When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Hero Boy / Father / Conductor / Hobo / Scrooge / Santa Claus: Tom Hanks
• Sister Sarah / Mother: Leslie Zemeckis
• Know-It-All: Eddie Deezen
• Hero Girl (voice): Nona Gaye
• Billy – Lonely Boy: Peter Scolari
• Smokey / Steamer: Michael Jeter
• Hero Boy: Josh Hutcherson
• Hero Boy (voice): Daryl Sabara
• Lonely Boy (voice): Jimmy Bennett
• Pastry Chef: Brendan King
• Pastry Chef: Andy Pellick
• Waiter: Josh Eli
• Waiter: Mark Mendonca
• Waiter: Rolondas Hendricks
• Waiter: Mark Goodman
• Waiter: Jon Scott
• Waiter: Gregory Gast
• Waiter: Sean Scott
• Waiter: Gordon Hart
• Toothless Boy / Elf: Chris Coppola
• Red Head Girl / Elf: Julene Renee
• Elf General: Charles Fleischer
• Elf Lieutenant / Elf Singer: Steven Tyler
• Elf: Phil Fondacaro
• Elf: Debbie Lee Carrington
• Elf: Mark Povinelli
• Elf: Ed Gale
• Little Boy: Dante Pastula
• Smokey / Steamer (voice): André Sogliuzzo
• Sister Sarah (voice): Isabella Peregrina
• Acrobatic Elf: Eric Newton
• Acrobatic Elf: Aidan O’Shea
• Acrobatic Elf: Aaron Hendry
• Acrobatic Elf: Kevin C. Carr
• Acrobatic Elf: Bee Jay Joyer
• Acrobatic Elf: Jena Carpenter
• Acrobatic Elf: Karine Mauffrey
• Acrobatic Elf: Elisabeth P. Carpenter
• Acrobatic Elf: Bill Forchion
• Acrobatic Elf: Devin Henderson
• Acrobatic Elf: Sagiv Ben-Binyamin
• Sister Sarah: Ashly Holloway
• Know-It-All: Jimmy ‘Jax’ Pinchak
• Hero Girl: Chantel Valdivieso
• Lonely Boy: Hayden McFarland
• Toothless Boy: Connor Matheus
• Young Boy: Evan Sabara
• Wolves (uncredited): Jack Angel
• Wolves (uncredited): Rodger Bumpass
• Boy (voice) (uncredited): Dylan Cash
• Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited): Cody Klop
• (uncredited): Patrick Stogner

Film Crew:

• Conductor: Alan Silvestri
• Producer: Robert Zemeckis
• Second Unit Director: Steve Starkey
• Executive Producer: Tom Hanks
• Director of Photography: Don Burgess
• Screenplay: William Broyles Jr.
• Production Design: Rick Carter
• Costume Design: Joanna Johnston
• Casting: Victoria Burrows
• Chief Lighting Technician: Steven C. McGee
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Tom Johnson
• Boom Operator: Cary Weitz
• Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
• Art Direction: Tony Fanning
• First Assistant Director: Josh McLaglen
• Foley: Dennie Thorpe
• Foley: Jana Vance
• Production Illustrator: Oliver Scholl
• Foley Artist: Ellen Heuer
• Visual Effects Supervisor: Jim Berney
• Orchestrator: William Ross
• Supervising Sound Editor: Dennis Leonard
• Art Direction: James Hegedus
• Post Production Assistant: Dana Gong
• Makeup Artist: Daniel C. Striepeke
• Property Master: Robin L. Miller
• Executive Producer: Jack Rapke
• Director of Photography: Robert Presley
• Editor: Jeremiah O’Driscoll
• Production Design: Doug Chiang
• Makeup Artist: Tegan Taylor
• Makeup Artist: Nacoma Whobrey
• Key Makeup Artist: Deborah La Mia Denaver
• Senior Visual Effects Supervisor: Jerome Chen
• Songs: Glen Ballard
• Associate Producer: Peter M. Tobyansen
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Randy Thom
• Associate Producer: Debbie Denise
• VFX Supervisor: Ken Ralston
• Digital Effects Supervisor: Sean Phillips
• Digital Producer: Chris Juen
• Visual Effects Art Director: Martin A. Kline
• Assistant Art Director: Scott Herbertson
• Producer: Gary Goetzman
• Makeup Artist: Leo Corey Castellano
• Book: Chris van Allsburg
• Producer: William Teitler
• Co-Producer: Steven J. Boyd
• Editor: R. Orlando Duenas
• Casting: Scot Boland
• Orchestrator: Conrad Pope
• Orchestrator: Joel McNeely
• Production Executive: Zane Weiner
• Production Sound Mixer: William B. Kaplan
• ADR Recordist: David Lucarelli
• Set Dresser: Richard Blake Wester
• Sound Recordist: Ronald G. Roumas
• Special Effects Coordinator: Michael Lantieri
• Propmaker: Richard Robinson
• ADR Editor: Jonathan Null
• Driver: Joseph Sullivan
• Motion Capture Artist: Michael Len
• Head of Layout: James C.J. Williams
• Storyboard Artist: Stefan Dechant
• Set Designer: Todd Cherniawsky
• Art Direction: Norman Newberry
• Modeling: Dean Wolcott
• Animation: Jordan Harris
• Musician: George Doering
• Stunts: Jeff Evans
• Production Accountant: Daryl C. Lefever
• Creative Producer: Enfys Dickinson
• 3D Artist: Michael Condro
• Still Photographer: François Duhamel
• Production Coordinator: Gabriela Ríos
• Stunts: David Hugghins
• Makeup Artist: Jane English
• Hairstylist: Avneet Kaur
• Script Supervisor: Luca Kouimelis
• Assistant Art Director: Andrew L. Jones
• Unit Publicist: Jane E. Russell
• Assistant Art Director: John P. Goldsmith
• Hairstylist: Scott Parrish
• Layout: Fernando Benítez
• Costume Supervisor: Pamela Wise
• Additional Casting: Judith Bouley
• Set Costumer: Anthony Almaraz
• Musician: Eric Bradley
• Makeup Artist: Robert Ryan
• Art Direction: Alicia Maccarone
• Color Timer: Terry Haggar
• Assistant Art Director: Mike Stassi
• Construction Coordinator: John Villarino
• Sound Design Assistant: Will Files
• Stunts: Brian Machleit
• Set Designer: Masako Masuda
• Assistant Art Director: Jim Wallis
• Music Editor: Kenneth Karman
• Visual Effects Producer: Craig Sost
• Sound Effects Editor: David C. Hughes
• Dolby Consultant: Gene Radzik
• Visual Effects Assistant Editor: Patrick Ballin
• Visual Effects Producer: John Clinton
• Camera Operator: Patrick B. O’Brien
• Hair Designer: Kathryn Blondell
• Leadman: David C. Potter
• Makeup Artist: Cinzia Zanetti
• Key Hair Stylist: Audrey L. Anzures
• Set Designer: Kenneth A. Larson
• Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Dennis S. Sands
• Foley Editor: Sue Fox
• Digital Intermediate Producer: C. Marie Davis
• Sound Effects Editor: Scott Guitteau
• Makeup Artist: Bill Myer
• Foley Editor: E. Larry Oatfield
• Video Assist Operator: Samuel R. Harrison III
• Visual Effects Art Director: George Denes Suhayda
• Digital Compositors: John E. Sasaki
• Senior Animator: Kelvin Lee
• Set Designer: Jeffrey Beck
• Driver: Joey Freitas
• Animation: Alice V. Kaiserian
• Visual Effects Editor: Timothy Eaton
• Hairstylist: Ketty Gonzalez
• Layout: Joseph Thomas
• Key Hair Stylist: Roxane Griffin
• Animation: Paul Jessel
• Casting Assistant: Josh Einsohn
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Rocco Pucillo
• Key Hair Stylist: Tyler Ely
• Animation: Stéphane Couture
• Animation: Seth Hippen
• Animation: Jeff Lin
• Animation: Denis Samoilov
• Animation: Danny Wawrzaszek
• Camera Operator: David Howard
• Modeling: Jeff Frost
• Layout: Juan Gonzalez
• Set Designer: Jackson Bishop
• First Assistant Editor: Alex Olivares
• Stunts: Shane Habberstad
• Makeup Artist: Robert Norin
• ADR Mixer: Michael Miller
• Assistant Editor: James Andrykowski
• Makeup Artist: Angie Wells
• Concept Artist: Marc Gabbana
• VFX Editor: Stephen M. Rickert Jr.
• Visual Effects: Lori Smallwood
• Transportation Coordinator: Randy Cantor
• Executive In Charge Of Production: Mark Scoon
• Foley Mixer: Frank Rinella
• Costume Illustrator: Robin Richesson
• Assistant Dialogue Editor: Karen Brocco
• Digital Effects Supervisor: Mark Lambert
• Construction Foreman: Brian Feola
• Assistant Camera: Steven Cueva
• Makeup Artist: Donna Cicatelli-Lewis
• Stunt Double: Dane Farwell
• Choreographer: John Carrafa
• Key Set Production Assistant: Heather Wusterbarth
• Key Grip: Michael J. Coo
• Motion Capture Artist: Tom Armbruster
• Sequence Supervisor: Jep Hill
• Art Department Coordinator: Diana Goodwin
• Art Department Coordinator: Erin Collins Butler
• Casting Associate: Susan Fried
• Animation Supervisor: David Schaub
• Digital Effects Supervisor: Rob Bredow
• Digital Effects Supervisor: Alberto Menache
• Digital Effects Supervisor: Rob Engle
• Sequence Supervisor: David Parrish
• Sequence Supervisor: Robert Winter
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Timothy Loughran
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Chris McLeod
• Visual Effects Coordinator: Jarrod Nesbit
• First Assistant Editor: Alison Learned Wolf
• Negative Cutter: Mo Henry
• Negative Cutter: Gary Burritt
• Art Department Assistant: Ryan Cosgrove
• Musician: James Thatcher
• Second Assistant Director: Rick Kelly
• Character Designer: Vladimir Todorov
• Set Designer: Cathlyn Marshall
• Set Designer: Smokey Stover
• Set Designer: Kseniya Hoppe
• Assistant Editor: Ryan Chan
• Layout: Corey Hels
• Layout: Maks Naporowski
• Layout: Carlos Pedroza
• Rigging Gaffer: Bradlee Thomas Emmons III
• Grip: Mark P. Coo
• Musician: M.B. Gordy
• Best Boy Electric: Edward J. Cox
• Visual Effects: Oscar G. Castillo
• Stunts: Matthew Rugetti
• Rigging Grip: Ronald A. Miller
• Musician: Kevin Connolly
• Animation: Keith Paciello
• Musician: Matt Chamberlain
• Set Production Assistant: Ken C. Wu
• Musician: Wade Culbreath
• Key Costumer: Diana Wilson
• Set Dressing Artist: Scott Owen
• Driver: Paulie DiCocco
• Software Engineer: Christopher Burdorf
• Stunt Coordinator: Allen Robinson
• Stunts: Mark Chadwick
• Digital Intermediate Colorist: Paul McGhee
• Lighting Artist: Glen Gustafson
• Production Supervisor: Sande Scoredos
• Storyboard: Maureen Beatty
• Animation: Martin L’Heureux
• Makeup Artist: Karen Westerfield
• Makeup Artist: Lisa Buono
• Character Modelling Supervisor: Edward Taylor IV
• Matte Painter: Thomas Esmeralda
• Sequence Supervisor: Adrian Iler
• Lighting Artist: Frances Kumashiro
• Visual Effects Technical Director: Quentin Frost
• Visual Effects: Brian C. Davis
• Visual Effects Technical Director: Daniel James Weber
• Makeup Artist: Nadege Schoenfeld
• Lighting Artist: Ben Radcliffe
• Musician: Patricio Castillo
• Software Engineer: J. Robert Ray
• Modeling: Mark Krentz
• Additional Editing: W. Layne Mcdonald
• Animation: Alex Tysowsky
• Animation: Jon L. Hooper
• Animation: Marco Marenghi
• Camera Operator: Matt Cohen
• Digital Producer: Daniel Kuehn
• Grip: Adam W. Erler
• Grip: Mitchell K. Hiniker
• Lighting Artist: Mark Hamilton
• Makeup Artist: Dale Condit
• Modeling: Dustin Zachary
• Modeling: Kim Smith
• Modeling: Marc Steinberg
• Modeling: Tony Bohorquez
• Motion Capture Artist: Mark Lipsmeyer
• Musician: Andrew Bain
• Musician: Marcia Dickstein
• Software Engineer: Brian Hall
• Software Engineer: Min-Zhi Shao
• Special Effects: Kevin Gillen
• VFX Artist: Dan Kessler
• VFX Artist: Ergin Kuke
• Visual Effects: Hae-Jeon Lee
• Visual Effects: Kyudon Choi
• Visual Effects: Len White
• Visual Effects: Nick Gray
• Visual Effects: Sandra Warren
• Foley Recordist: George Peterson Jr.
• Special Effects Technician: Joel Mitchell
• Digital Compositor: Brian Ducharme
• First Assistant Accountant: Christian Feldhaus
• Second Assistant Accountant: Dakau Jackson
• Best Boy Grip: Craig Kohtala
• Colorist: Jan Yarbrough
• Set Buyer: Ann Knight
• Payroll Accountant: Angela Randazzo
• Sound Recordist: Brian Magerkurth
• Visual Effects Production Assistant: Beth Tyszkiewicz
• Second Assistant Camera: Antony Diamond
• Layout Supervisor: Andrew Titcomb
• CG Artist: Pete Billington
• Compositing Lead: J.D. Cowles
• Production Assistant: Josh Ernstrom
• Motion Capture Artist: Steve Guevara

Movie Reviews:

• Wuchak: ***Some kids with creepy dead eyes take a dreamlike trip to the North Pole on The Polar Express***

  A boy from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is at the age where he no longer believes in Christmas, as far as Santa, his elves and flying reindeer go, but a magical train appears in front of his home on Christmas Eve and whisks him away on an adventurous trip to the North Pole with several other kids.

  “The Polar Express” (2004) was based on the 1985 Christmas book and was the first mainline movie to use motion capture animation for all its characters beginning to end (think Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy). Some people think the animation is weak, but I feel it creates its own world and has its own charm. It holds up as long as you can adapt to those creepy dead eyes of the characters.

  Some people love this movie while others think it’s weird, like a Twilight Zone Christmas flick. Roger Ebert, for instance, loved it and gave it a perfect grade. I’m sorta in the middle. I see its good points and appreciate them, like the haunting winter ambiance, parts of the trip to the North Pole (e.g. the quasi-rollercoaster ride) and the kids’ investigation of the Christmas factory. But there are some meh parts and dubious sections like the whole last act with the multitude of elves and the towering Santa who looked like he was modeled after 6’5” Christopher Lee with a pillow strapped to his mid-section.

  The movie’s interesting in some ways but also quaint in a cheesy way, as well as peculiar and lifeless.

  The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes.

  GRADE: C

• Peter89Spencer: No matter how many times I watch this, it always brought me to tears!

  I only wish that I got to see it in 3D at the cinema.

• Peter McGinn: Watching The Polar Express is not an annual event for me, but I believe I have seen it three times and would not nix the idea if someone were to suggest watching it again. I feel a connection to it for an odd reason: my wife and I volunteered one Christmas season to be elves serving cocoa and dancing for an actual Polar Express narrow gauge train ride when we lived in Maine. (Though I can assure you our dancing was not as acrobatic as what you see in this movie.)

  The animation feels a little odd at first, but I stop noticing it each time I watch it. The story turns the train trip to the North Pole into a real thrill ride for the children on board, especially for our hero boy, voiced by Tom Hanks. In fact, if you are a Hanks fan, settle in, because he does multiple voices here, including one that sounds remarkably like Gilbert Godfrey to me.

  I try to avoid punching holes in the plots of Christmas movies. Half the point is that they will include unlikely events all leading to the miracle of Christmas ending. You want logic; pull out the old algebra textbook!