The Polar Express is an adventure fantasy film that was made using CGI and released in 2004. The plot revolves around the story of a young boy who is losing faith in Santa and Christmas. On the night of Christmas eve, he boards a mysterious train named the Polar Express, which claims to go to the north pole, and the story follows their further adventure to visit Santa Claus on Christmas.
Upon its release, the film did quite well and received its second-largest opening behind The Incredibles. It received an okay rating on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB. However, some did not receive it all that well and gave it negative reviews. Overall, the film made a worldwide gross of $314.2 million.
In this holiday season, for those who want to have a good time with family, this is the perfect film. Grab a mug of hot chocolate, cuddle up in a blanket with your loved ones, and hop on the ride of the Polar Express to believe in the miracle of Christmas once again.
For those who missed the films in the theatres and are looking for information about this film, like where to watch it, the plot, the cast, and a streaming guide. Look no further; we’ve got you covered in this article.
The Cast of The Polar Express
Tom Hanks gave voices to many characters in the film. He gave voiceovers to the hero boy, the hero boy’s father, the conductor, the hobo, Santa Claus, and the puppet. Nona Gaye played the role of the heroic girl. Peter Thomas Scolari gave the voiceover to Billy, “the lonely guy.”
The film also marked the last act of actor Michael Jeter. He gave voice to the roles of Smokey and Steamer. He died before the movie was released, and therefore, the movie pays tribute to him as well. Each actor gave unique quality to each character and did their part quite well. Tom Hanks was also one of the producers of the film.
Also, Read:30 Best 70s Christmas Movies To Watch These Holidays
Where Can You Watch The Polar Express (2004)?
You can watch The Polar Express on several OTT platforms, like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Apple TV. Amazon Prime is available for a low monthly fee of $14.99. Other subscriptions can be bought for a very nominal price.
Want to have a good time with friends and family? The Polar Express is a good movie to watch this holiday season. It will not only boost your spirits but also give you something to think about. A miracle, a chance to connect with your inner child, and a reason to celebrate
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Plot and Spoilers for The Polar Express (2004)
The story starts on the night of Christmas eve, as the hero boy keeps his ears and eyes open to what is happening outside. He sees his father putting down his sister for the night and telling her that Santa is real because she thinks otherwise.
The boy had already told her that Santa couldn’t be real because he’d have to travel at the speed of light to get to every house. Later that same night, as he pretended to sleep, his parents came to visit him, and seeing him sleeping, they said that it would be a shame if he stopped believing in miracles and Santa, as he did when he was young.
As his parents left, the hero boy heard a strange noise outside the door and saw that a giant train had come to a halt outside his room. The conductor of the train asked him to hop on, saying that they were going on a journey to the north pole. Firstly, the boy was reluctant and did not hop on the train, but as it was about to leave, he changed his mind and joined the journey.
As the boy entered the train, he saw that the compartment was full of children around his age. He sat next to a girl, who waved him hello and met other children. A know-it-all boy started yapping on the way, and they listened. One could easily see children of all ages and characters.
The boy had his doubts about the journey but was curious as well. As the next train stopped at the next stop, he saw a shy, pale-looking boy standing outside. The boy refused to hop on the train first, but as the train started gaining speed, the hero boy saw that the shy boy was running behind, wanting to hop on.
On seeing this, the heroic boy pulled the emergency brakes on the train and stopped it. The shy boy entered and sat alone in a different apartment.
Soon after the refreshments were served, the girl hid one cup of hot chocolate for the shy boy and offered it to him later, which he accepted. After that, the girl’s ticket goes missing, and the conductor takes her somewhere. The ticket came back, but the girl and the conductor were gone.
The hero boy followed them, thinking that the girl would be thrown off the train, and that is when he met the mysterious ghost hobo, who helped him reach the engine. The hero boy finds that the girl has been put in charge there while the people in charge change the headlights. On the way, the train met with a slight inconvenience, but it came back on track again.
After that, as the train was about to reach the north pole, the conductor told the children that a special child would receive the first gift from Santa. The boy and the girl try to convince the shy boy to come with them but in vain. In the process, the boy uncoupled the train, sending it hurtling down Santa’s workshop.
In the process of finding the way out, the shy boy and the girl follow the sound of the bell from the reindeer’s reins, but the hero boy cannot hear it. Billy discovers a gift labeled with his name among the gifts. They fell into Santa’s gift bag and met the know-it-all boy. The elves escorted them out of it, and they came back.
Initially, the hero boy was not able to hear the bell ring because he did not believe it. He tries to convince himself, and when he finally does believe, he hears the bell and meets Santa at the same time.
The hero boy gave a bell back to Santa, and then, after going through a thoughtful decision, Santa chose the hero boy to get the first gift of Christmas. Santa gave the hero boy a bell as a token of the spirit of Christmas and Santa and then went off to give presents to the kids.
Everyone watched in awe, and then, after a celebration, everyone boarded the train to go back home. The boy wished the conductor and his friends a merry Christmas and went off. After coming back home, our hero boy is a changed person altogether, and he is woken up by his sister saying that Santa has been to their house.
The children ran down to open their gifts, and in his gift, he found the same bell with a note saying that he should fix the hole in his pocket. He gave a bell to his parents, who could not hear it ring while he could. The story ended with him saying that at one point, none of his friends and family could hear the bell, but he always could, as it can only be heard by those “who truly believe.”
The film, while not the most popular Christmas film of all time, did quite well at the box office and remains a classic for many. While being a sweet, simple story, the film gives a very strong message.
As we grow up and face the reality of life, our faith starts to wander, and we lose hope. The film connects us to our inner child and tells us to rekindle the faith and hope we had when we were children.
While being practical is sometimes beneficial, and as we grow older, we tend to believe less in fairy tales, these stories are what give us hope in difficult times. When going gets tough, these folktales give us a reason to hold on. A belief that a miracle will happen is enough for many people to survive and fight on.
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