Tom Hanks and Director Robert Zemeckis team up once again to bring to life "The Polar Express." Hanks and Zemeckis worked on other films such as "Forest Gump" and "Castaway" together. As with the other films, this dynamic duo triumphs again in creating this animated children's story.
Hanks uses his talents to provide voices for as many as six various characters in this film. All the way from the boy to Scrooge and even Santa Claus, Hanks offers a wide array of voices that is sure to make this film the hit of the Christmas season.
Hanks provides the voice of the a little boy who is slowly but surely losing his belief in Santa Claus. Christmas is a special time for most children, but for this little boy Christmas is a time of doubt and disappointment. One Christmas when the boy is on the verge of losing his Christmas spirit completely, he receives a special Christmas present. A magical train appears in front of his house and the conductor, also played by Hanks, offers to take the boy to the North Pole. Reluctantly, the boy gets on the train and is taken through a series of crazy mishaps and wild rides, which include dancing waiters and a brake malfunction that sends the train and the passengers on a rollercoaster ride comparable to the Big Thunder Railroad, except without all the death. Among this adventure into the land of Christmas, the boy discovers new friends and some new lessons are taught.
"The Polar Express" is an exciting film that is fun for the whole family. Kids and parents alike will enjoy the story and it will help bring in the Christmas season. And of course, no Christmas movie is complete without an elf that resembles Steven Tyler singing Christmas rock songs.
Four pitchforks out of five.
Reach the reporter at brian.kirshman@asu.edu.
