The Polar Express (2004, Robert Zemeckis)

In spite of some ugly-looking computer generated animation, this Christmas film is a real charmer. The strength of the film lies in its strong story, credible characters and situations. I thought the film is one of the best examples I’ve seen of adult oriented animation made for mainstream USA. The humans in the film do look ugly (a problem experts on CGI have not been able to solve yet), but everything else looks stunning. You almost get the feeling that you are watching a live-action movie, not a CGI production. Like any good drama, the story doesn’t spell out things for the viewer. There are many wonderful surprises along the way. Tom Hanks is the voice of multiple characters and he is consistently great. The work of director Robert Zemeckis is above average. He captures that sense of wonder that often eludes movies of this vintage. I think this is one of Zemeckis’ very best films. It’s too good to be watched only during Christmastime.

~ by gelpi2008 on Friday, June 19, 2009.