Polar Express Theory: Is Everything A Dream?

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  • Опубліковано 28 сер 2024
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    Isaac attempts to determine whether the story in the Polar Express is a dream or reality.
    Polar Express Theory: The Boy is the Conductor and Hobo: • Polar Express Theory: ...
    MOVIE LINK: The Polar Express Blu-ray: amzn.to/2hSR1On
    STORYBOOK LINK: The Polar Express Storybook: amzn.to/2gPNhQc
    Are you ready for the magical trip on the Polar Express? Sounds to me like this is your crucial year. If I were you I would think about climbing on board because today we are going to look into more of the mysteries behind one of my favorite Christmas films.
    I post every Tuesday and Thursday, so check back then for more Disney, Pixar, Harry Potter, Star Wars and movie videos! If you have any questions about the Disney universe that you would want answered in a video, please ask away in the comment section!
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    MUSIC PROVIDED BY: Warner Brothers
    "Believe" by Josh Groban
    VIDEO PROVIDED BY: Warner Brothers
    Movie: The Polar Express
    THANKS TO MY PATRONS WHO SPONSORED THIS VIDEO!
    Vivian Lyttle, Samantha Lucas & Night Mist
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    I do not own the rights to Disney or any of the branding associated to the franchise. Discovering Disney is meant for educational purposes which does not take away from the original works, but instead helps build understanding on the cinematic universe. Some links on this page are affiliate links.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 650

  • @IsaacCarlson
    @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +98

    BY THE WAY! I am doing a giveaway on my social medias during December! Just go follow me and like the item I'm giving away and you are entered. Happy holidays and happy Princess Week!
    TWITTER ➜ twitter.com/WotsoVideos
    INSTAGRAM ➜ instagram.com/wotsovideos
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    • @MrGabeanator
      @MrGabeanator 6 років тому

      I'm with ya

    • @zoeunknown5902
      @zoeunknown5902 6 років тому

      hey how do muggleborns get told about the magical universe

    • @iluvme20
      @iluvme20 6 років тому +1

      Isaac what if Santa or his helpers sewed his robe together again but then for it to only be riped a second time.

    • @terryj7241
      @terryj7241 6 років тому +1

      Wotso Videos you should search how scar fixed the circle of life video

    • @NgaMarsters
      @NgaMarsters 6 років тому

      Wotso Videos The boys real name is Chris

  • @TiBunCosplay
    @TiBunCosplay 6 років тому +413

    “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

    • @_mason_3962
      @_mason_3962 6 років тому +6

      TiBun it doesnt

    • @jedipadwan20
      @jedipadwan20 3 роки тому

      I agree

    • @KimberlyFaith260
      @KimberlyFaith260 2 роки тому

      “But it’s the truth, even if it didn’t happen.” - Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)

    • @A_name_is_a_name
      @A_name_is_a_name Рік тому +1

      Don’t tell a schizophrenic that

    • @TYdehigh
      @TYdehigh Рік тому +3

      Like Charlie Calvin Says in the First Santa Clause movie, to his step father Neil...
      Neil: "Have you ever seen a reindeer fly?"
      Charlie: "Yes!"
      Neil: "Well I havent!"
      Charlie: "Have you ever seen a million dollars?"
      Neil: "Well no."
      Charlie: "Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't real."

  • @computerkid1416
    @computerkid1416 5 років тому +194

    When my sister was younger, she had a dream where she went on the Polar Express, and she was convinced for awhile that it was real.

    • @Unknown10241
      @Unknown10241 3 роки тому +3

      Wat

    • @hereitszara1497
      @hereitszara1497 3 роки тому +25

      I think this film is really good for keeping your belief in santa

    • @farmerdave09
      @farmerdave09 Рік тому +1

      One year I asked Santa for a ticket to ride the polar express.

    • @JaketheMovieGeek
      @JaketheMovieGeek 9 місяців тому +3

      That’s because it was real

  • @meganfrank3499
    @meganfrank3499 6 років тому +411

    I loved The Polar Express ever since it came out 13 years ago. There's never a doubt in my mind that this is one of the best Christmas movies ever made along with Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Santa Clause starring Tim Allen. And I also really love your theory videos too Issac, keep up the great work. ❤❤

    • @IsaacCarlson
      @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +18

      I'm not sure which movies I will discuss next but I have considered discussing all of those! I'm happy you're enjoying the videos!

    • @meganfrank3499
      @meganfrank3499 6 років тому +5

      Which ever movies you want to have theories on next, I'll be glad to hear them. Have a magical day and have a wonderful Merry Christmas.

    • @calindastrayhorn
      @calindastrayhorn 6 років тому +4

      Wait Polar Express came out 13 years ago! I thought it came out much later but I was 1 when this came out wow!

    • @meganfrank3499
      @meganfrank3499 6 років тому +2

      +Calinda Strayhorn yup it came out on November 10th 2004

    • @L1ttleEartling628
      @L1ttleEartling628 6 років тому +1

      Megan Frank my favoutite movies are : Elf with Will Ferrel, Mickeys twice apon a christmas, Deck the halls with Danny Devito And christmas with the Kranks :) i love christmas

  • @WeegeeSlayer123
    @WeegeeSlayer123 6 років тому +296

    That conductor sure is wacky though. And he must love to do things dangerously.

    • @d4c_reznor470
      @d4c_reznor470 5 років тому +12

      WeegeeSlayer which is a perfect character for Tom Hanks

  • @darthguilder1923
    @darthguilder1923 6 років тому +308

    How about the theory that the conductor is actually Teddy Roosevelt.

    • @pebnkev
      @pebnkev 6 років тому +3

      Darth Guilder Whaa r u talking about

    • @darthguilder1923
      @darthguilder1923 6 років тому +25

      pebnkev Tell me he doesn’t look like Roosevelt

    • @Aristocratic13
      @Aristocratic13 6 років тому +7

      +Darth Guilder Yeah if Teddy found a diet

    • @savannahgracesmith2000
      @savannahgracesmith2000 6 років тому +12

      This is funny 😂 but I think that the story is suppose to be based in the same timeframe as teddy Roosevelt

    • @CaptainNoch
      @CaptainNoch 5 років тому +14

      @@savannahgracesmith2000
      Actually, it's based around 1957/1958. It was hinted by one of the magazines that heroboy was holding in the early scenes.

  • @sunnivamhagatun
    @sunnivamhagatun 6 років тому +473

    The bell is literal proof that it actually happened

    • @jayjayacoco5069
      @jayjayacoco5069 5 років тому +118

      Sunniva M. Hagatun
      But if it really happened how come his robe isn’t ripped when he wakes up. They intentionally highlight his ripped robe for the very purpose to confuse people and show that it could have been a dream but then it can’t be a dream because of the bell there’s the mystery

    • @rhiannonthrasher7747
      @rhiannonthrasher7747 5 років тому +11

      Exactly.

    • @spencerfrankclayton4348
      @spencerfrankclayton4348 5 років тому +69

      Jayjayacoco Perhaps Santa fixed it on his midnight ride, to make everything look the same as it did before?

    • @jayjayacoco5069
      @jayjayacoco5069 5 років тому +26

      Spencer Frank Clayton that just comes across a little far reached to me though 😂 like how did Santa even know his robe was ripped, and how did he have time to stop and stitch a gown

    • @jayjayacoco5069
      @jayjayacoco5069 5 років тому +7

      Spencer Frank Clayton just seems like santa might be a bit busy to stop n do an outfit fix

  • @AbrahamLincoln4
    @AbrahamLincoln4 3 роки тому +29

    *rings bell*
    Parents: "I can't hear it."
    Hero boy: *You wouldn't get it.*

  • @camrynmichelle1624
    @camrynmichelle1624 6 років тому +100

    in the clip from the hot chocolate scene that you used at 2:40, i noticed that the main kid has a hot chocolate mustache which makes him look a lot like the conductor. it could possibly be an easter egg/foreshadowing since the narrator - who is supposed to be an older version of the kid - and the conductor are both voiced by tom hanks (who we all know also voices all the other main men in the movie). if i remember right, the other kid who’s into trains has a hot chocolate mustache in the scene too, but that might be to make the easter egg less noticeable or something. i don’t really know. but honestly, i wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out that the conductor was the main kid as an adult. why he was sent back? i guess that’s for you to theorize.

    • @offzach
      @offzach 3 роки тому +5

      And then the train in the end too, maybe that foreshadows that the conductor was him as an adult

  • @randomperson._.5699
    @randomperson._.5699 6 років тому +262

    I think it's a dream, during the ride to the North Pole, look at how many times the boy could've died! The time where he nearly fell off the back of the train, the time where the train couldn't slow down, and the time where the ice was cracking.
    I believe (haha..) that he wasn't dying because he refuses to, he refuses to die and wake up because he still hasn't made a decision yet on whether to believe or to not, the time where he nearly fell off the back of the train was him suggesting that Santa isn't real, having the hobo (who doesn't believe in Santa) save him. The time where the train couldn't slow down, the conductor makes sure that both the boy and girl doesn't fly off, it was him suggesting that maybe Santa is real. When the ice was cracking, it was him picking a side, with the train sliding to the left and right being his "pointer" on who to believe, when the train gets on the tracks, it was the boy adding more time to the clock, because he didn't have time to choose. When he reaches the North Pole, and when the passenger car at the back gets uncoupled and rolls back, it was him back tracking tying to piece all the evidence he has gathered on the journey. When the bell flew off and the boy couldn't hear ringing, it was him accepting the hobo's side, but when the boy says "I believe," he was giving the conductor's side a chance, and when he rang the bell, it was him finally accepting the fact that Santa is real. When the boy wakes up from the dream, the present with the bell and the note WAS real. I think that somehow, the boy has opened up a portal in his dream to link his dream with reality. Let's go back to the ice part, the ice cracking being the portal opening, the passenger cars falling in the water was a sign that the universe between the dream and reality has been linked (imagine the water as the portal.) when the boy gets dropped off back to his house, the "Thank you" the conductor gave the boy was him thanking the boy for believing, and the thing the boy didn't hear was the conductor saying that he left a gift for the boy in the real world, and when the boy asks what the conductor says, he just says "Merry Christmas" because before he would have time to explain what he said again, the train would already be too far away from the boy to hear what the conductor would say.
    This took about 20 minutes to 1 hour to write...

    • @msking1000
      @msking1000 6 років тому +20

      Random person ._.
      This is amazing and somewhat plausible considering it's a fictional world

    • @randomperson._.5699
      @randomperson._.5699 6 років тому +1

      Ms King
      Thank you :D

    • @karimitickaeloogreattemlor3486
      @karimitickaeloogreattemlor3486 6 років тому +6

      this is somehow making sense, but if it was a dream, does it mean the people he met weren't real too?

    • @randomperson._.5699
      @randomperson._.5699 6 років тому

      karimitic kaeloo GREAT TEM LORD
      Yup

    • @karimitickaeloogreattemlor3486
      @karimitickaeloogreattemlor3486 6 років тому +15

      but at the end his grown up narrating voice says that the girl and all the others eventually stopped believing, meaning they were real too

  • @andredizon5805
    @andredizon5805 3 роки тому +39

    The Polar Express having the ability to halt time may suggest the train is actually a time machine. There was a Flux Capacitor hidden in the locomotive's cab after all

    • @edgarmartinez7371
      @edgarmartinez7371 2 роки тому +4

      GWR Studios pointed it out on his video about the mistakes found in the movie

  • @mbjd2k
    @mbjd2k 6 років тому +47

    He sees you when your sleeping so he might have seen his dream and granted his wish.

  • @-tophats-9243
    @-tophats-9243 6 років тому +69

    Mr Personal Theory is the Polar Express picks up dreaming children from all over the world and allow them to visit the actual North Pole and the actual Santa while they dream, hence why it yes was a dream but he had the bell from Santa.

    • @edgarmartinez7371
      @edgarmartinez7371 2 роки тому +2

      Assuming the current top speed of a steam locomotive (90 miles per hour): I can say that this theory may have some misconceptions; if it were to pick up all of the children in the United States: it would need to depart from its current station of registry (which obviously is Owosso, Michigan) by December 11 (making stops at every major city) in order to arrive by 23:00 (or 11 PM) on December 24. So if it were to pick up all of them in the world: it would have to depart from Owosso, Michigan by August 13 (when the school year is just beginning)
      Testing the theory using the top speed of a diesel locomotive (about 140 miles per hour) is somewhat better: it can depart from Owosso by August 24 and be on time.
      This does further confirm that the journey is a dream.

    • @fnaffoxy1987
      @fnaffoxy1987 2 роки тому +3

      @@edgarmartinez7371 There's a lot of things you could've chosen to demonstrate that it wasn't possible. Like the fact that Santa would have to travel at Mach 10 or so to deliver all the gifts in one night, or that the train wouldn't be able to do the roller coaster like scenes.

    • @martdarts8916
      @martdarts8916 Рік тому

      @@edgarmartinez7371 I agree.

  • @NAVEMAN3
    @NAVEMAN3 6 років тому +92

    In a way I had my own Polar Express experience. There was one year I didn't believe in Christmas and became a grinch nearly all year. It wasn't until Christmas Eve is when somehow I couldn't sleep for some reason. Then as I did went to sleep, I heard something sneezed next to my window and I saw a red glow through my curtains (and they were thin at the time). After that I couldn't sleep at all. It wasn't until the next morning I went outside and I noticed my lemon bush was busted and I saw hoof prints all over the ground in the mud. That's when i believe in Christmas again. Another proof is when a couple of years ago, after my godson was born, I wrote a letter to Santa asking to not give me anymore presents cause I'm older now and wanted him to give someone less fortunate to have my presents and to help my godson to believe if he ever slipped like I did. The next morning I got a present with the words SC on it and I showed it to mom and dad, they couldn't believe their eyes since that's not their hand writing. After that I always hear the bells on Christmas Eve. My Polar Express may not be like Hero Boys, but I think it was close enough.

    • @NAVEMAN3
      @NAVEMAN3 6 років тому +13

      He's all of us that gives then receives to those in need.

    • @thedarklordofthewesternwor4300
      @thedarklordofthewesternwor4300 6 років тому +12

      wait are you being serious

    • @lostonessoul8435
      @lostonessoul8435 5 років тому +11

      NAVEMAN3 I did as well.... But at a younger age. I was at most 15 years old. Now ever since I was young I have always loved Christmas but this year felt....different than normal. I didn't write a letter to Santa and I didn't really have many hopes for Christmas. On the night just before it would turn to Christmas Day something odd happened. My silver pocket watch that is still working to this day.....suddenly stopped ticking. The second hand was stuck in place just mere milliseconds from turning into Christmas Day and I heard a sound.....a sound that was familiar...yet I never heard it till that night "Ether I'm going nuts or I just heard a steam engines whistle." I said trying to go back to sleep but the sound kept getting louder, and louder. I could hear chuffing and a low tone but somehow aggressive whistles coming closer and closer than....as if I were in the movie I heard the whistle at my door but this time I got up. Putting on my blue fleece hoodie and slip on vans....to my surprise there was a steam engine. Not the polar express no, not even close. But instead was the engine in my pictures on my rooms wall. The whistle blew again as I came close it hissed itself into a vail of steam. The next thing I knew it was gone.... And left behind was a ticket "Lake view express" it read and rather I just imagined it or it actually happened that was my experience so to speak.

    • @moonrose221
      @moonrose221 5 років тому +10

      Dude, that's weird! I had an experience like that once. When I was about fourteen, I didn't write a letter to Santa. My sister did the cookies and milk that year. I was having trouble sleeping so I went to get a drink from the kitchen. When I was getting my slippers on a could have swore I saw a glowing light. To make things stranger, the clock in my parents room stopped working just a second before midnight. I also swore I heard a noise outside. So instead of ignoring it, I put on my shoes and favorite thick hoody and ran outside of the house. To this day, I swear I saw a flying sleigh. But my older sister thiks I was just dreaming.

    • @nayr7085
      @nayr7085 4 роки тому +3

      That sounds really cool I never had a interaction like that growing up my parents made sure that I didn’t believe in Santa 😔

  • @username65585
    @username65585 6 років тому +81

    Maybe Santa repaired the boy's robe when he dropped of the present.

  • @silverstarlightproductions1292
    @silverstarlightproductions1292 6 років тому +47

    The way The Polar Express is told is kind of similar to the Nutcracker where we are never really sure if the Nutcracker actually came to life or if it was just a dream. Some retellings heavily imply that it was a dream, while others make it look like it was a dream but then SURPRISE! Here is the handsome prince in the real world, and now you're not sure what to think. That said, I like ambiguous endings like these because it allows you to interpret it for yourself and as a result, you learn more about what kind of person you are. Great video!

    • @Jadinite-2006
      @Jadinite-2006 8 місяців тому +1

      Well, I think the Polar Express is a blend between The Nutcracker & The Christmas Carol stories.

  • @khodexus4963
    @khodexus4963 6 років тому +51

    Of course it occurred in a dream. Why should that mean it wasn't real? Maybe the Polar Express exists in a universe only accessible in our dreams?

  • @chelsearunyan
    @chelsearunyan 6 років тому +11

    I remember seeing this in theaters when was 15. Now 13 years I still love watching this movie around Christmas.

  • @TheTheorizer
    @TheTheorizer 6 років тому +67

    I've always wanted to do this one but I never got to it! It's such an awesome movie :D :D

  • @arbytv5139
    @arbytv5139 4 роки тому +21

    If I could present an interesting theory as to how it remains five minutes to midnight throughout most of the movie, at one point, we can see inside the cab of the engine itself that there is a working flux capacitor among the gauges. You could say that this is just a little reference to back to the future, but I think it also implies that the polar express is a time machine, which is why clocks halt at five minutes to midnight whenever the train arrives

  • @missy1385
    @missy1385 5 років тому +10

    I love that movie! I realize that everyone gets to a certain age,it's called the age of not believing(you hear the song in Bedknobs and Broomsticks). I believe that it's not a dream for the boy,you see glimpses of it not being a dream when he returns. The gift from Santa, only the kids hearing the bells,how each child on the express is taught a specific lesson about themselves and believing in wonderful things and kindness.

  • @IsaacCarlson
    @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +74

    QOTD: Do you think The Polar Express is a dream?

    • @kiaralouise6980
      @kiaralouise6980 6 років тому +13

      Wotso Videos Nahhhhh 😂 I'm just gonna keep thinking it's not lol

    • @diegoanaya
      @diegoanaya 6 років тому +6

      Wotso Videos Nahh

    • @patriciascruggs151
      @patriciascruggs151 6 років тому +11

      Wotso Videos I think it’s reality

    • @L1ttleEartling628
      @L1ttleEartling628 6 років тому +9

      Wotso Videos i think its christmas magic!! *+*+*

    • @rainbowdashfan3488
      @rainbowdashfan3488 6 років тому +5

      Wotso Videos no way! I believe that it wasn't a dream

  • @offzach
    @offzach 3 роки тому +11

    My theory is that he sees his future self in the train conductor because at the end of the movie and they do a close up shot of the tree there’s a train going around it

  • @stephburdick
    @stephburdick 6 років тому +10

    I love this movie! It’s definitely a magical story, full of wonder and excitement. In this cynical society, kids really are growing up too fast, and their imaginations don’t get nearly enough exercise. We really need stories like this one.
    Have you ever noticed that while Hero Boy’s clock is fading out, the sound of Santa’s bell in reverse is fading in? Maybe it symbolizes the transition between real time and Polar Express time, or the growth of true belief the boy is about to experience. I’m totally blind, so audible details like this really interest me.
    Great video! By the way, I’ve entered your giveaway 4 or 5 times. No luck yet.

  • @FayzerYT
    @FayzerYT 3 роки тому +8

    I find it intresting how this movie can bring so much theory and discussion. I’ve read thousands of comments of everyone bringing there own ideas to the table about how this movie works or is related to real life. This is what a Christmas community is and this is why IMO the polar express is one of the best Christmas movies to date

    • @cyborgXcsun
      @cyborgXcsun 2 роки тому +2

      Ya. One comment was CRAZY, they thought the main character was kidnapped on Christmas Eve and the entire movie was his mind trying to make himself feel better. I don’t know how they got that, but it’s sad.

  • @MakingDirtFly
    @MakingDirtFly 2 роки тому +3

    The thing with his robe makes it seem real. The first time he rips it when the train arrives the hole is considerably smaller than when he rips it Christmas day.

    • @erik-sr9bj
      @erik-sr9bj 2 роки тому +2

      But there wouldn't have been marbles inside the pocket in the morning then

  • @finalcountdown3210
    @finalcountdown3210 6 років тому +13

    It was real! All of it! The bell proves everything. I get the thing about the pocket ripping, but I think the Narnian explanation of reality time halting could explain that. No one else who climbed aboard is going to think the Train was real because they don't have physical proof. But the boy specifically asked for the bell so that he would always remember to believe.

  • @themoviebuff1425
    @themoviebuff1425 6 років тому +10

    One Thing About Trains
    It Doesn’t Matter Where You’re Going
    What Matters is Desiding
    To Get On
    ~ Tom Hanks (Polar Express)

  • @theartistdrunkonart
    @theartistdrunkonart 6 років тому +6

    I think it was a dream. I've always believed that. But the ending with that note throws me off.

  • @narozan2769
    @narozan2769 6 років тому +7

    Can't wait to watch this movie again it's one of my favorite christmas movies

  • @alexthewongbat
    @alexthewongbat 6 років тому +27

    Two words: astral projection.

    • @jescareno8332
      @jescareno8332 6 років тому +5

      Tamer of the World
      What’s that?

  • @flameboi7104
    @flameboi7104 6 років тому +34

    I just realized that he finds some magnificient friends and never sees them again. Now this story seems so sad. A kid finds some friends and discovers santa is real only to wake up and never see them again...

    • @pathowgate2544
      @pathowgate2544 4 роки тому +5

      PyromancerPsycho 7 he knows Billy’s address tho. Can go look him up

    • @Luke_05
      @Luke_05 3 роки тому +1

      @@pathowgate2544 Omg I never thought of that!

    • @crazyfire9470
      @crazyfire9470 3 роки тому +1

      What about the girl

    • @rf1008
      @rf1008 2 роки тому

      @@crazyfire9470 Probably the same city as well. In fact a lot of the kids on the polar express were probably from the same city/state (evidence being when like half of the kids jumped up when the know-it-all yelled "Herpolshimers!" which was a department store in Michigan)

    • @MenteMillonaria14
      @MenteMillonaria14 2 роки тому

      @@pathowgate2544 Yeah but imagine that is a dream, if it is a dream, the adress could be an imagination of many imaginations there are in the film.

  • @aidandevine5228
    @aidandevine5228 5 років тому +4

    I LOVE THE POLAR EXPRESS!!! It's one of my favorite movies and train along side Casey Jr, Snow White, Pinocchio, and Peter Pan, and now Marry Poppins.

  • @sisterpandagamer3272
    @sisterpandagamer3272 5 років тому +9

    I loved the movie I saw it on a field trip and we wearing a polar Express ticket and watched in theaters with some classes at my school trip with soda and popcorn and after we had Santa visiting us ( I believe in Santa p.s I'm a kid) and gave us gifts because weeks ago we did a Christmas catalog and gave us what we wanted and gave us bells and it says on the tag " Those who hear the bell ring they truly believe".
    Edit I forgot it here it says "those who truly believe"

  • @user-hn3eg4pi5h
    @user-hn3eg4pi5h 6 років тому +6

    I think his journey was a dream, I always figured the bell was symbolic of his choice in the end to truly believe in the magic of Christmas- a choice he said he carried out through his entire life, even after all his friends and even his younger sister stopped believing.

  • @farmerdave09
    @farmerdave09 Рік тому +1

    When I saw the polar express in theater I instantly knew it was going to be a christmas classic shown for years.

  • @Em_Elizabeth
    @Em_Elizabeth 6 років тому +2

    I remember reading the storybook every year in elementary school.
    (Btw, in the book, Santa addresses the boy as Chris in his note returning the bell. The book is told in 1st person, so it seems to imply that the author, Chris Van Allsburg, is writing it like a memoir.)

  • @capiisawesome6290
    @capiisawesome6290 6 років тому +7

    Its just a thought but as the boy's sister believes in xmas and he doesn't, and as you said that the characters are like memories from the past the conductor could be the sister (even if he is a boy) and the hobo could be the hero boy as he believes what he sees

  • @twinswords79dualblade84
    @twinswords79dualblade84 3 роки тому +2

    He wasn’t dreaming, it was actually happening
    Remember that scene on top of the train and he tries to wake himself up, he tried pinching himself and then he face planted into a patch of super cold snow, that should’ve been enough to wake anybody up but...nothing happened
    If you pinch yourself (or in Hero Boy’s case: Face plant into snow lol) to see if your dreaming but nothing happened, then the answer is simple: It’s actually real.
    Also he got the bell back in Christmas Morning and he received a note that Santa found the bell on his sleigh because of the hole in his pocket.
    I’d certainly say everything Hero Boy did on The Polar Express actually happened.

  • @saraxcardoso
    @saraxcardoso 6 років тому +4

    This video is amazing, Isaac! The Polar Express is one of my favourite movies of all time and defenitly my favourite Christmas movie! For me the Polar Express journey happened in the boy's head, but that doesn't make it less real. Everything he experienced still ment something to him and formed his opinion of believing in Santa, and for me that's why he has the bell: it was real, even if in another dimension (his dreams). I think this topic was really well explored and I just really really enjoy your videos (even though I might not comment much... sorry!) :)

  • @celestegivin1022
    @celestegivin1022 6 років тому +30

    Favorite Christmas movie lol

  • @neildalessandro8196
    @neildalessandro8196 6 років тому +9

    I've found the dream theory particularly convincing, especially with the time standing still. There's just too much evidence of that for me to not believe that.
    As for the bell on Christmas morning, it's possible that the boy wanted a bell from "Santa" at the mall or in a letter in the first place. The parents acting like they did not know what he wanted from Santa is pretty common. Parents always act surprised with their kids even though they really are not. He may have originally wanted one of the bells from Santa's sleigh as a test to see whether Santa was real or not. If he was real, then Santa would be able to deliver such a special kind of bell from his sleigh, proving the sleigh was real and hence Santa being the deliverer. If not, then Santa's existence would be dubious if he could not deliver such a simple gift, and those giving him presents in the name of Santa would be his dad (notice his Santa hat after tucking in Sarah) conning him.
    That's a thought anyway.

    • @dursty3226
      @dursty3226 6 років тому +1

      Neil D'Alessandro
      I had the same thought. And the parents would have pretended not to hear the bell so they could try to keep the magic going for their son.
      But there's a big flaw in that theory. His sister could hear the bell, but then he goes on to say that it eventually fell silent for her.
      So what reason would his sister have to pretend to not hear it anymore?

    • @nicholasperez8482
      @nicholasperez8482 2 роки тому +1

      But what about the note? If this was the case then his parents couldn't have known about him tearing his pocket since in their time it wouldn't have happened until that morning

    • @eliavita
      @eliavita Рік тому +1

      He did not write a letter to santa, the conductor says it when they first meet, so it was kind of a dream dimension but it all happened for real, the bell beeing the prove that Santa gave him, only when he did choose to believe

  • @Wolfdog2416
    @Wolfdog2416 6 років тому +2

    So glad you did a video on The Polar Express! I've always wondered so much about it. Also, it's one of my favorite animated movies of all time.

  • @marilynhernandez1175
    @marilynhernandez1175 6 років тому +4

    Also do you know in Chicago they have a polar express musical train ride. You should come check it out next year!

  • @ichangedmyusernamebecausei2551
    @ichangedmyusernamebecausei2551 3 роки тому +1

    As I read in another video about this movie, this movie is like someone pointing a gun at your head forcing you to believe in Santa

  • @HeyItsKit
    @HeyItsKit 6 років тому +24

    Finally a video about this!

    • @IsaacCarlson
      @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +5

      I'm glad I could bring this to you!

  • @emmakris6933
    @emmakris6933 6 років тому +2

    Great video, but one thing you said bothered me a bit. You mentioned how the rip in his robe was evidence that it was a dream. But when it rips the first time, he can only get two fingers through, which is shown several times. And when he then rips it later, the hole is huge and his entire hand fits in. Like it got ripped even more

  • @kentslocum
    @kentslocum Рік тому +4

    Whether or not the movie was a dream, I always wanted the film's depiction of the North Pole to become reality at a Disney theme park. The red brick buildings in a clean, yet Industrial Revolution style always felt like perfect candidates for show building facades. Imagine a runaway caboose roller coaster! Or a Polar Express train like the Hogwarts Express at Universal! I think the limiting factor is that while the Harry Potter franchise encompasses all seasons, The Polar Express is narrowly aligned with the winter season (and specifically Christmas), making it unsuitable for a year-round theme park land, destination, or attraction. Still, I can dream, even if this idea isn't reality.

  • @Sean-gr8tr
    @Sean-gr8tr 6 років тому +1

    I watch this every year on Christmas Eve and it is just as good every time

  • @AnnaliseWood
    @AnnaliseWood 6 років тому +2

    Loved this theory!!
    P.s The christmas mickey's in the background are so cool!

  • @darkyboode3239
    @darkyboode3239 3 роки тому +2

    I didn’t think it was a dream, it was real. That bell that the boy lost and got in a present at the end was proof of that.

  • @BranakinSkywalker
    @BranakinSkywalker 8 місяців тому +1

    There is one piece of evidence that people often overlook that hints that it all could be real. The tickets. It’s been proven that it is impossible to either write or read clearly in a dream, yet the words the conductor punches into the tickets are clearly written out for the kids to read.

  • @bethany8379
    @bethany8379 6 років тому +6

    PLEASE DO A DISNEY PRINCE WEEK like prince Phillip and the prince of beauty and the beast

  • @mbart5113
    @mbart5113 2 роки тому +1

    Did you know that I liked The Polar Express and that The Polar Express turned out to be my top favorite main reason why I like to see trains outside my gang of windows?

  • @Lillyfox-xw2sq
    @Lillyfox-xw2sq 6 років тому +10

    I JUST WATCHED THIS MOVIE, illuminate confirmed (also love your theories 💜)

    • @Lillyfox-xw2sq
      @Lillyfox-xw2sq 6 років тому +1

      power girl duh duh duhhhhh

    • @IsaacCarlson
      @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +2

      Dang! What a coincidence! Glad you enjoy them!

  • @southernpennsyrailfan8579
    @southernpennsyrailfan8579 3 роки тому +2

    The Polar Express is the Best Xmas Movie of all time! CHANGE MY MIND!

  • @BMoney8600
    @BMoney8600 6 років тому +1

    That one hobo/ghost freaked me out as a kid.

  • @aaronwilder2775
    @aaronwilder2775 6 років тому +2

    I too have questioned the realness of the Hero Boy's journey. While during my most recent watch of the movie, I was trying to think of who the hobo and conductor really could be. My first theory when recently watching it, was that this whole movie was maybe a physical/watchable timeline for any of these three unknown men (Hero Boy, the hobo, and the conductor). I also was thinking that maybe the hobo could have been a spirit or maybe even the spirit of the Polar Express itself.

  • @carmenn2397
    @carmenn2397 6 років тому +8

    Yeah, Wotso Videos are the best!!!

    • @IsaacCarlson
      @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +1

      Thank you!! I'm happy you enjoy them! Thanks for watching!

  • @boba-pool3145
    @boba-pool3145 5 років тому +2

    "See ya" I died 😂😂😂

  • @kristigermain834
    @kristigermain834 6 років тому +3

    "Of course it's happening inside your head, but why on earth does that mean it is not real?" 💕

  • @hanna6953
    @hanna6953 6 років тому +2

    Yasss!! I'm in chorus at school and we sang believe, the outro song!!! This movie is soooo good!

  • @ElectricHelloKitty
    @ElectricHelloKitty 6 років тому +1

    I loved this book so much as a kid. I never knew why I connected to it so much

  • @CreativaArtly
    @CreativaArtly 6 років тому +1

    I love this movie and I thought it always took place in real time that was meddled with by magic. I never thought it was a dream. I also always used to find myself humming or even singing the "Hot Chocolate Song" from the movie. I haven't watched it in years.

  • @kyndallisadore7344
    @kyndallisadore7344 6 років тому +7

    I just went on the ride and it was awesome I loved it😀

  • @lostonessoul8435
    @lostonessoul8435 5 років тому +1

    I suppose we all have our...crucial year so to speak. I had a interesting experience many years ago one Christmas Eve.... I'm not sure if it was really but it did change me to say the least.

  • @scarletdarkangel3124
    @scarletdarkangel3124 6 років тому +2

    Love the video! This still bugs me to this day. I watched this movie so long ago when I was little. It still is one of my favorite Christmas movies. And to this day I don't know if I believe it was real... or a dream. My inner child says it was real, while me being a cynical adult says it's a dream. Ah...The continuous Polar Express Conundrum.
    Thank you for the video! Happy Holidays everyone! 😁

  • @iluvme20
    @iluvme20 6 років тому +1

    I have so many memories from this movie. ☺💕 One of the best Christmas movies ever! Thanks Isaac for this video!

  • @tannerexp
    @tannerexp 4 роки тому +1

    Maybe the parents couldn't hear the bell because younger people hear high frequency better, his sister could hear it to remember

  • @koiboi4613
    @koiboi4613 2 роки тому +1

    I think the hero boy got lured into a van and kidnapped on Christmas eve and formed the adventure in his mind as a coping mechanism to his trauma.

    • @cyborgXcsun
      @cyborgXcsun 2 роки тому

      That's interesting and sad do you think the ghost had anything to do with it?

    • @thebroschannel
      @thebroschannel 2 роки тому

      There is literally no base for that theory

  • @ShikyoGryfyn
    @ShikyoGryfyn 2 роки тому

    This movie came out four days before I was born, and I guess I grew up with it, I watched this movie even in the middle of the summer, I love it dearly to this day

  • @bcd8208
    @bcd8208 6 років тому

    With your ideas in mind, the Hero Boy believes that it was not a dream because when Billy asks him if all of this could be a dream, he says no. Great theory!

  • @BenLockZelGaming
    @BenLockZelGaming 6 років тому +2

    8:35 i mean you can see where the train went through the snow so um

  • @AnimexFiendFullmetal
    @AnimexFiendFullmetal 4 роки тому +2

    I think the movie is a dream the boy has but one caused by magic. I've heard something about how dreams can all take place in a really short amount of time. Like several hours could pass in a dream but in real life its only been a few minutes. I think something like this could be happening in the movie as shown by time "stopping" when the boy's adventure starts.
    This is one of my all time favorite Christmas movies. And it helped revive the spirit in me in a time I really needed some magic. No matter how many times I've seen Polar Express. I always watch it when it's on. It always makes me feel like theres really some kind of magic on the world.

  • @markofabecic6824
    @markofabecic6824 9 місяців тому +1

    Maybe it all was real, and the bell is just a reminder that he shouldn't forget it and deny it, no matter how much it looked like a dream

  • @BlissfulHues13
    @BlissfulHues13 6 років тому +2

    I remember watching this movie at school in the library
    We didn't get to finish watching the movie though ;w;

  • @hioverdownwhere2485
    @hioverdownwhere2485 5 років тому +4

    It’s a dream because he woke up that morning and he ripped his robe agian the pocket with the marbles

    • @StylesWithCurls
      @StylesWithCurls 4 роки тому +1

      But then what about the note from Santa?

  • @thelibyanplzcomeback
    @thelibyanplzcomeback Рік тому +1

    When he pretended to fall asleep, he accidentally fell asleep.

  • @connorplisga3718
    @connorplisga3718 6 років тому +9

    So, you CAN do Non-Disney movies. Can you?

    • @IsaacCarlson
      @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +7

      I can. Just has to be the right movie. :D Thanks for watching!

    • @connorplisga3718
      @connorplisga3718 6 років тому +3

      WotsoVideos What do you mean “the right movie”?

  • @speedrunrants420
    @speedrunrants420 4 місяці тому

    I remember seeing this movie as a kid on christmas eve. Later that night ive dreamt that the polar express showed up infront of my house. And the dream felt like the movie. I still remember that dream to the fullest detail

  • @tevinhoward4419
    @tevinhoward4419 3 роки тому +2

    The holiday season adventure is in real life it doesn't matter where they are going what matters is deciding to get on board the express train the adventure to the north pole is exciting and joyful to everyone for many years to come.🎆

  • @hAze_the_shrimp
    @hAze_the_shrimp 6 років тому +2

    I lost my Christmas magic this year... rip my childhood. ;-;

  • @angelwayne2872
    @angelwayne2872 6 років тому +5

    Your the best

    • @IsaacCarlson
      @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +1

      Thank you! I really appreciate it!

  • @rachelhall8756
    @rachelhall8756 Рік тому

    I watch this movie all the time it's my favorite Christmas movie😃 love it 💓

  • @marciausbon7078
    @marciausbon7078 3 роки тому +1

    My favorite Halliday Movie 🎥 is how the grinch stole Christmas 🎄

  • @MegaHellrasier
    @MegaHellrasier 6 років тому +3

    I'm kind of going off the idea that Santa just knew what he was dreaming about and just decided to confirm it with him that being what his dream was very important to him..... I mean come on a guy with that much magic who can see all the children of the world couldn't really? see their dreams....I don't think that's that far off to imagine

  • @sofiatamilia4701
    @sofiatamilia4701 6 років тому +2

    I think it was a dream because the hole in the pocket was alittle bigger in the end then the one in the beginning

  • @EpicZombieK
    @EpicZombieK 11 місяців тому +1

    That bell and the train its self Are characters in thier own way

  • @EverythingAndAnythingGoes24
    @EverythingAndAnythingGoes24 3 роки тому +1

    I have my own theory that when The Conductor slipped and fell in the past-in the story he was telling the main character as they were going across the roof-I think that The Christmas Spirit (The Hobo Ghost) saved him.

  • @maximumeffort4745
    @maximumeffort4745 2 роки тому +1

    This movie came out 17 years ago soon to be 18 years ago!!!! Its december 2021 and im 18, i cant ever say I've felt old lol

  • @c.a.nationwide
    @c.a.nationwide 3 роки тому +1

    “One word, ACID” -the wife-

  • @brandonbaggaley2317
    @brandonbaggaley2317 3 роки тому +1

    There is a functioning flux capacitor in the cab of the Polar Express in the movie. Is the Polar Express a time machine?

  • @balkaneer9991
    @balkaneer9991 6 років тому +2

    I think that in the film Santa and Christmas magic are real, but because "Heroboy" (what's his name actually?) and the other kids don't believe, the magic makes them dream this! It was their spirits to go there! And the characters on the train are Santa's servants to do so.
    It is to make them believe in Christmas again!
    And so that the kids continue to do so, he gave them something to be sure it wasn't "just a dream" after all.
    So it was a like "a dream", but not really, since it was magic.
    :D

    • @IsaacCarlson
      @IsaacCarlson  6 років тому +1

      I like the thought process! Really creative. Oh and hero boy doesn't have a real name. Thanks for watching!

    • @sabrinamiller4156
      @sabrinamiller4156 6 років тому +2

      This is actually possible. A person's spirit can leave their body and travel to other places, especially in dreams. My step-father calls this process astro-travel.

    • @rho-z2289
      @rho-z2289 4 роки тому

      Hero boy has a name, its Christopher

  • @Emike-nc9ew
    @Emike-nc9ew 6 років тому +17

    Inception?

  • @DawnzeenaMcGill
    @DawnzeenaMcGill 4 роки тому

    I hope you manage to make another video on The Polar Express this year. I love this movie and watch it every year during the Christmas Season.

  • @saandyyvh6682
    @saandyyvh6682 6 років тому +1

    Why did this explanation remind me of A Christmas Carol?

  • @LOTLore
    @LOTLore 2 роки тому +2

    My theory is they live in a universe where Santa and magic exists but it all only manifest itself to you if you belive (or in the case of our hero boy, if you need to beleive). I like to think most children just get the train ride and the memories but with the hero boy good old father Christmas decided to let him keep a little peice of physical evidence since he was so doubtful about believing.
    I'm too deep and if your reading this so are you.

  • @robby7499
    @robby7499 6 років тому +5

    Dream? I believe you mean nightmare.

    • @clumsyqueen192
      @clumsyqueen192 6 років тому +2

      Not a nightmare just weird who goes on a random train

    • @iamham8591
      @iamham8591 5 років тому +1

      @@clumsyqueen192 keep in mind that they literally almost died on that train. Twice.

  • @nevergrowup1660
    @nevergrowup1660 6 років тому +2

    I just finished watching this video & I got a headache, I am SO CONFUSED!!
    🤕🤔😓😫

  • @theimmortalsuperbeing549
    @theimmortalsuperbeing549 6 років тому +3

    How about this for a theory ELSA ( Frozen ) IS THE MOTHER TO SANTA CLAUSE because I think Frozen takes place in a time before Santa Clause was known what if she give birth to a boy who grow to have power over time it's self and could create magical dusts for things like the ability to fly wether sprinkled on inanimate object or on animals just Elsa has Ice powers but can also bring things to life.