The Polar Express

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2:22

The Polar Express

G

2004

1h 40m

Kids & Family

Holiday

Fantasy

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

210 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When a doubting young boy takes a 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.

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Critics Consensus

Though the movie is visually stunning overall, the animation for the human characters isn't lifelike enough, and the story is padded.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The schmaltz content gets higher and higher, as if administered through a drip feed, until by the end we are drowning in sucrose.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 4, 2014

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David Germain

Associated Press

People in Hollywood should never work with children or animals, W.C. Fields once said. Maybe that should be expanded to hyper-realistic computer-generated children and reindeer, too.

Dec 9, 2013

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Keith Phipps

AV Club

As a spectacle, The Polar Express looks remarkable. As a film, however, it's the equivalent of an elaborately wrapped Christmas present containing a nice new pair of socks.

Dec 9, 2013

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Alan French

Sunshine State Cineplex

It’s not hard to see why this movie [The Polar Express] was optioned, but it is frustrating to see the concept wasted on a thin, meandering plot meant as a morality play.

Rated: 3/10

Dec 15, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A “Harry Potter meets Scrooge” hodgepodge enacted on a plateau of plasticity.

Rated: 2/4

Feb 15, 2023

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

While on paper everything about The Polar Express seems to point towards the feature being a disaster, the final product stays on the rails to become anything but.

Rated: A-

Aug 28, 2022

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MB

Nostalgic and better than I remembered love to see a good classic on the big screen❤️‍🩹

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/12/25

Full Review

Timoty D

Just watched Polar Express IMAX 4DX. It was WAS SOOOO FUN!!!! Please bring it back!!! The theater really came alive at times. What an experience!! Glacier Gulch!!!! Again, please bring it back and give us more options than just the one showing so we can get around family work schedules to enjoy with the entire family!!! So awesome.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

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Darlene

Loved the sound effects and comfy seats

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

Full Review

SHARON G

Tradition to see it every year....

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/15/24

Full Review

Logan T

it's amazing as always

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/15/24

Full Review

peggy

5 Stars!! Such a great Christmas classic!!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/15/24

Full Review

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Robert Zemeckis

Director

Tom Hanks

Hero Boy

Michael Jeter

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The Polar Express: Trailer 1

2:22

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Synopsis

When a doubting young boy takes a 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.

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Jack Rapke
Screenwriter: Robert Zemeckis, William Broyles Jr.
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, Castle Rock
Production Co: Castle Rock Entertainment, Universal CGI, Playtone Productions, ImageMovers, Golden Mean, Warner Brothers
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Holiday, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $125.9M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS, Dolby SRD, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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