Voice Cast: Tom Hanks, Michael Jeter, Peter Scolari, Nona Gaye, Eddie Deezen and Charles Fleischer
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Studio Synopsis: When a doubting young boy (voiced by Daryl Sabara) 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.
Rating: G
Running Time: 100 minutes
Official Web site: http://polarexpressmovie.warnerbros.com/
Trailer: http://polarexpressmovie.warnerbros.com/
media_trailer.html

Review: Climb onboard The Polar Express for a wild journey that makes many wondrous stops en route to Santa Claus’ North Pole operations. Just beware that the moppets sharing the compartment seem as plastic as those giant candy canes erected on people’s lawns during the holiday season. And there lies the problem with director Robert Zemeckis’ technically superb adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book. To bring to life the world warmly illustrated in Van Allsburg’s yuletide classic, Zemeckis employs a process called motion capture to computerize the cast’s every step and gesture. Unfortunately, this expensive exercise in photo realism results in virtual protagonists defined by their distinct lack of a soul. Their faces look too smooth, too stretched, almost as though they’re endured countless cosmetic surgeries. Then there are their eyes. There’s no twinkle, and that makes these computerized kiddies a tad creepy. That said, there’s fluidity in their movements. This is made all the more evident with the casting of Tom Hanks in multiple roles, including the train’s conductor. He possesses that crackling nervous energy Hanks gives off during comical moments of crisis. Too bad The Polar Express’ most prominent passenger is a young boy with absolutely no personality. Heck, this drip doesn’t even have a name. The boy’s whisked off to the North Pole because he’s beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Claus. The second the Polar Express departs for its chilly destination, Zemeckis wastes no time promoting the true meaning of Christmas while extolling the virtues of friendship and leadership. The journey chugs along at a snail’s crawl for the first 20 minutes, but finally picks up steam with a gravity-defying musical sequence that would make Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly proud. From this moment on, The Polar Express offers a giddy good time as it races toward the North Pole. At one point, the train jumps off the tracks and slides across a frozen lake in roller-coaster fashion that you’re left dizzy and breathless. When the journey ends at the North Pole, Zemeckis concocts a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus that bears all the charm, imagination and sincerity of a Pixar CGI extravaganza. This makes The Polar Express worth a train worth catching, no matter who’s along for the ride.
—Robert Sims

Other Reviews
Local 10 (3 1/2 stars)
The Miami Herald (3D version: 3 1/2 stars)
Hollywood.com (3 stars)
The Sun-Sentinel (3 stars)
The Miami Herald (2 1/2 stars)
The Palm Beach Post (C)
City Link