Is it possible to capture the magic and spirit of one of the greatest Christmas books of all time in a major motion picture?
The answer, sadly, is no.
While "The Polar Express" attempts to deliver the delight characteristic of the classic children's book, the result is but a shadow of the original.
All who've read the story by Chris Van Allsburg are familiar with the tale of the exciting train that carries Santa-doubting children straight to the North Pole.
As the train makes its spectacular journey, one boy in particular is affected as he learns that the true magic of Christmas lies with those who never lose faith in Santa. Countless families have read this modern classic together and marveled at the beautiful story and breathtaking illustrations.
The film's animation, which resembles the book's illustrations, is amazing. From the mountains and the wolves to the train itself to the spectacular North Pole, the film truly captures the visual beauty of the book. It's hard not to get chills as you watch the train arrive at the North Pole, looking just as you remembered it.
But apart from this, the magic is nontransferable. When it comes to the silver screen, it fails to deliver the warm, fuzzy feeling that distinguishes the book we all know and love.
Tom Hanks, however, does attempt to save the film. He plays everyone from the conductor to Santa to a mysterious hobo, and is endearing as always.
As he welcomes kids to the enchanting region, he is funny and quirky, yet jolly and powerful when he plays Santa Claus. And while he voices six characters, he never gets bothersome.
The same can't be said for the other characters. The children, in particular, are eccentric, peculiar, and completely out of place. One of the kids is so annoying that he is almost painful to watch.
And the elves are just downright creepy. Complete with a cameo by Steven Tyler, they ultimately come off as terrifying little men.
But the film's greatest flaw lies in its attempt to create a full-length picture out of a relatively short children's book.
In attempting to lengthen the movie, many scenes are added that simply don't fit.
From waiters dancing on the walls to flying hot chocolate and supplementary musical numbers, the additions detract from the story.
The plot is left disjointed and choppy from the pointless storylines incorporated to beef it up. The audience follows the subplot of a lost ticket, which, in the end, seems to have no effect on the outcome of the story or the characters.
Many action-packed scenes are also haphazardly thrown in, perhaps to add excitement, but they also deteriorate the original story. As the journey becomes a roller coaster ride and the trip to Santa's factory a near-death experience, the film's message is undermined.
And while movie adaptations can sometimes succeed by expanding the story (take "The Grinch," for example) this attempt simply doesn't work. In trying to mold the book into an action-packed, computer-animated quasi-musical, something is lost.
Not even Santa and all his reindeer can save this train wreck.
Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
