History WesternAnimation / ThePolarExpress

* AdaptationExpansion: A good deal, seeing as it is based on a 32-page book..

The film was directed by RobertZemeckis with Creator/TomHanks doing most of the voice work and movements. Despite Zemeckis having made [[BackToTheFuture some]] [[ForrestGump legendary]] [[WhoFramedRogerRabbit movies]], the movie is unfortunately remembered for sliding into the UncannyValley. It was also dedicated to Michael Jeter, who had spent his final acting role on this movie. Mixed opinions were dished about ''The Polar Express''; some critics considered it to be a faithful adaptation, while others panned the visual effects with no signs of remorse. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, and got a 56% on the [[Website/RottenTomatoes Tomatometer]].

''The Polar Express'' is a lavishly illustrated children's book by [[http://babbletrish.blogspot.com/2009/12/when-you-see-terrier-drink-lets-read.html Chris Van Allsburg]] in which a young boy, straining to hear the silver bells of [[SantaClaus Santa's]] sleigh on Christmas Eve, instead hears a train's whistle. He goes outside to find a magical train, the eponymous Polar Express, which was sent to pick up the boy and hundreds of other children to go the North Pole and Santa's workshop. There, one of the passengers will receive "the first gift of Christmas".

Upon arrival at the Pole, the boy is chosen. When Santa offers to give him anything for a gift, he simply asks for a bell from Santa's sleigh, as they make the most beautiful music he has ever heard. The children all board the Express and hurry over to the boy's seat, asking him to sound the bell. Unfortunately for him, he had placed the bell in a pocket with a hole in it. The children leave the North Pole heartbroken.

On Christmas morning, the boy finds a tiny gift box with a note from Santa reminding him to "fix that hole in your pocket". Inside is the bell, which the boy rings for his family. His sister is enchanted by the music but his parents tell him how sad that it's broken, because they can't hear it. The boy realizes that the only people who can hear the bell's ringing are those who still believe in Santa.

A beloved Christmas classic, in 2004 it was adapted into a full-length motion-capture CG film directed by RobertZemeckis with Creator/TomHanks providing most of the movements and voice work. This movie, unfortunate as it is, is also remembered for sliding into the UncannyValley.

* AwardBaitSong: "Believe" and perhaps "When Christmas Comes to Town"

A beloved Christmas classic, in 2004 it was adapted into a full-length motion-capture CG film directed by RobertZemeckis with Creator/TomHanks providing most of the movements and voice work. This movie, unfortunate as it is, is best remembered for sliding deep into the UncannyValley.

** Except for Billy the Lonely Boy and the main character's sister, Sarah. Also, [[AllThereInTheManual apparently]] Know-It-All Kid's name is Lenny.

* SceneryPorn: All over the place. ''Especially'' during the scenes at the North Pole.

Upon arrival at the Pole, the boy is chosen. When Santa offers to give him anything for a gift, he simply asks for a bell from Santa's sleigh, as they make the most beautiful music he has ever heard. The children all board the Express and hurry over to the boy's seat, asking him to sound the bell. Tragically, he had placed the bell in a pocket with a hole in it. The children leave the North Pole heartbroken.

On Christmas morning, the boy finds a tiny gift box with a note from Santa reminding him to "fix that hole". Inside is the bell, which the boy rings for his family. His sister is enchanted by the music but his parents tell him how sad that it's broken, because they can't hear it. The boy realizes that the only people who can hear the bell's ringing are those who still believe in Santa.

A beloved Christmas classic, in 2004 it was adapted into a full-length motion-capture CG film directed by RobertZemeckis with Creator/TomHanks providing most of the movements and voice work.

A beloved Christmas classic, in 2004 it was adapted into a full-length motion-capture CG film directed by RobertZemeckis with TomHanks providing most of the movements and voice work.

* InkSuitActor: TomHanks and [[Music/{{Aerosmith}} Steven Tyler]].

* TalkingToHimself: TomHanks voiced the father, the conductor, the hobo and Santa.

* InkSuitActor: [[Music/{{Aerosmith}} Steven Tyler]].

** Averted in that the Berkshire is a real-life locomotive, even with her real-life number. It was obviously too tempting to put Pere Marquette #1225 on a Christmas train. Even the sounds were taken from the real #1225. On the other hand, if you want to nitpick, the Pere Marquette N-1 Berkshires were ''freight'' locomotives.

* CoolTrain

!TheFilmOfTheBook provides examples of:

----
<<|{{Film}}|>>

* AwardBaitSong: "Believe"

* RecursiveAdaptation: There were several film of the book releases.

** On the ice surface of Glacier Gulch, the engineer seems to steer the Berkshire by rotating the drivers back and forth. Although the locomotive is always shown from the same side in this scene, this implies that he can control them like the tracks on a tracked vehicle, i.e. independently on both sides. [[DontExplainTheJoke Train wheelsets, on the other hand, are almost always rigid with both wheels firmly attached to the axle]].

* ObjectTrackingShot: A popular shot showing off the CGI.

** Except for Billy the Lonely Boy. Also, [[AllThereInTheManual apparently]] Know-It-All Kid's name is Lenny.

* AdaptationExpansion: Hoo boy.

* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Most of the film takes place at five minutes till midnight. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Know-It-All Boy, by the way.

* NoNameGiven: We never learn any of the children's names, except for Billy the Lonely Boy. Also, [[AllThereInTheManual apparently]] Know-It-All Kid's name is Lenny.

* PowerGlows: Subtly used on Santa; it earned him the distinction of appearing "[[{{Narm}} radioactive]]" to some viewers.

* TalkingToHimself: [[TomHanks Santa, the Hobo, the Conductor, Hero-Boy, his father...]]
* WriteWhatYouKnow: The main protagonist is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, also the hometown of the book's author. In one scene, the train passes by Herpolsheimer's, which was (until the 1980s) a Grand Rapids department store that was known for its lavish Christmas displays.