When the Christmas season finally comes around every year, I make sure I watch “The Polar Express.” I grew up watching it and have loved it ever since. The story line is absolutely amazing, with the main character being a boy (played by Tom Hanks) who stopped believing in the magic of Christmas, but was then mysteriously picked up by a Conductor (also played by Tom Hanks) of a magical train that takes him to the North Pole. There, he then learns the true magic of Christmas again and what can happen “if only you believe.” When at the North Pole, all of the children who were with him could hear the ringing of a bell that they passed around, however, Hero Boy (they refer to him as Hero Boy because his true name is never actually stated) couldn’t hear it since he didn’t believe. In the end, Hero Boy is able to meet Santa Clause where he rings the bell in his ear one last time… and this time he can hear it. He learned to truly believe. He gets sent home full of the Christmas spirit and a new appreciation for the holidays.

This movie is a classic, which I encourage all of you to watch. The animation quality may not be the best, but it gets the point across and captivates the audience while doing so. My favorite part of the whole movie is when the children are on the train on the way to the North Pole and the waiters sing their song, “Hot Chocolate.” The dance moves are amazing, the tricks are also interesting, and overall it is just spectacular. It reminds me of when I was very little (as it came out in 2004) and I would try to sing and dance along with them. One scene that I don’t like, however, is the scene with the puppet Scrooge. I feel as though it didn’t need to be that eerie because young children watch it. Even though it helps to show that no one appreciates a Scrooge, I feel like that point could have been portrayed in a different way. That scene always used to make me uneasy when I watched it.

Overall, watching this movie is a great way to relax one evening. I loved the dancing elves, the dancing and singing men on the train, and the story line. And of course, the beloved Tom Hanks plays many roles in the movie, which makes it great as well. All in all, I would rate this film a 5 out of 5 stars.