“The Polar Express” is based on the cherished children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. The movie begins with its main character, the young boy, lying in bed on Christmas Eve unable to sleep. It is the first Christmas that he succumbs to his doubts about the reality of Santa. As he begins to fall asleep, he is awoken by a train whistle, and runs outside to find a train in his front yard. The Polar Express is full of kids and a conductor who invites him to the North Pole.

On the way to see Santa the young boy makes friends and encounters many who test his beliefs. Some unfortunate events happen on this ride of self-discovery. At the end of the 92-minute movie, the boy who cannot hear the “magic of the bells” begins to believe and is awarded the first gift of Christmas.

I thought this movie was beautiful, and I shed a few tears when the young child sings about his misfortune. The magic of the movie made me want to believe again. I also thought Tom Hanks did a nice job with many voice-overs. The technology is unreal, and the characters seem just a step away from real actors.

“Polar Express” is not only for young kids. I recommend this G-rated flick to anyone with the Christmas spirit. In fact, I sometimes cringe to think that young children were in the theater listening to everyone’s doubts about Santa’s existence. Get your popcorn first because you won’t want to miss a moment of this film once the lights go down. .

Review by Jill Knies, Wilmington, DE