The Polar Express is a Christmas movie classic, and yet there are several elements of this fan-favorite holiday story that make very little sense or simply don’t work. Despite The Polar Express Released 20 years ago, it remains one of the best Santa Claus films to date. In truth, The Polar Express 2 is in development after two decades of few updates on the possibility of a sequel, reflecting the film’s staying power and continued popularity.
The Polar Express is popular for good reason. The Polar Express The cast features Tom Hanks, a beloved and critically acclaimed actor, and the story takes an interesting and unique direction, which can be difficult to achieve with holiday films. Even so, multiple aspects of The Polar Express they are quite strangeand these 10 are among the most difficult to face.
Polar Express animation has an uncanny valley effect
Many viewers find the animation style a bit distracting
One of the most prominent complaints about The Polar Express continues to be the animation style. The Polar Express used motion capture very early in the development of this technology, which is perhaps why it’s a little disturbing to look at. Many who dislike this style of animation have specifically pointed out the more lifeless or empty nature of the characters’ eyes, especially when it comes to children.
Because of the uncanny valley effect, even scenes that would otherwise be sweet or emotional were found to be upsetting to some viewers.
This, combined with the children’s often wide smiles, creates a frightening effect. The Polar Express The animation style is also a prime example of the uncanny valley, where something looks almost human, but not quite. Because of the uncanny valley effect, even scenes that would otherwise be sweet or emotional were found to be upsetting to some viewers, which is legitimately a shame. It will be interesting to see what updates to the animation style, if any, are made. The Polar Express 2.
Certain Elements of The Polar Express Are More Horror Movies Than Christmas Movies
The Polar Express has some genuinely scary moments
The Polar Express has several elements that feel much more in line with a horror film than a Christmas film. One of these elements is the character simply known as ‘Hobo’, who appears to be an almost ghostly being. He appears throughout the film to scare children and reinforce negative perceptions of Christmas and Santa Claus, including that it has to be seen to be believed (the same problem Hero Boy struggles with). Hero Boy and Hero Girl also enter a train car in a scene that contains several scary toys, including an Ebenezer Scrooge puppet.
Of course, The Polar Express is far from the only holiday film with a scarier tone. A Christmas song it’s more of a genuinely scary Christmas story, especially depending on the version. What causes The Polar Express What makes it feel different, though, is the fact that this story is centered around children. The scary elements are also compounded to some extent by the many unanswered questions, such as what happened to the ‘tramp’ and what his intentions really were.
The know-it-all character doesn’t improve over time
One character in particular is a common complaint about Polar Express
Most of the characters in The Polar Express are never given a real name, including the boy simply known as “Know-It-All”. This character is almost universally seen as the least likable character in the entire film, and that seems to have been the point.. While many may not recognize the name Know-It-All, this character is the young blond man who frequently corrects the other children and has a deliberately whiny voice.
That’s strange The Polar Express would include a character whose sole purpose seems to be to irritate the audience. Yes, there is a lesson to be learned when it comes to this character, especially considering Santa punishes him, but the benefit of the lesson doesn’t seem worth the cost of a character who sincerely annoys the audience. This character also doesn’t seem to improve much with age or time; While it’s expected that younger audiences won’t like a character like this, even older viewers will find it difficult to empathize with this child.
Several plot points make little sense and are never explained
The Polar Express doesn’t mind leaving plot holes unresolved
As mentioned, the ‘Hobo’ character is one of the scariest aspects of The Polar Expressand the fact that the film never really explains his character makes it even more disturbing. Hobo arrives at the end of the film, seen perched on top of the train, waving to Hero Boy just before The Polar Express concludes, but this does little to explain why he was present on the train or what his intended message was. Other unexplained parts The Polar Express they appear to simply be plot holes.
One of the most significant plot holes concerns Billy, one of the few characters with a real name. It is revealed that Billy lives in poverty, and both Hero Boy and Hero Girl are dismayed to discover that Billy has never received a Christmas present before. However, the fact that Billy never received a Christmas present makes absolutely no sensesince the existence of Santa Claus is confirmed in the film. If Santa Claus is real, why did he neglect this boy for years?
If Santa Claus is real, why did he neglect this boy for years?
Most characters are one-dimensional
The character names alone indicate this problem
As mentioned, almost none of the characters in The Polar Express has a real name. The film’s protagonist is simply called ‘Hero Boy’, a name that makes his role in the story quite obvious. Names like Hobo and Know-It-All reinforce the idea that most of these characters are entirely one-dimensional. Each of the characters appears to have a main characteristic, and little else about them is revealed..
This is particularly problematic when it comes to characters like Know-It-All, because it makes them seem quite flat. Certainly there’s more to Know-It-All than just his irritating personality, but the film does little to explore what that might be. It’s also a little strange that Billy, not Hero Boy, is the child who is given a real name in the film. The problem with these names also extends to the overarching problem with character development in The Polar Express. Although children receive tickets with perforated lessons, few major changes are shown on the screen.
The Polar Express train is not a great lesson for children
There are several alarming aspects to the Polar Express train journey
While it may not be the most fun approach to The Polar Expressit is undeniable that this whole plot is a terrible lesson for children. Hero Boy wakes up in the middle of the night to discover a mysterious train outside his house and quickly decides to follow a complete stranger to the train without letting anyone know where he is. He then continues to make a series of reckless decisions that put his life at risk, but the idea that he is a hero doesn’t make it clear that his behaviors are in fact risky.
Although there are clear distinctions between The Polar Express and real-life concerns (because there are no magic trains, of course), a story aimed at kids that puts a positive spin on kids traveling with strangers isn’t the best idea. The deal is even sweetened by the fact that children experience enchanting songs about hot chocolate and, finally, meet Santa Claus because they go with this man. While audiences must clearly suspend their disbelief, that doesn’t change the fact that children can completely take away the wrong message from the film.
Tom Hanks dominating the cast is impressive, but a little strange
Tom Hanks plays a shocking number of characters in Polar Express
When The Polar Express was released in 2004, there was a lot of excitement surrounding the fact that Tom Hanks was the voice actor for most of the characters. This was certainly an unusual approach for an animated film, and it helped that Tom Hanks was – and continues to be – so popular. As the years went by, though, it only started to seem stranger.
In The Polar Express, Tom Hanks plays Maestro, the Tramp, Hero Boy, Hero Boy’s father, Scrooge and Santa Claus. While it makes sense for Hanks to have played some of these minor characters in addition to a more prominent role as the Maestro, as it’s not uncommon for films and animated shows to use voice actors for multiple roles, the sheer number of Hanks’ characters is unusual. What makes this even stranger is the decision to have Hanks also play the main character, Hero Boy, when a child could have played that character alongside Hanks’ Maestro.
Hero Boy still doesn’t believe in Santa Claus despite the magic train
Somehow the train isn’t enough to convince the boy that Santa Claus exists
One of the most confusing aspects The Polar Express is Hero Boy’s stubborn dedication to not believing in Santa Claus. It makes sense that as children grow up, they lose belief in magic, but certainly being on a magical train on the way to the North Pole would make Hero Boy question his belief that Santa Claus wasn’t real. The Polar Express takes it a step further by having Hero Boy still doubt the existence of Santa Claus, even when he arrives at the North Pole and sees a crowd of elves.
One of the most confusing aspects The Polar Express is Hero Boy’s stubborn dedication to not believing in Santa Claus.
This plot wasn’t necessary either. It still would have worked for the boy to start the movie not believing in Santa Claus and then realize he was wrong the entire train ride. This also translates into some much larger questions regarding the overall message of The Polar Expresswhich is quite inconsistent, especially towards the end.
The Polar Express faces the same parent plot hole that most Christmas movies face
Parents in Christmas movies almost never make sense
The Polar Express also falls victim to the same problem as countless Christmas movies. It just doesn’t make sense that parents don’t believe in Santa Claus if he leaves presents for children. If parents see a pile of gifts under the tree that they didn’t buy for their children or put there, of course they should believe in Santa Claus.
If parents see a pile of gifts under the tree that they didn’t buy for their children or put there, of course they should believe in Santa Claus.
Christmas movies have tried to explain this with varying degrees of success, suggesting, for example, that the parents simply lacked communication and believed the other parent bought the presents. In all fairness, The Polar Express can’t be faulted for this any more than any other Christmas movie. To create a story about Santa Claus, a film naturally must ignore the fact that parents not questioning where Santa’s gifts came from is completely absurd.
Polar Express accidentally reinforces that you have to see it to believe it
Polar Express’ Conclusion Undermines Its Own Message
Perhaps the most significant problem with The Polar Express is the fact that the film ends up reinforcing the very message it claims to oppose. Hero Boy’s lesson is that he must believe in Santa Claus and, by extension, magic, without needing to see him with his own eyes. That’s why the word “believe” is stamped on your train ticket. However, in the end, the narrator reveals that the boy continued to believe in Santa Claus until adulthood, while everyone around him lost belief.
The problem is that Hero Boy only maintained his belief in Santa Claus because he saw him in person and because he knew that the bell was gifted to him by Santa Claus. Others, who did not have the same experience, did not have this advantage and therefore lost hope. This is a strange oversight for the film, but it is still one of the most confusing aspects of the film. The Polar Express.