I love how Tom Hanks literally plays like 90% of the characters. And the fact that it’s pretty obvious that the train conductor planned everything, including purposely not punching the holes of the girls ticket
@@whitenoisereacts Think of it like any Tyler Perry movie. You recognize that an actor is playing multiple characters but it’s on purpose for the narrative. In this case, it’s bringing in multiple points of the movie to a child who is having a emotional crisis. Having that stable figure he recognized was intentional.
There's a popular theory that Hero Boy is both the Conductor and the Hobo. Conductor is him if he Believes while the Hobo is him if he remains as a Doubter. Conductor knew the Boy was going to be the one being picked for the First Gift of Christmas.
Only reason the main character could keep believing for the rest of his life is because he left the bell in the sleigh. The other kids probably woke up thinking it was a dream, but the main character got confirmation through Santa's note.
I noticed that ya’ll kept getting confused about the Hobo disappearing. Remember that the Hobo said, “Seeing is believing, right?” later followed by him asking the Boy, “Do you believe in Ghosts?” The Boy shakes his head, and the Hobo found that “interesting.” If the boy doesn’t believe in ghosts, then how could he see the Hobo, who is a GHOST!
@@Alphasnowbordergirl I think it's both, the ghost is there to represent doubt but the ghost also is real. There's a deleted scene about how he died at flat-top tunnel. He's there as an almost hypocritical role of representing doubt yet proving belief. Edit: spelling
One of my favorite aspects about this movie I don’t think is nearly talked about enough is the SOUND design. Absolutely incredible... Try putting this movie on and “watch” it with your eyes closed and you’ll STILL have a vivid, mesmerizing, and magical experience. ❤️
This is one of my favorite Christmas movie of all time. It's unique and magical. The man that was on top of the train I interpreted that he was a ghost that somewhat saves the main kid. It's like a wakeup call. If u think about it, when they first met the kid looks at him as if he's looking at his future scrooge-alike self. The man was helping him to believe by just being himself in a sense. And it's interesting that the man helps him to get to the front of the train, and when they're over the ice, the man catches the kid before he falls, it's almost like he's making sure the kid arrives in one piece to the north pole.
There's a popular theory that Hero Boy is both the Conductor and the Hobo. Conductor is him if he Believes while the Hobo is him if he remains as a Doubter. Conductor knew the Boy was going to be the one being picked for the First Gift of Christmas.
Ik this is a year late, but learned something really creepy. You can find a deleted scene on UA-cam about the conductors explaining the ghost. As a kid, the train didn’t stop for him, so he rode on the top of the train with a fire, and dined himself the king of the North Pole. But when flat top tunnel came, he didn’t make it to the engine and got swept off which is how he became a ghost on the train, why he kept saving the other kids, knew you had to jump into the coal to not die, AND THAT THE TUNNLY ONLY HAD 3 INCHES OF CLEARENCE.
Watching your guys' reaction was the first time I really paid attention to the symbolism of this movie. The three main children represent three different attitudes people have toward Christmas: the main boy represents the critical unbeliever, the girl represents the unquestioning believer, and Billy represents the one who wants to believe. Billy and the girl also symbolize the levels of belief through which the main boy progresses, until he becomes the strongest believer of all. The hobo and the conductor are symbolic too, representing the choice between trusting hard evidence (hobo) and placing faith in the unseen (conductor). It's also interesting that neither the hobo nor the conductor completely rule out the possibility of the other--the hobo insinuates the existence of ghosts (because he is one), acknowledging that there's more to reality than just the physical; and the conductor does not deny objective reality but emphasizes spiritual truth and the human desire for something deeper. together, they create this key principle: you may never have all the answers, but you can have just enough evidence to establish a reasonable faith in the unseen. The moment of truth for the boy was the bell, the point where he had to make that final, pivotal decision: will he believe or not? There is so much to this story, and it is masterfully told and beautifully animated. I love watching it every single year! Merry Christmas, everyone! ❤️
there is soooo much symbolism to interpret in this movie. I remember reading one guy who wrote a review saying the film was a Christian allegory... the Conductor was Jesus who takes you to God/Santa... and the Hobo was the Holy Ghost who works in your walk to help with your faith. I felt a lot of it was a stretch... but there is a clear faith and belief message in the movie. Regardless, the movie is one of my favorite Christmas movies based on my favorite Christmas book. I love this movie.
There's a popular theory that Hero Boy is both the Conductor and the Hobo. Conductor is him if he Believes while the Hobo is him if he remains as a Doubter. Conductor knew the Boy was going to be the one being picked for the First Gift of Christmas.
I’ve been watching the polar express every year without fail since I was like a toddler and this movie just never gets old for me. I was born in 2003 so I’m 18 now but even then this movie just holds a special place in my art and I think it’s part of the reason I ended up becoming an artist when I grew up. I love the creativity and I have loved seeing my younger siblings grow up watching the polar express as well. We even have a model train going around our Christmas tree specifically bc of this movie lol.
Oh same here, I was born in 2002 and Polar Express really has a soft spot in my heart. This movie as a toddler showed me that figures like Santa Claus may not be real but it doesn't mean we can't hope and believe better. It was honestly better to know things from this than get reality check up by my family that it's not real. 😂 *In Thanos voice* Reality is whatever I want it to be.
@@Tooba-K123 dude sameee. I was never the type of kid to rlly believe in stuff like Santa but at the same time bc I was so young I didn’t rlly know what other option there could be and the polar express rlly caused me to think more about stuff like that when I old enough to understand the story lol. And it rlly helped me express myself as a kid bc I imagined all these cool stories based on holiday lore and myths I grew up hearing about and even though I knew none were real it didn’t matter bc they made me happy. I still think looking into the history behind various things and mythology is rlly fun especially now that I’m older and more skilled bc I like translating it into my art.
@@sleepytoons2155 OMG, I swear I've had same situation. Since childhood I never believed in Santa, Bunny, Halloween or mythological stuffs but doesn't mean I didn't enjoyed them. Infact these are the same types of genre that I really like to watch and read. Pretty ironic I guess 🤣 these fantasy and myths actually kept me peaceful and happy especially with being alone at home since like the age of 3. These movies and books became my addiction since then cause it kept you wondering and hoping for things that weren't going to happen.
I don't know if it's a possibility for you but one winter try and visit Owosso, Michigan, the train they modeled the polar express after, the 1225 is kept there
In the DVD extras for this movie theres an extra song about “the King of the train” about a man who was killed in a tunnel and now haunts the train so he is indeed a ghost. My personal favourite way to view him is the ghost of Christmas Past (even if it doesn’t make a ton of sense)
@@saz9160 Well, we see that the ghost is the one controlling the puppet and really doing the speaking. So I just figured the people making the movie decided to slap the name on him.
yes its the deleted scene with smokey and steamer and the song is not about the king but about working together and they provide details on the hobo later
It became a tradition in my family to watch this movie every Christmas Eve since I was a kid Also “the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe” I want that tattooed 🥺
I don't even celebrate Christmas and this is one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies it's crazy cause I feel like a lot of people don't like it that much because they find the animation "creepy"
Yes! So many people bash on it for the animation, but I find it interesting, and the message is breathtaking. It always hurts to hear people avoid it because it has somewhat unusual animation quality and completely ignore all of the other 5 star aspects. It's like saying "This film has 5 stars in story, message, and execution, and 2 stars in animation. Avoid it at all costs."
My favorite part of this film are the questions they don’t answer. It’s part of the message I think. “It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to have things to wonder about. It’s okay to just have faith sometimes.”
In same style, massively underrated movie: "the adventures of Tintin" from 2011. Huge names behind it: Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg etc etc... I highly recommend.
Damn I can't believe I've completely forgotten about that movie. I went to see it in theaters with my class when it came out and absolutely loved it. I remember the animation looking so unreal, especially for the time.
You mentioned that it feels like a ride at some points. Every year at Christmas SeaWorld in Orlando used to turn their Wild Arctic ride into the Polar Express. It's one of those rides where you sit in theater type seating with a big screen and the seats move to simulate what's on the screen. So they would play clips from the movie and it felt like you were there riding along. Then once it's over and you exit into the wild arctic area they turned it into the North Pole. There's ice and snow and it's all done up for Christmas with a massive Christmas tree and music. I haven't lived there in 10 years but I asked a friend and she said they stopped doing it about 5 years ago. I'm bummed, it was really magical.
I remember that! One year, when I was younger, I actually got a Polar Express train set after my photo with santa at Sea World in Orlando and had that set under the tree for years. I don't know what happened to my old set, I lost it at some point, but one of these days, I'll have to see if I could get a new one and continue a tradition I lost years ago.
Watching it with you guys again I really felt nostalgic, I really cried. Especially at the last part that showed although we grow up and doesn't get gifts anymore. It's our belief that would make us hear that sweet sound forever that's somehow specially meant for us to hear. I remember my niece and nephew asking some time ago whether Santa Claus and Easter Bunny are real, I simply told them that no they don't but you can be someone's Santa and Bunny. We all have that traits of these guardians inside us, we just have to protect it from darkness and enhance this ability at the correct time for good use.
Every kid on the train is at a crucial year where they start to not believe in Santa Claus. The Hero Boy is skeptical about magic. The Hero Girl is not always sure about what she knows. Billy has never gotten his wishes come true. The Know-It-All Kid is too sure on what he knows.
Basically, the Hobo guy represents the boys fear and doubt of Santa because overall the boy was afraid of being let down in the end if he were to find that Santa wasn’t real. He is pretty much testing the boy on his strength to believe in Santa. Once the boy knows for sure he believes in Santa, by the time he gets home and we watch the boy wave goodbye to the Hobo and he disappears, it’s the boy basically saying goodbye to all his doubt and disbelief because it no longer exist.
FUN FACT: The "face design" of the main little boy character was Josh Hutcherson ( from the Hunger Games ). Even though the little boy "speaking" was clearly not a young Josh Hutcherson, the "computer face" was Josh's . When you Google Image a picture of a young Josh and compare it to the Polar Express computer animated boy, they are IDENTICAL. And that is something I never knew when I saw this for the first time
The boy was having an existential crisis (for a child, anyway, discovering Santa may not be real) - and the result was the mystical experience -- more vivid and real than a dream - that he needed at that moment. Believing is seeing... Keeping the spirit of Christmas in one's heart all year, all life long. Good job of analysis, guys! The reason you probably liked the ticket floating sequence was probably because the director, Bob Zemeckis, also directed Forrest Gump (the feather) and many other great films (also collaborating with Tom Hanks). The Polar Express is an award-winning children's book, why the story is so good. All great films start with a great story, and a great director to interpret and present the story.
Nine tailed brush not knowing who any actor is is my favourite thing haha man just popped into existence a year ago 😄 edit : and he’s read but not watched wizard of OZ?!
People don't give enough credit to this movie. The ending is emotional and effective. And the part where he asks "do you believe in ghosts" is cool and spooky. Great movie
This was one of those movies that I was like 90% sure was a fever dream growing up (see also: Help! I'm a fish and Sharkboy & Lavagirl) and then slowly but surely realised it was a real movie that actually existed. I love it now though and watch it every year, the soundtrack is ICONIC
Help I’m a fish was wild what kind of plot makes a fish turn into a man and then drown! Any movie were the plot is weirdly mature feels feverish. Love it
Haha I randomly remembered a few scenes from this movie once and had to google stuff to see if this was a real movie or just something I imagined but because I couldn't remember the movie's name the search prompts were so weird.
My schools had a polar express party every year after it came out when i was in 1st grade. It's really psychological for kids, but I think it's done on purpose so that as a kid grows and keeps watching it, they learn more and more about the meaning behind it. Since I watched it every year for about 7 or 8 years, I got to grow up with that which was pretty cool. Every Christmas party we wore our pajamas to school and they gave us cookies and hot chocolate while we watched this. Really good memories.
I know this is late but love how y’all are like most of us as adults, kids at heart and still gaze in glory at Santa and still appreciate the light humor in this movie.
I was obsessed on the belief of Santa because of this movie when it came out. (Still am in a hypocritical way.) One of my aunts found out how much I love the movie and got me the Polar Express bell for our Christmas Eve family gathering. I make certain that the box and the bell inside are not too damaged every winter.
Fun Fact: I’m from and currently living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I grew up watching this movie every year as a Christmas tradition and it’s always cool to hear our town in it. It’s really nostalgic and will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️
I first saw this about age 2. According to my parents, I was so transfixed by the film that I never moved for the whole runtime (something that child me rarely did). All these years later, I still love it. I watch the film every Christmas, and it’s never disappointed.
I don’t understand why the parents don’t believe in Santa. Like, you just woke up to a ton of presents under your tree that you didn’t put there. Who else would’ve put them there?
This is another vivid theatre! Dude when I was a kid and we went to see this on the big screen, it blew me away. The beautiful animation, the characters, how it legitimately felt like a roller coaster 😂 it was magic to me. It still feels like it now actually 😊
Hey there, train nerd here. So gonna try and make this comment not super long. First, at 14:18 the stuck lever is the throttle, pull it towards you to allow steam to the pistons, away from you to shut the throttle, no more steam, now you're coasting, it got stuck so bad things happened. Second, at 15:49, no that would not actually work, all train wheels, whether a locomotive or train car, has a flange on the inside of the wheel to help the wheels to stay on the rails without just rolling off. Without the rail present, the locomotive is being held up by like 5cm of steel, no way it's getting traction, it's staying put, it'll become the next Titanic. But I like the movie nonetheless. Good reaction btw. :)
My youngest daughter used to love this movie so much that she watched it every night for months at a time. Every night for months she went to sleep while watching it.
As a child, my parents would take my family to a trainyard that would do recreations of the polar Express. They took us in a loop, but served hot chocolate, gave out bells, and really just made Christmas that much more magical. It's one of my favorite memories, and this movie always brings that back. One of my favorite Christmas movies, even if the cgi isn't perfect.
This movie never fails to put me in the Christmas spirit even when the year sucks. Motion capture is by far the most awesome medium for a film - it's literally stage acting, film, animation and voice acting all rolled into one. I so wanna work in motion capture stuff one day. I also found it hilarious that every elf sounds like Joe Pesci XD
As a kid, this movie hadn’t been my favorite I have adhd, the sounds scared me and if it wasn’t about animals I didn’t like it But NOW- It’s my favorite Christmas movie of all time, I learn something new every time I watch it and I always have a positive takeaway It’s such a moving film for me about belief and faith, as well as perspective and different life situations It’s such an incredible movie, so happy you guys watched it
You explained it perfectly in the beginning. You really feel like the film is taking you on for the ride. On a journey. Very mystical and adventurous. Love this movie. I saw it in the 2nd grade and I'm 25 now but i still watch it even when it's not Christmas. Gotta love Tom Hanks.
When I was younger my Aunt used to read the Polar Express to me and my brother every Christmas.....now I watch the movie and this is one instance where the movie elevated the experience of the book rather than take away. The artistic style of the movie came straight from the book which as a kid was my favorite part of the book.
the song believe is such a good song, i love the guy who sings it, his name is Josh Groban, he also sings a song Noel for christmas time, i absolutely love his voice. some people always say the girl looks like ASAP Rocky lmao.
I was obsessed with this movie when I was little. One Christmas in Elementary school, my mom gave my sister and I a bell that looked just like the one in the movie and it said “Believe”
This is defintely a favourite Christmas movie of mine, you should check out: A Christmas Carol (2009) & How the Grinch Stole Christmas (both starring Jim Carrey)
Got to see this movie in theaters back when it released with my entire first grade class! We got to be in our pajamas, have hot chocolate, and we each got a bell at the end. One of the most magical experiences of my life.
i've watched a few people react to this movie this week and you're the only ones who didn't call the cgi extremely outdated 😭 but since none of the others were animators i'll take that ratio with a grain of salt 😊
I think it’d have been more interesting if Billy was the main character. He grew up in poverty, and even says himself that he’s always had doubts about Santa and the true meaning of Christmas. He had the better character development, more than the actual main character, imo.
Honestly Billy always seamed like a *chosen one* personality. We thought things started out with main kid since we were watching things from his perspectives but Billy was the last one that gets on train, had doubts about Christmas and Santa at such an young age, he was the first one to leave for home and get his gift and the whole journey was almost about his friends trying to cheer him up.
What's interesting is that Billy, the girl, the nerdy kid, and even the ghost are all brand new characters that weren't in the book. No lost ticket sequence (or any mention of tickets), no trip through the north pole to eventually end up in Santa's Bag. It's a short picture book with around 30 pages with large images that all made into the film as iconic shots of the film. Even the Audio recording with Liam Neeson is around 15 minutes long, and that's with pauses in the delivery for music and sound effects (not the movie's music).
When i was little in elementary school around christmas time we would have a day where we would wear our pajamas to school and watch this movie and the teachers would serve us hot chocolate :) I watch it every christmas eve with my family now while still drinking hot chocolate of course
I went to see this with my mom in the REAL IMAX theater when it came out in Austin. The experience was unreal. I feel like everyone should have the opportunity to see this movie the way it was meant to be experienced at least once. No comparison.
If you liked this you guys should check out the Disney's version of A Christmas Carol. Same animation but I think they wanted to make sure that it would be entertaining enough for 3D.
I was so impressed with this movie when it came out . The Animation blew my mind . I constantly tell people how great it is . It’s higher underrated . Tom Hanks has been my favorite actor since 1980 when he starred in prime time sitcom Bosom Buddies my jr high bites it beat show in my 8th grade yearbook . Ever since he has never stopped acting . He is also highly underrated . 🎄⭐️🎄⭐️
I have the DVD since I was like 4 years old and now I'm turning 19. Every Christmas I watch it with my family here in Brazil, we might not have the snow and the North America symbolism of a classic holiday but it's so magical and has a great message, I have goosebumps ALL the time It's truly beautiful..
I've heard so many theories about the man on the train roof but my favourite is that he is santa, hence owns the train and the magic of it all. Loved the reaction!
This is my all time favourite Christmas movie. It was released in my ‘crucial’ year, in the words of the conductor, and it actually prolonged my belief in Santa for a good year or two, so much so that I was one of the last, possibly the last child in my class to stop believing in Santa. I was just so convinced by the detail of the North Pole in this movie, I thought this must be true. I also love how each kid got a word unique to them punched into their ticket, a word that they needed to hear. And I found it so poignant at the end how his parents couldn’t hear the bell, then the voiceover says there came a Christmas when even his sister couldn’t hear the bell anymore, but it still rang for him, as it does for everyone who truly believe 🔔
Here in Sacramento there's a train museum that does a Polar Express themed train ride every Christmas. It's expensive and gets sold out in minutes. We made it on one year when my kid was 3. **Spoiler* *They have the Hot Chocolate song and dance routine where they pass out hot chocolate and cookies. They really make it magical and interactive for the kids. They even stop at the North Pole with a real Santa. Santa surprises the kids on the way back to the station and passes out bells. The kids go nuts!
I think then man drinking coffee on the train was a ghost. So when hears the boy talk about his struggle believing in Santa Clause he asks "Do you believe in ghosts?" and the boy shook his head no, the man says "interesting" and eventually disappears. Its interesting the boy would believe in ghosts but not Santa.
I remember watching this movie in the IMAX theater. It was probably my first 3D experience that didn't include those stupid red and blue glasses that just mess with your eyes. When the movie started I remember trying to catch the snowflakes.
Ahhh I love The Polar Express! This is so nostalgic, I literally only've seen it on my every new year holidays, this movie is so warm. Thanks for reacting to it! edited: omg i can't believe i'm still crying during some moments wow
I had amazing luck getting to see this movie at the cinema, the visuals were stunning. And I'm very glad people and specially reactors are rediscovering this movie and giving it a new appreciation. Thank you for the reaction 💜
The animation of this movie is amazing for 2004. This movie is actually based on a very popular children's picture book that was published 19 years earlier. I grew up with the book, and liked it, but I was in my early 20s when the movie came out and not super interested in it. My reaction to finding out the movie existed was "How on EARTH did they get enough story material from the book to make a full-length film from it?"
11:29 "The Wizard of Oz" is only "all a dream" in the film version. In the book, it's supposed to be an actual place. The filmmakers decided to make it a dream so it would appeal more to all ages, instead of just children, who were the target audience of the book.
this movie is one me and my family have watched every christmas eve for the 22 i’ve had! it’s part of our tradition along with the grinch and a muppets christmas carol! every time i watch it, i feel the magic and for that, it’s an incredible christmas movie! i will definitely carry on that tradition for as long as i’m able to, with my own future family, should i have one!
I can't get enough of your reactions, I just love it! And it would be so so cool to see your reaction on 'A Christmas Carol, with Jim Carrey.. it's so creepy and amazing!!
This movie is an adaptation of the 1985 Caldecott Award winning picture book of the same name. Although a lot of the events of the movie don't occur in the book, the main theme and the art style come directly from it. Many shots in the movie are recreations of images from the book.
Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated the book _Polar Express_, one of my kids' faves ever. Van Allsburg also wrote and illustrated _Jumanji_ and won a Caldecott Award in 1981 for that, too. His art is unique and I love its tenderness and soft focus, difficult qualities to create with charcoal, chalk, and colored pencils. Loooonnnngggg before computer animation, he created magic that has lasted for decades.
I love this movie! Tom Hanks is mega talented. The fact that he can play so many characters in one film and all be basically different is impressive. Also I love trains which is another reason I love this movie.
This was so special, it’s whimsical and thought-provoking and is yet another movie you just can’t pass up during the holidays. 😄 My first exposure was having it read to our second grade class, I never forgot it!
I love how Tom Hanks literally plays like 90% of the characters. And the fact that it’s pretty obvious that the train conductor planned everything, including purposely not punching the holes of the girls ticket
Lol I know. I can’t decide whether it’s cool or just a tad creepy
@@whitenoisereacts Think of it like any Tyler Perry movie. You recognize that an actor is playing multiple characters but it’s on purpose for the narrative. In this case, it’s bringing in multiple points of the movie to a child who is having a emotional crisis. Having that stable figure he recognized was intentional.
@@whitenoisereacts that’s fair. It’s an animated version of that one baby from twilight lol it’s hella uncanny valley but also really cool 🤣
The boy, Santa, the conductor , the hobo, the dad and the narrator
There's a popular theory that Hero Boy is both the Conductor and the Hobo.
Conductor is him if he Believes while the Hobo is him if he remains as a Doubter.
Conductor knew the Boy was going to be the one being picked for the First Gift of Christmas.
Only reason the main character could keep believing for the rest of his life is because he left the bell in the sleigh. The other kids probably woke up thinking it was a dream, but the main character got confirmation through Santa's note.
I noticed that ya’ll kept getting confused about the Hobo disappearing.
Remember that the Hobo said, “Seeing is believing, right?”
later followed by him asking the Boy, “Do you believe in Ghosts?”
The Boy shakes his head, and the Hobo found that “interesting.”
If the boy doesn’t believe in ghosts, then how could he see the Hobo, who is a GHOST!
thank you
I think it could be a ghost, but i think it could have been a physical representation of doubt as well
When the Hobo said "interesting", it made total sense! :)
@@Alphasnowbordergirl I think it's both, the ghost is there to represent doubt but the ghost also is real. There's a deleted scene about how he died at flat-top tunnel. He's there as an almost hypocritical role of representing doubt yet proving belief.
Edit: spelling
I think they also "showed" his death when he was drinking coffee on the roof in the elf town and he gets hit by behind
One of my favorite aspects about this movie I don’t think is nearly talked about enough is the SOUND design. Absolutely incredible... Try putting this movie on and “watch” it with your eyes closed and you’ll STILL have a vivid, mesmerizing, and magical experience. ❤️
Couldn't agree more!
Exactly! I’m glad you said it
IVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS! IT PEAKS WITH THE TRAIN ON THE LAKE SCENE!!!
“Do you believe in ghosts?” That line always gives me chills
Every time I hear little Billy say, "Christmas just doesn't work out for me." it breaks my heart. 😭
This is one of my favorite Christmas movie of all time. It's unique and magical. The man that was on top of the train I interpreted that he was a ghost that somewhat saves the main kid. It's like a wakeup call. If u think about it, when they first met the kid looks at him as if he's looking at his future scrooge-alike self. The man was helping him to believe by just being himself in a sense. And it's interesting that the man helps him to get to the front of the train, and when they're over the ice, the man catches the kid before he falls, it's almost like he's making sure the kid arrives in one piece to the north pole.
Yes, also because he says that it's interesting when the kid responds that he doesn't believe in ghosts
There's a popular theory that Hero Boy is both the Conductor and the Hobo.
Conductor is him if he Believes while the Hobo is him if he remains as a Doubter.
Conductor knew the Boy was going to be the one being picked for the First Gift of Christmas.
Ik this is a year late, but learned something really creepy. You can find a deleted scene on UA-cam about the conductors explaining the ghost. As a kid, the train didn’t stop for him, so he rode on the top of the train with a fire, and dined himself the king of the North Pole. But when flat top tunnel came, he didn’t make it to the engine and got swept off which is how he became a ghost on the train, why he kept saving the other kids, knew you had to jump into the coal to not die, AND THAT THE TUNNLY ONLY HAD 3 INCHES OF CLEARENCE.
Watching your guys' reaction was the first time I really paid attention to the symbolism of this movie. The three main children represent three different attitudes people have toward Christmas: the main boy represents the critical unbeliever, the girl represents the unquestioning believer, and Billy represents the one who wants to believe. Billy and the girl also symbolize the levels of belief through which the main boy progresses, until he becomes the strongest believer of all. The hobo and the conductor are symbolic too, representing the choice between trusting hard evidence (hobo) and placing faith in the unseen (conductor). It's also interesting that neither the hobo nor the conductor completely rule out the possibility of the other--the hobo insinuates the existence of ghosts (because he is one), acknowledging that there's more to reality than just the physical; and the conductor does not deny objective reality but emphasizes spiritual truth and the human desire for something deeper. together, they create this key principle: you may never have all the answers, but you can have just enough evidence to establish a reasonable faith in the unseen. The moment of truth for the boy was the bell, the point where he had to make that final, pivotal decision: will he believe or not? There is so much to this story, and it is masterfully told and beautifully animated. I love watching it every single year! Merry Christmas, everyone! ❤️
there is soooo much symbolism to interpret in this movie. I remember reading one guy who wrote a review saying the film was a Christian allegory... the Conductor was Jesus who takes you to God/Santa... and the Hobo was the Holy Ghost who works in your walk to help with your faith. I felt a lot of it was a stretch... but there is a clear faith and belief message in the movie. Regardless, the movie is one of my favorite Christmas movies based on my favorite Christmas book. I love this movie.
There's a popular theory that Hero Boy is both the Conductor and the Hobo.
Conductor is him if he Believes while the Hobo is him if he remains as a Doubter.
Conductor knew the Boy was going to be the one being picked for the First Gift of Christmas.
I’ve been watching the polar express every year without fail since I was like a toddler and this movie just never gets old for me. I was born in 2003 so I’m 18 now but even then this movie just holds a special place in my art and I think it’s part of the reason I ended up becoming an artist when I grew up. I love the creativity and I have loved seeing my younger siblings grow up watching the polar express as well. We even have a model train going around our Christmas tree specifically bc of this movie lol.
Oh cool!!
Oh same here, I was born in 2002 and Polar Express really has a soft spot in my heart. This movie as a toddler showed me that figures like Santa Claus may not be real but it doesn't mean we can't hope and believe better. It was honestly better to know things from this than get reality check up by my family that it's not real. 😂 *In Thanos voice* Reality is whatever I want it to be.
@@Tooba-K123 dude sameee. I was never the type of kid to rlly believe in stuff like Santa but at the same time bc I was so young I didn’t rlly know what other option there could be and the polar express rlly caused me to think more about stuff like that when I old enough to understand the story lol. And it rlly helped me express myself as a kid bc I imagined all these cool stories based on holiday lore and myths I grew up hearing about and even though I knew none were real it didn’t matter bc they made me happy. I still think looking into the history behind various things and mythology is rlly fun especially now that I’m older and more skilled bc I like translating it into my art.
@@sleepytoons2155 OMG, I swear I've had same situation. Since childhood I never believed in Santa, Bunny, Halloween or mythological stuffs but doesn't mean I didn't enjoyed them. Infact these are the same types of genre that I really like to watch and read. Pretty ironic I guess 🤣 these fantasy and myths actually kept me peaceful and happy especially with being alone at home since like the age of 3. These movies and books became my addiction since then cause it kept you wondering and hoping for things that weren't going to happen.
I don't know if it's a possibility for you but one winter try and visit Owosso, Michigan, the train they modeled the polar express after, the 1225 is kept there
In the DVD extras for this movie theres an extra song about “the King of the train” about a man who was killed in a tunnel and now haunts the train so he is indeed a ghost. My personal favourite way to view him is the ghost of Christmas Past (even if it doesn’t make a ton of sense)
Isn’t he listed in the credits as Scrooge?
@@dragonsword8129 i thought the puppet in the toy carriage that yells at Hero Boy was the credit for Scrooge but I could be wrong!
@@saz9160 Well, we see that the ghost is the one controlling the puppet and really doing the speaking. So I just figured the people making the movie decided to slap the name on him.
@@dragonsword8129 ohhh I didn’t even remember that!! Tbh I like that idea too
yes its the deleted scene with smokey and steamer and the song is not about the king but about working together and they provide details on the hobo later
It became a tradition in my family to watch this movie every Christmas Eve since I was a kid
Also “the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe” I want that tattooed 🥺
I want the bell lol
Same here! I've always wanted a "Believe" or bell inspired tattoo but have never seen it through yet! Hopefully one day🤞
@@laurenauriello2796 I’ll do it if you do it 👀
Traces of It's a wonderful life, when Clarence gets his wings when the bells ring at the end.
I don't even celebrate Christmas and this is one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies it's crazy cause I feel like a lot of people don't like it that much because they find the animation "creepy"
Right??? It’s fun!!!!
Yes! So many people bash on it for the animation, but I find it interesting, and the message is breathtaking. It always hurts to hear people avoid it because it has somewhat unusual animation quality and completely ignore all of the other 5 star aspects. It's like saying "This film has 5 stars in story, message, and execution, and 2 stars in animation. Avoid it at all costs."
Starring Tom hanks as literally everyone haha. Does anyone remember realising that they didn’t know any of the characters names cept ya boy billy.
He also voiced the hobo, 🎅🏻, conductor, hero boy’s father, and adult hero boy.
My favorite part of this film are the questions they don’t answer. It’s part of the message I think. “It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to have things to wonder about. It’s okay to just have faith sometimes.”
Still in the christmas vibe, Klaus is another really good one i recommend ! The animation style alone deserves a video ! :D
I’ve always loved this movie and thought the animation is incredible. Doesn’t get the respect it deserves
Absolutely.
In same style, massively underrated movie: "the adventures of Tintin" from 2011.
Huge names behind it: Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg etc etc...
I highly recommend.
Yes finally someone who has seen TInTin!!!
That's a great movie I love it :D
Love the at movie! Wish they made more.
Damn I can't believe I've completely forgotten about that movie. I went to see it in theaters with my class when it came out and absolutely loved it. I remember the animation looking so unreal, especially for the time.
I really like that movie, it make me want to go to adventures or something like that xd
I hope they react to it too 😃
You mentioned that it feels like a ride at some points. Every year at Christmas SeaWorld in Orlando used to turn their Wild Arctic ride into the Polar Express. It's one of those rides where you sit in theater type seating with a big screen and the seats move to simulate what's on the screen. So they would play clips from the movie and it felt like you were there riding along. Then once it's over and you exit into the wild arctic area they turned it into the North Pole. There's ice and snow and it's all done up for Christmas with a massive Christmas tree and music. I haven't lived there in 10 years but I asked a friend and she said they stopped doing it about 5 years ago. I'm bummed, it was really magical.
That sounds amazing!!!
I remember that! One year, when I was younger, I actually got a Polar Express train set after my photo with santa at Sea World in Orlando and had that set under the tree for years. I don't know what happened to my old set, I lost it at some point, but one of these days, I'll have to see if I could get a new one and continue a tradition I lost years ago.
Watching it with you guys again I really felt nostalgic, I really cried. Especially at the last part that showed although we grow up and doesn't get gifts anymore. It's our belief that would make us hear that sweet sound forever that's somehow specially meant for us to hear.
I remember my niece and nephew asking some time ago whether Santa Claus and Easter Bunny are real, I simply told them that no they don't but you can be someone's Santa and Bunny. We all have that traits of these guardians inside us, we just have to protect it from darkness and enhance this ability at the correct time for good use.
Aww that is actually really cool!!
Aww that is actually really cool!!
Every kid on the train is at a crucial year where they start to not believe in Santa Claus. The Hero Boy is skeptical about magic. The Hero Girl is not always sure about what she knows. Billy has never gotten his wishes come true. The Know-It-All Kid is too sure on what he knows.
I loved how original it was growing up! I’ve always felt like that was what made it really special 💜
Basically, the Hobo guy represents the boys fear and doubt of Santa because overall the boy was afraid of being let down in the end if he were to find that Santa wasn’t real. He is pretty much testing the boy on his strength to believe in Santa. Once the boy knows for sure he believes in Santa, by the time he gets home and we watch the boy wave goodbye to the Hobo and he disappears, it’s the boy basically saying goodbye to all his doubt and disbelief because it no longer exist.
FUN FACT: The "face design" of the main little boy character
was Josh Hutcherson ( from the Hunger Games ). Even
though the little boy "speaking" was clearly not a young
Josh Hutcherson, the "computer face" was Josh's
.
When you Google Image a picture of a young Josh
and compare it to the Polar Express computer
animated boy, they are IDENTICAL. And that is
something I never knew when I saw this for the
first time
If you want a great christmas movie, you should watch Rise of the Guardians. I know it's not really a christmas movie, but it's really good.
Rise of the Guardians is one of my favourite movies
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!!!! I DEFINITELY agree!!!!
this movie has one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs: Believe - Josh Groban
This movie still gives me the chills and plays on my heartstrings
The boy was having an existential crisis (for a child, anyway, discovering Santa may not be real) - and the result was the mystical experience -- more vivid and real than a dream - that he needed at that moment. Believing is seeing... Keeping the spirit of Christmas in one's heart all year, all life long. Good job of analysis, guys! The reason you probably liked the ticket floating sequence was probably because the director, Bob Zemeckis, also directed Forrest Gump (the feather) and many other great films (also collaborating with Tom Hanks). The Polar Express is an award-winning children's book, why the story is so good. All great films start with a great story, and a great director to interpret and present the story.
Nine tailed brush not knowing who any actor is is my favourite thing haha man just popped into existence a year ago 😄 edit : and he’s read but not watched wizard of OZ?!
People don't give enough credit to this movie. The ending is emotional and effective. And the part where he asks "do you believe in ghosts" is cool and spooky. Great movie
The fact that this movie was never made into an amusement park ride is a CRIME!
This was one of those movies that I was like 90% sure was a fever dream growing up (see also: Help! I'm a fish and Sharkboy & Lavagirl) and then slowly but surely realised it was a real movie that actually existed. I love it now though and watch it every year, the soundtrack is ICONIC
Help I’m a fish was wild what kind of plot makes a fish turn into a man and then drown! Any movie were the plot is weirdly mature feels feverish. Love it
Haha I randomly remembered a few scenes from this movie once and had to google stuff to see if this was a real movie or just something I imagined but because I couldn't remember the movie's name the search prompts were so weird.
Seeing this in IMAX as a kid was truly magical. I got a sleigh bell for Christmas that year from Santa. It was super special ✨
My schools had a polar express party every year after it came out when i was in 1st grade. It's really psychological for kids, but I think it's done on purpose so that as a kid grows and keeps watching it, they learn more and more about the meaning behind it. Since I watched it every year for about 7 or 8 years, I got to grow up with that which was pretty cool. Every Christmas party we wore our pajamas to school and they gave us cookies and hot chocolate while we watched this. Really good memories.
I know this is late but love how y’all are like most of us as adults, kids at heart and still gaze in glory at Santa and still appreciate the light humor in this movie.
I like the theory that Santa is all three. Himself, the hobo and the conductor.
I was obsessed on the belief of Santa because of this movie when it came out. (Still am in a hypocritical way.) One of my aunts found out how much I love the movie and got me the Polar Express bell for our Christmas Eve family gathering. I make certain that the box and the bell inside are not too damaged every winter.
Fun Fact: I’m from and currently living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I grew up watching this movie every year as a Christmas tradition and it’s always cool to hear our town in it. It’s really nostalgic and will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️
10:50 this scene with the music and dialogue is amazing
I first saw this about age 2. According to my parents, I was so transfixed by the film that I never moved for the whole runtime (something that child me rarely did). All these years later, I still love it. I watch the film every Christmas, and it’s never disappointed.
I love everything about this movie, the story, animation and soundtrack are amazing!
I don’t understand why the parents don’t believe in Santa. Like, you just woke up to a ton of presents under your tree that you didn’t put there. Who else would’ve put them there?
If you haven’t seen it yet, “Arthur Christmas” is another great Christmas movie
This is another vivid theatre! Dude when I was a kid and we went to see this on the big screen, it blew me away. The beautiful animation, the characters, how it legitimately felt like a roller coaster 😂 it was magic to me. It still feels like it now actually 😊
Hey there, train nerd here. So gonna try and make this comment not super long. First, at 14:18 the stuck lever is the throttle, pull it towards you to allow steam to the pistons, away from you to shut the throttle, no more steam, now you're coasting, it got stuck so bad things happened. Second, at 15:49, no that would not actually work, all train wheels, whether a locomotive or train car, has a flange on the inside of the wheel to help the wheels to stay on the rails without just rolling off. Without the rail present, the locomotive is being held up by like 5cm of steel, no way it's getting traction, it's staying put, it'll become the next Titanic. But I like the movie nonetheless. Good reaction btw. :)
I've always taken the hobo guy to be the literal "Spirit of Christmas" since he is clearly magical and claims to be the king of the Polar Express.
My youngest daughter used to love this movie so much that she watched it every night for months at a time. Every night for months she went to sleep while watching it.
You mentioned it felt like a ride, well, something to keep in mind when watching this one, is that it was released in 3D. It was absolutely awesome.
This is my all time favourite Christmas movie, I watch it every year! Love that you guys reacted to it!
As a child, my parents would take my family to a trainyard that would do recreations of the polar Express. They took us in a loop, but served hot chocolate, gave out bells, and really just made Christmas that much more magical. It's one of my favorite memories, and this movie always brings that back. One of my favorite Christmas movies, even if the cgi isn't perfect.
You guys should definitely watch The Santa Clause with Tim Allen. I think you’d like it!
This movie never fails to put me in the Christmas spirit even when the year sucks. Motion capture is by far the most awesome medium for a film - it's literally stage acting, film, animation and voice acting all rolled into one. I so wanna work in motion capture stuff one day.
I also found it hilarious that every elf sounds like Joe Pesci XD
The style of the animation matches the art in the original book.
i love this movie for some reason
its weirdly eery
As a kid, this movie hadn’t been my favorite
I have adhd, the sounds scared me and if it wasn’t about animals I didn’t like it
But NOW-
It’s my favorite Christmas movie of all time, I learn something new every time I watch it and I always have a positive takeaway
It’s such a moving film for me about belief and faith, as well as perspective and different life situations
It’s such an incredible movie, so happy you guys watched it
You explained it perfectly in the beginning. You really feel like the film is taking you on for the ride. On a journey. Very mystical and adventurous. Love this movie. I saw it in the 2nd grade and I'm 25 now but i still watch it even when it's not Christmas. Gotta love Tom Hanks.
When I was younger my Aunt used to read the Polar Express to me and my brother every Christmas.....now I watch the movie and this is one instance where the movie elevated the experience of the book rather than take away. The artistic style of the movie came straight from the book which as a kid was my favorite part of the book.
♥️ Thanks for not saying the animation is "Creepy"
Am tired of people tearing this movie apart because they think it's too "Creepy" to them.
the song believe is such a good song, i love the guy who sings it, his name is Josh Groban, he also sings a song Noel for christmas time, i absolutely love his voice. some people always say the girl looks like ASAP Rocky lmao.
I was obsessed with this movie when I was little. One Christmas in Elementary school, my mom gave my sister and I a bell that looked just like the one in the movie and it said “Believe”
This is defintely a favourite Christmas movie of mine, you should check out:
A Christmas Carol (2009)
&
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (both starring Jim Carrey)
Got to see this movie in theaters back when it released with my entire first grade class! We got to be in our pajamas, have hot chocolate, and we each got a bell at the end. One of the most magical experiences of my life.
i've watched a few people react to this movie this week and you're the only ones who didn't call the cgi extremely outdated 😭 but since none of the others were animators i'll take that ratio with a grain of salt 😊
Cgi isn't outdated.
I seen movies with much terrible animation.
I think it’d have been more interesting if Billy was the main character. He grew up in poverty, and even says himself that he’s always had doubts about Santa and the true meaning of Christmas. He had the better character development, more than the actual main character, imo.
Hmm idk. I think it worked where the main guy let us see about billy, without it literally following him
Honestly Billy always seamed like a *chosen one* personality. We thought things started out with main kid since we were watching things from his perspectives but Billy was the last one that gets on train, had doubts about Christmas and Santa at such an young age, he was the first one to leave for home and get his gift and the whole journey was almost about his friends trying to cheer him up.
What's interesting is that Billy, the girl, the nerdy kid, and even the ghost are all brand new characters that weren't in the book. No lost ticket sequence (or any mention of tickets), no trip through the north pole to eventually end up in Santa's Bag.
It's a short picture book with around 30 pages with large images that all made into the film as iconic shots of the film. Even the Audio recording with Liam Neeson is around 15 minutes long, and that's with pauses in the delivery for music and sound effects (not the movie's music).
i think it worked better with him as a side character because the whole point of his character is that he is always being forgotten and left behind
When i was little in elementary school around christmas time we would have a day where we would wear our pajamas to school and watch this movie and the teachers would serve us hot chocolate :) I watch it every christmas eve with my family now while still drinking hot chocolate of course
That’s legit the most wholesome thing ever!!
I remember the year it came out on release, they had the fourth and fifth graders dress up in pjs and we watched it on our big screen as well.
I went to see this with my mom in the REAL IMAX theater when it came out in Austin. The experience was unreal. I feel like everyone should have the opportunity to see this movie the way it was meant to be experienced at least once. No comparison.
If you liked this you guys should check out the Disney's version of A Christmas Carol. Same animation but I think they wanted to make sure that it would be entertaining enough for 3D.
I was so impressed with this movie when it came out . The Animation blew my mind . I constantly tell people how great it is . It’s higher underrated . Tom Hanks has been my favorite actor since 1980 when he starred in prime time sitcom Bosom Buddies my jr high bites it beat show in my 8th grade yearbook . Ever since he has never stopped acting . He is also highly underrated . 🎄⭐️🎄⭐️
I have the DVD since I was like 4 years old and now I'm turning 19. Every Christmas I watch it with my family here in Brazil, we might not have the snow and the North America symbolism of a classic holiday but it's so magical and has a great message, I have goosebumps ALL the time It's truly beautiful..
The scene on the train at the beginning with the hobo just gives me weird but really good vibes for some reason
I love this movie, others might be bothered by the uncanny faces, but not me. I always saw them as stylized.
I've heard so many theories about the man on the train roof but my favourite is that he is santa, hence owns the train and the magic of it all. Loved the reaction!
This is my all time favourite Christmas movie. It was released in my ‘crucial’ year, in the words of the conductor, and it actually prolonged my belief in Santa for a good year or two, so much so that I was one of the last, possibly the last child in my class to stop believing in Santa. I was just so convinced by the detail of the North Pole in this movie, I thought this must be true. I also love how each kid got a word unique to them punched into their ticket, a word that they needed to hear. And I found it so poignant at the end how his parents couldn’t hear the bell, then the voiceover says there came a Christmas when even his sister couldn’t hear the bell anymore, but it still rang for him, as it does for everyone who truly believe 🔔
Like Clarece getting his wings when the bells rang.
This will always remain my favourite Christmas movie ever.
Here in Sacramento there's a train museum that does a Polar Express themed train ride every Christmas. It's expensive and gets sold out in minutes. We made it on one year when my kid was 3. **Spoiler* *They have the Hot Chocolate song and dance routine where they pass out hot chocolate and cookies. They really make it magical and interactive for the kids. They even stop at the North Pole with a real Santa. Santa surprises the kids on the way back to the station and passes out bells. The kids go nuts!
I think then man drinking coffee on the train was a ghost. So when hears the boy talk about his struggle believing in Santa Clause he asks "Do you believe in ghosts?" and the boy shook his head no, the man says "interesting" and eventually disappears. Its interesting the boy would believe in ghosts but not Santa.
Oh that’s a cool detail. We could talk forever about these things
I remember watching this movie in the IMAX theater. It was probably my first 3D experience that didn't include those stupid red and blue glasses that just mess with your eyes. When the movie started I remember trying to catch the snowflakes.
It was meant to be watched in 3D it’s why those shots were so fantastic. That and it’s a classic book for Christmas. The book’s artwork is beautiful.
Please react to Rise of the Guardians. It takes place during Easter but feels like a Christmas movie.
I absolutely LOVE this film! One of my favorite childhood films! And still one of my favorite Christmas movies to this day!
Did you not notice Billy has his boots on the wrong feet? LOL!
Ahhh I love The Polar Express! This is so nostalgic, I literally only've seen it on my every new year holidays, this movie is so warm. Thanks for reacting to it!
edited: omg i can't believe i'm still crying during some moments wow
I had amazing luck getting to see this movie at the cinema, the visuals were stunning. And I'm very glad people and specially reactors are rediscovering this movie and giving it a new appreciation. Thank you for the reaction 💜
The animation of this movie is amazing for 2004. This movie is actually based on a very popular children's picture book that was published 19 years earlier. I grew up with the book, and liked it, but I was in my early 20s when the movie came out and not super interested in it. My reaction to finding out the movie existed was "How on EARTH did they get enough story material from the book to make a full-length film from it?"
11:29 "The Wizard of Oz" is only "all a dream" in the film version. In the book, it's supposed to be an actual place. The filmmakers decided to make it a dream so it would appeal more to all ages, instead of just children, who were the target audience of the book.
So they did an ''Alice'' on the movie? I didn't know that
i have this movie on dvd but in 3D and it even comes with 3D glasses :°)
It's my favorite christmas movie!! Thanks for this
this movie is one me and my family have watched every christmas eve for the 22 i’ve had! it’s part of our tradition along with the grinch and a muppets christmas carol! every time i watch it, i feel the magic and for that, it’s an incredible christmas movie! i will definitely carry on that tradition for as long as i’m able to, with my own future family, should i have one!
omg yes, i've been waiting since this is my favorite christmas movie growing up.
The sweeping shots and the way it gives you that feeling like you're riding a ride... This movie was also available in 3D!
I got to see this in theaters, it was 3D and the coolest thing ever for me. Still one of my fav Christmas movies
I can't get enough of your reactions, I just love it! And it would be so so cool to see your reaction on 'A Christmas Carol, with Jim Carrey.. it's so creepy and amazing!!
I cried so much when santa appeared, the cinematography and ost is amazing
This movie is an adaptation of the 1985 Caldecott Award winning picture book of the same name. Although a lot of the events of the movie don't occur in the book, the main theme and the art style come directly from it. Many shots in the movie are recreations of images from the book.
Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated the book _Polar Express_, one of my kids' faves ever. Van Allsburg also wrote and illustrated _Jumanji_ and won a Caldecott Award in 1981 for that, too. His art is unique and I love its tenderness and soft focus, difficult qualities to create with charcoal, chalk, and colored pencils. Loooonnnngggg before computer animation, he created magic that has lasted for decades.
the performance capture in polar express is like what video game animations look like now
I love this movie! Tom Hanks is mega talented. The fact that he can play so many characters in one film and all be basically different is impressive.
Also I love trains which is another reason I love this movie.
This film gives me the creeps! Every character has cold, dead, emotionless eyes! Maybe one day they'll update the graphics to sort that problem out.
This was so special, it’s whimsical and thought-provoking and is yet another movie you just can’t pass up during the holidays. 😄 My first exposure was having it read to our second grade class, I never forgot it!
The man who the boy keeps seeing is a ghost. That’s why he asked him if he believed in ghosts
I love this tall, slim and strict Santa more then the small fat and happy one.
I watch this every Christmas Eve with cocoa. 😍