boy, the boy's father, the conductor, the ghost on the train, and Santa.
I had to double check that 20 yrs mark and OMG I was so shocked to see you are (basically) correct! I can't believe it's been 19 yrs since this came out! I really still think of it as not that old. I have to agree with you too. It's an amazing heartwarming Christmas movie.
The Polar Express is one of my personal favorites of all time, ever since I was 5. Watching it now, almost 20 years later, it still has the magical power to immersed our, take your breath away, enchant you, and stir your emotions. The groundbreaking photorealistic animation may look a bit rudimentary now, but it's still striking. Also, what makes this movie unique, compared to most Christmas movies, is the deep shivery tone, and it also proves that Christmas is full of wonder and magic.
I honestly never understood why some people say the animation is creepy, maybe because I first saw this at such a young age but I have always adored this movie, probably my second or third favorite Christmas movie
Your excitement and happiness during these Christmas movies is contagious 😊😊😊 I love this movie!! Tom Hanks did about 5 voices in this film, including Santa and the conductor. Keep up the good work and Merry Christmas!!!!!!
Little bit of a fun fact for you James: The voice of the elf captain in this movie was the same guy who voiced Roger Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (which you also reacted to).
I am so glad you enjoyed this! For some it’s not a favorite, but I found it heartfelt, inventive, fun and it was awesome on the big screen! I enjoy your reactions so much. I think we are about the same age and I love seeing you react to these movies you have never seen. Merry Christmas to you and yours! 🎄🎄🎄
Since this is a Robert Zemeckis motion capture Christmas movie, may I also recommend Disney's A Christmas Carol. Jim Carrey plays Ebenezer Scrooge, and it's one of my personal favorite versions of the classic story.
I still feel that the version with George C. Scott is the best overall for 'A Christmas Carol', but the Disney one with Jim Carrey is still terrific. His version of Scrooge is fantastic (especially towards the end) and I enjoy how it manages to stand out from a story that already has so many adaptations as it is. I agree that it'd be a great recommendation.
Love your reactions, man! Honest and straight forward. It seems you're not trying to be a character but being who you are. Very down to earth reactions. I wish I could afford to join patreon. But just not in a place financially to do it at this time. Keep up the good work!
I've seen that movie for the first time this year. For sure I will watch it again this month. I will watch your reaction later and on Christmas time I will watch it again. I hope I will not watch it alone this time ...
Some trivia (for James and anybody else who is interested): 1. Released in 2004; directed by Robert Zemeckis (same director as Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away, and the Back to the Future trilogy); written by Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr. 2. Originally, Tom Hanks was set to play every character, but he changed his mind because he felt it was too demanding. 3. Co-writer William Broyles Jr. also wrote Apollo 13, and earned an Oscar nomination for that film. Like Zemeckis, he reunites with Tom Hanks. 4. The Polar Express was nominated for 3 Academy Awards in 2004: Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Original Song for the song "Believe." It didn't win any of its nominations. 5. Originally based on the children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg; he also wrote the book "Jumanji," which was adapted into a film with Robin Williams. 6. This film is listed as the first one entirely via motion capture. Others had partial motion capture before this, but none had done the whole film that way before. Two different actors did the younger version of Hero Boy - Josh Hutcherson did the motion capture work and Daryl Sabara did his voice. 7. Chris Van Allsburg's hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, held the first screening of the movie. 8. It's said that most directors have trademarks they do in all their films. Apparently, one of Robert Zemeckis' directing trademarks is a keyhole. Early in the movie, we see Hero Boy looking through one.
I grew up in Grand Rapids and I'm old enough to remember Herpolsheimers department store. They had a small monorail train suspended from the ceiling that children could ride.
Your reaction was a joy to watch! I have seen this dozens of times and watching with you was like the first time again. Thank you for that! I adore your channel. You are just so amazing. Merry Christmas!
This is one of my absolute favorite Christmas movies. I remember being in high school when this came out and my grandparents were visiting Christmas (one of their last times since the distance became too much for them to visit during the holidays). Everyone had gone out shopping and they picked this DVD up for me and we all watched it that night. It's just such a magical movie with a great message. It'll always hold a special place in my heart and it's one of the first movies I watch around Christmas because it automatically puts me in the Christmas spirit.
I mostly Hate People Who constantly call both of Them "Engineers" when only One of Them is actually an "Engineer". Remember Steamer is the Engineer and Smokey is the Fireman
You asked what movie do I know where we never learn the main character's name? First one off top my head, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, with Clint Eastwood. It's part of a trilogy of movies where Clint Eastwood plays the same poncho donning gunslinging character but we never know his name. He is called things like "Blondie" "Stranger" "Mister" but we never know his REAL name.
I just wanted to say thank you for your message at the end. You have such a childlike view of movies and I can't say how much I love that. So many people see the negative and focus on that, but you see the wonderfulness and magic and I absolutely adore that. I've been subscribed for a while now and whenever I need something heartwarming, I come to your channel. I am so thankful your kids got you to make this channel and I look forward to all your future reactions. Merry Christmas to you and I hope you and your family have the best of Christmas on Christmas Day.❤
This movie became an instant Christmas classic, at least in my country. Did you notice the instrument of the ghost? That's a hurdy gurdy, among other names it's called. A really cool instrument from medieval age, and really cool to put in the movie.
Love your channel, James. I simply can’t afford Patreon. I just turned 65 this month, so I’ve seen many classic Christmas movies. My absolute fav is an oldie called Christmas in Connecticut. I usually watch it on TCM, Turner Classic Movies channel. A must have! Lots of snow and some humor 😂. I’m really enjoying my Christmas this year. My son is home from the seminary, on his way to becoming a Catholic priest. Tomorrow, we’re going to visit St. Stephen’s Church in Perth Amboy, NJ, where I was baptized. A beautiful cathedral-like church, now a part of the St. John Paul II parish (yes, I’m Polish). See your smiling face soon! God bless you & your family.
This is the final film of Michael Jeter, who played Smokey/Steamer. He passed away the year before, while it was still in production. The film is dedicated to his memory.
There is a book called The polar Express. I do not know if it came before or after but it is an excellent children's book. I also find it slightly amusing that you said you used to jump trains and play around on trains when you were younger.. and yet the first thing you thought of when you hear the word express is mail.. When I'm pretty sure that's where Express came from? Maybe I'm wrong.
Robert Zemeckis has always been famous for special effects movies (like Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Back in the early 2000's he opened his own motion capture studio for his computer animated movies. Motion capture was a brand new idea back then, many other movies have been doing it. Having the actors be the ones to decide how a character moves, very similar to the style of rotoscope back in the 70's. But ones made by Zemeckis got a lot of flack for being uncomfortable to look at since animating a character's face with motion capture is tough to make look natural.
Every year our local railroad museum hosts a “Polar Express” train ride. It’s an hour round trip ride. They serve hot chocolate and cookies and if you pay for the first class seats you get a commemorative Polar Express mug. They have people come through dressed like the hot chocolate dancers with trays of (fake) hot chocolate dancing around the train car. The hobo shows up before and after Santa messing with all the kids and adults. Once we get to the “North Pole” Santa comes aboard and gives everyone a bell. Then on the way back the whole train sings Christmas carols. This year the Santa remembered my daughter from another ride and asked to take a photo with her. She’s autistic and thought that was the coolest thing. As he came back through towards the end he told her he’d see her again next year. 20:38 it’s interesting that he disappears but some of his items stay behind like the metal cup here bounced off the brick tunnel. 26:33 the main boy is “Hero Boy”, the main girl is “Hero Girl”, the kid with glasses is “Know-It-All” and Billy is “Lonley Boy”. I was surprised to see that Peter Scolari was Billy. By the voice I would’ve thought a younger person. This movie was the first of its kind with the technology they used. Tom Hanks had to do multiple characters. He did Santa, the Conductor, Hero Boy, the Hobo, the Father and of course Scrooge(seeing the Hobo was controlling him). One thing that’s interesting is that a few of them were from the same town but it never said anything about them knowing each other or meeting up afterwards. 31:27 every year my daughter gets a photo album of the Polar Express ride we go on from Santa that comes with a letter similar to this one signed “Mr C.” She looks forward to it every year. I always add things about the ride in the letter.
Only one I can think of where we don't know the main character name is Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast we don't ever know his human name before transforming or after. I guess you can say his 'name' is beast.
I I have two jokes I gotta get outa my system watching this movie as an adult, one when those kids are by themselves at the train change system about to cross over an infinite abyss I’d just throw my hands in the air and say “that’s it I’m converting to Judaism!” And 2nd is more a fan theory as to why Billy got skipped for Christmas up till now, his parents recently converted to Christianity 😂.
I LOVED the theme song sung by Josh Groban! Honestly, for me, I can't stand the Steven Tyler rock segment at the end! lol It totally takes me out of the 'timeless' and 'fantasy' that the rest of the movie does so wonderfully.
When you said you’re a bookworm it made me wonder if you’ve ever read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I’m kinda hoping you have. Most reactors haven’t. Whether you’ve read the books or not, the movies are well worth watching.
This was during a period where Robert Zemeckis made this awful computer animated movies. The awkward, frightening CGI animation that was still years away from being, well... not creepy. The uncanny valley was in full effects with this one. If you change this movie to traditional animation it becomes 100 times better, and at the very least prevents it from becoming nightmare fuel.
I didn't like this one. The casting was terrible. And the visual effects were uncanny valley. However I adore the children's book this movie is based on. The book even originally came with a sleigh bell.