The Polar Express is a 1985 children's book, which was later made into a movie that was released on November 12, 2004.
The book
The book (ISBN 0862641438) was written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, a former professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.
It tells the story of a young boy who on Christmas Eve journeys to the North Pole on a magical train known as the Polar Express. Eventually, he visits Santa Claus and is given a special present.
The book is now widely considered to be a classic Christmas story for young children. It was praised for its detailed illustrations and calm, relaxing storyline. In 1986 it was awarded the Caldecott Medal for children's literature.
The film
The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is entirely computer animated using a novel technology called performance capture to provide natural movement and expressions for the characters. It stars actor Tom Hanks in five distinct roles, including that of the 8-year-old protagonist.
In addition to a standard theatrical format, a 3D version for IMAX was also released, generated from the same 3D digital models used for the standard version. It was the first animated feature not specially made for IMAX to be presented in this format.
The film expands a story that can be read in under three minutes into a ninety-nine-minute movie, while remaining true to the spirit of the original. The "Hot Chocolate" production number was derived from a single sentence and a single illustration. The "Hobo," "Lonely Boy," "Know-it-All," and "Hero Girl" characters, the scenes on rooftops and on the locomotive, and the runaway observation car sequence were all new to the film.
The decision to model the characters so realistically was met with criticism from some reviewers, who felt that the appearances of the characters were "creepy" or "eerie" [1] [2] [3]. This is related to the concept of the Uncanny Valley, which holds that the closer something appears to human, the more its dissimilarities may stand out and create a negative reaction in viewers.
Trivia
The locomotive sounds for the movie are recordings of a preserved Pere Marquette Railroad engine, a 2-8-4. The locomotive number, 1225, fits with the theme of the movie, as Christmas falls on December 25.
The movie contains references to author Van Allsburg's former hometown. The boy hero identifies Grand Rapids, Michigan as the city he lives in, and the train passes Herpolsheimer's department store (a former city landmark) on its way out of town. The film premiered in Grand Rapids.
Tagline: Journey Beyond Your Imagination
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