History YMMV / ThePolarExpress

* TearJerker: People have been known to get emotional during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtszN3TkQsI "When Christmans Comes To Town"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtszN3TkQsI "Believe"]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: The Hobo's line, "You said it, kid!" carries echoes of Christ's line, "That's what ''you'' say. ''You'' say that I am." (That's from ''Music/JesusChristSuperstar'', incidentally, but the point still stands.)

* FridgeHorror: One may wonder how Billy has failed to believe in Santa Claus all his life, not once ever received a present from him. But a child growing up and living in an abusive home is unlikely to have faith in ''anything''.

* NightmareFuel: Hey, would ''you'' want to be on a train while it's going down tracks that look like a roller coaster [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs on acid]]?
** Or a {{Crowning Moment of Awesome}} depending on who you ask over the age of ten.
** And let's not forget the scene with the puppets....or that hobo ghost in general. Especially when you know his backstory - one night, he [[FridgeHorror didn't make it to the hog in time]], and he was trying to spare the protagonist the same fate.
** A FridgeHorror example occurs when they go past the department store: "[[Series/DoctorWho Santa's a robot!]]"

* CriticalDissonance: Despite the mixed reviews from critics, audiences loved it for the most part. In fact, The Polar Express is one of the rare movies to receive an A+ from Cinemascore.
** Also even though the film got off to a slow start ($23.3 million Friday to Sunday opening, $30.6 million since its Wednesday launch), grossing less than half as much as the second weekend of Pixar's TheIncredibles, fantastic word of mouth from audiences eventually brought it to a respectable gross of $162.8 million, nearly 7 times its opening weekend (The IMAX 3D rereleases between 2005 and 2012 add another $20.6 million for a total of $183.4 million).

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Say what you want about the movie, but the soundtrack is simply awesome. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pUoi7KSy4 Check it out]]

* CriticalDissonance: Despite the mixed reviews from critics, audiences absolutely loved it. In fact, The Polar Express is one of the rare movies to receive an A+ from Cinemascore.
** Also even though the film got off to a slow start ($23.3 million Friday to Sunday opening, $30.6 million since Wednesday), grossing less than half as much as the second weekend of Pixar's TheIncredibles, fantastic word of mouth from audiences eventually brought it to a respectable gross ($162.8 million, nearly 7 times its opening weekend).

** Also even though the film got off to a slow start ($23.3 million Friday to Sunday opening, $30.6 million since Wednesday), grossing less than half as much as the second weekend of Pixar's TheIncredibles, fantastic word of mouth from audiences eventually brought it to a respectable gross ($162.8 million, nearly 7 times its opening weekend). During it's run in the Top 10 its weekend holds were:
** 32 percent decline (2nd weekend, $15.7 million gross, $51.5 million to date)
** 24 percent increase (3rd weekend which was Thanksgiving weekend, $19.4 million gross, $81.5 million to date)
** 44 percent decline (4th weekend, $10.8 million gross, $96.1 million to date)
** 11 percent decline (5th weekend, $9.6 million gross, $109.8 million to date)
** 12 percent decline (6th weekend, $8.4 million gross, $123.4 million to date)
** 24 percent decline (7th weekend which was Christmas weekend, $6.5 million gross, $140.2 million to date)
** 14 percent decline (8th weekend which was New Year's weekend, $5.6 million gross, $155.1 million to date)

* UncannyValley: A frequent criticism of the CG in the film. Considering how they made it, by filming the actual actors performing the whole film then overlaying it digitally, this is kind of expected.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: The Hobo's line, "You said it, kid!" carries echoes of Christ's line, "That's what ''you'' say. ''You'' say that I am." (That's from ''JesusChristSuperstar'', incidentally, but the point still stands.)

* AccidentalAesop and FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: only if you follow orders without questions and believe unconditionally in something you have no way to prove will a jolly fat man in red who constantly talks about his servants make you a gift. This comes off as a criticism against Those Wacky Nazis, Soviets and religious fanatics. Oops.

* AdaptationDisplacement: kids who saw the film first like it a great deal better than kids who grew up with the book in TheEighties.

** Also even though the film got off to a slow start ($23.3 million Friday to Sunday opening, $30.6 million since Wednesday), grossing less than half as much as the second weekend of Pixar's TheIncredibles, fantastic word of mouth from audiences eventually brought it to a respectable gross ($162.8 million, nearly 7 times its opening weekend).

** A FridgeHorror example occurs when they go past the department store: "[[DoctorWho Santa's a robot!]]"

* UncannyValley: A frequent criticism of the CG in the film. Considering how they made it, by filming the actual actors preforming the whole film then overlaying it digitally, this is kind of expected.

** And let's not forget the scene with the puppets....or that hobo ghost in general.

* HeyItsThatGuy/[[HeyItsThatVoice Voice]]: TomHanks, just Tom Hanks
** What's [[SpyKids Juni Cortez]] doing on a train in the middle of the night?

* UncannyValley: A frequent criticism of the CG in the film. Considering how they made it, by filming the actual actors preforming the whole film then overlaying it digitally, this is kind of expected.

* AccidentalNightmareFuel: Hey, would ''you'' want to be on a train while it's going down tracks that look like a roller coaster [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs on acid]]?
** Or a {{Crowning Moment of Awesome}} depending on who you ask over the age of ten.
** And let's not forget the scene with the puppets....or that hobo ghost in general.

** [[NightmareFetishist Yes. Oh dear God, yes!]]

* NightmareFuel: Hey, would ''you'' want to be on a train while it's going down tracks that look like a roller coaster [[ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs on acid]]?
** [[NightmareFetishist Yes. Oh dear God, yes!]]
** Or a {{Crowning Moment of Awesome}} depending on who you ask over the age of ten.
** And let's not forget the scene with the puppets....or that hobo ghost in general.