The Polar Express is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy adventure film. It is co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, who also served as one of the film’s executive producers. The human characters in the film are animated utilizing live-action and motion-capture CGI. It tells the tale of a young kid who, on Christmas Eve, witnesses a mysterious train destined for the North Pole stop outside his window. Then, he is invited on by the railway’s conductor. The boy joins a group of children on their trek to see Santa Claus in preparation for Christmas. Tom Hanks, who is also one of the film’s executive producers. In addition, he plays various roles in the film, while Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen play supporting characters.
The plot
It was late on Christmas Eve after the town has fallen asleep, and a young youngster lies in bed unable to fall asleep. As it is Christmas Eve, he patiently awaits Santa’s arrival in silence. He believes he hears sleigh bells and hurries to the window, but all he can see is falling snow. Despondent, he returns to bed to wait once more. As he falls asleep, he hears a noise in the room below. He hurries to the top of the stairs, where he sees a shadow slowly approaching the door. He hears the eagerly anticipated bells and notices that the shadow is sporting a Santa hat! The identity of the ghost becomes immediately evident. Then, the young kid boards The Polar Express!
A strange train that has been waiting for him. Santa Claus offers the youngster any gift he likes when he arrives at the North Pole. Then, the child requests merely a bell from Santa’s reindeer harness.
The elves take Billy’s presence and promise to take care of it. Santa appears and everyone cheers. The skeptic can’t see Santa or hear his reindeer’s bells. The boy picks up a fallen bell. Finally believing, the youngster swings the bell, which rings joyfully. Santa appears behind the youngster and chooses him for the first Christmas present. Santa laughs as the boy picks the bell. The boy puts the prized bell in his robe pocket, forgetting it was torn earlier in the night.
On the way home, though, the bell is misplaced. The youngster discovers the bell under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning, and when he shakes it, it produces the most beautiful sound he has ever heard. His mother admires the bell but laments that it is broken… for only a real believer can hear the sound.
The Casts
- Tom Hanks as Hero Boy (adult voice), Hero Boy’s father, Conductor, Hobo, Santa Claus, and Ebenezer Scrooge puppet
- Josh Hutcherson as Hero Boy (additional motion capture)
- Daryl Sabara as Hero Boy (child’s voice)
- Nona Gaye as Hero Girl
- Darrian O Driscoll as Hero Girl (additional motion-capture)
- Meagan Moore as Hero Girl (singing voice)
- Tinashe as Hero Girl (motion-capture model)
- Peter Scolari as Billy the Lonely Boy (motion capture)
- Hayden McFarland as Billy the Lonely Boy (additional motion capture)
- Jimmy Bennett as Billy the Lonely Boy (voice)
- Matthew Hall as Billy the Lonely Boy (singing voice)
- Eddie Deezen as Know-it-all
- Jimmy Pinchak as Know-it-all (additional motion-capture)
- Michael Jeter as Smokey and Steamer
- André Sogliuzzo as Smokey and Steamer (additional voice)[8]
- Leslie Zemeckis as Sister Sarah (motion capture) and Hero Boy’s mother
- Isabella Peregrina as Sister Sarah (voice)
- Ashly Holloway as Sister Sarah (additional motion capture)
- Dylan Cash as Boy on Train (voice)
- Brendan King and Andy Pellick as Pastry Chefs
- Josh Eli, Rolandas Hendricks, Jon Scott, Sean Scott, Mark Mendonca, Mark Goodman, Gregory Gast, and Gordon Hart as Waiters
- Julene Renee as Red Head Girl and an Elf
- Chris Coppola as Gus the Toothless Boy and an Elf
- Connor Matheus as Toothless Boy (additional motion capture)
- Phil Fondacaro, Debbie Lee Carrington, Mark Povinelli, and Ed Gale as Elves
- Charles Fleischer as Elf General
- Steven Tyler as Elf Lieutenant and Elf Singer
The Polar Express Film Production
As Castle Rock’s first CGI-animated picture, the film was developed in collaboration with Shangri-La Entertainment, ImageMovers, Playtone, and Golden Mean Productions for Warner Bros. Pictures. Sony Pictures Imageworks handled both the CGI visual effects and CGI performance capture. The film’s budget was between $165 and $170 million, a record-breaking amount for an animated blockbuster at the time.
The Polar Express premiered on October 13, 2004, at the Chicago International Film Festival and on November 10, 2004, in the United States. Initially, the picture flopped at the box office, grossing $286 million against a budget of $165–170 million. However, subsequent re-releases helped boost the film’s worldwide gross to $314 million. The film was later recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006 as the first to be entirely captured digitally. In recognition of Michael Jeter’s final acting job before his passing, the film was dedicated to his memory.
The reception of The Polar Express
The picture opened at #2 behind The Incredibles and made $23.3 million from about 7,000 screens at 3,650 theaters, averaging $6,390 per theater and $3,332 per screen in its first weekend. Since Wednesday’s start, it’s earned $30.6 million. The weekend total included $2.1 million from 59 IMAX theaters, for an average of $35,593, and $3,000,000 since Wednesday.
After The Matrix Revolutions, Brother Bear, and Elf debuted, the top 12 movies earned $136.1 million, down 5% from the previous year. Since 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Warner Bros. had released 10 blockbuster films, all of which lost at least 36% in their second weekend, although only seven plummeted at least 49%. In addition, The Polar Express has the lowest three-day opening weekend gross. The Polar Express held the record for the biggest IMAX gross until 2009 when Avatar surpassed it. Furthermore, the picture grossed $314.2 million worldwide, $187.9 million in North America, and $126.3 million abroad (including all re-releases).