If you like the Polar Express AND movie goofs watch this - if not - don't watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq8MG9aS9nw
Merry Christmas
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Continuity mistakes in movies are alway fun to watch.
Fine book, so so movie.
Mark in Oregon
I'm really trying to believe... in the movie, that is.
But, seeing that Youtube vid reminded me all over again what a dark and somber (almost sinister at times) tone existed almost throughout the entire movie. How it has attained its iconic status is beyond me.
It is certainly doesn't have the overall light hearted tone of a Christmas fantasy movie at ALL in my opinion.
However, many DO like it, (and that's cool) and the movie has been great for electric trains!
Andre
LOL!
I saw this last week. The guy apparently has zero comprehension that everything from the moment the boy closes his eyes to the end when his sister wakes him up is a dream sequence! And just like a dream, not everything makes perfect sense. The dream is triggered by everything the boy has seen and heard in the moments before falling asleep. It’s sad when a grown adult can’t figure out the basics...
Jon 
This was a bit of a "so what?". A interesting goof is in the 1951 movie version of A Christmas Carol. When Scrooge gets up on Christmas morning, he frolics in front of a large mirror. A stage hand is clearly seen in the reflection.
Whoever made that clip has way too much time on his hands.
I’m not so sure the magazine date in the movie was really a goof, wasn’t the date printed on the magazine always for a Saturday, but the magazine was actually released to the news stands on the previous Sunday or Monday? December 29, 1956 was a Saturday, while the 25th was Monday of that year.
Bill in FtL
Made it though the first 3 min, learned a few cool things - like the name & place of the store, and that the Post cover was pretty much real, and that the boy's neighborhood is probably a 1957-60 setting. When he started commenting about the shake & rumble of "every train that comes through", though - I always assumed that track had not existed prior to that night.
The most important "comparison to reality", if you're lucky enough to have a 3yo to read the book to, is the movie to the book. Just about every line of the book's text is spoken word for word, in a scene that clearly matches the passage's picture.
I guess the other comparison I'd cared about is the train to the movie: in last week's viewing, I noticed the model train looks like it's on tubular O31, but the sets are either 2-rail or Fastrack. Establishing the movie predates both track types, it makes sense to me it'd be sold with the current track systems... but if I had a O gauge version, I'd probably put it around the tree on tubular O31.
KOOLjock1 posted:I saw this last week. The guy apparently has zero comprehension that everything from the moment the boy closes his eyes to the end when his sister wakes him up is a dream sequence! And just like a dream, not everything makes perfect sense. The dream is triggered by everything the boy has seen and heard in the moments before falling asleep. It’s sad when a grown adult can’t figure out the basics...
Jon
Well... except that "The Bell" (with the note from "Mr. C") experience on Christmas morning is AFTER his sis wakes him up. And IF the review is in the correct sequence (the Good Lord knows I'm not going to watch the movie again to find out!), that is the parting scene of the movie, so it SHOULD be back in the "reality" state. Sounds like the reviewer isn't the one misunderstanding the movie? (Nanny nanny, ha, ha... gotcha! )
FWIW: The grand daughter was very young when we all watched the movie. She thought it was creepy.
Either way, the movie has been a GREAT thing for model trains and because of that I hope it has a long run and I hope Lionel can milk it for all it's worth.
Joe:
Agree: The goofs are a "meh" thing. No biggie in a fantasy movie, but fun to find for those so inclined, I suppose.
Now, for me, if we're talking about a FUN and a really "feel good" Santa fantasy film, I LOVED the original "Miracle On 34th St" movie (Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and was that little Natalie Wood?). The scene with the little Dutch girl is priceless and what good movie making is all about, IMHO.
All fer now.
Andre
This guy needs something to do. Maybe Santa will bring him a Polar Express train set.
OKHIKER posted:Whoever made that clip has way too much time on his hands.
You mean as opposed to the likes of us, who are spending time discussing the merits of his video?
Mark in Oregon
The polar express movie is one of the best Christmas movies ever made, right behind the 1951 Scrooge film.
I watch it every year and even though I'm 72 the bell still rings for me.
Just watch it and enjoy, some people read too much into things including fantasy movies. The guy who found the goofs needs a life and do something worthwhile.
Dave
Well, if the point of his making the video was to get people talking, I'd say he succeeded... 
Mark in Oregon
There's two kinds of people in the world: those who do, and those who criticize them.
laming posted:But, seeing that Youtube vid reminded me all over again what a dark and somber (almost sinister at times) tone existed almost throughout the entire movie.
Not unlike Gene Wilders Willy Wonka and The Chocolate factory.....which is also........a classic.
This Polar Express movie was carefully made to be surreal and strange.
Andrew
I haven’t grown tired of “Polar Express,” which I have loved from the start.
I have grown tired of movie goof posts, which invariably come from people unable to enjoy movies as a suspension of reality, as they are intended.
Jim R. posted:I haven’t grown tired of lPokar Express,” which I have loved from the start.
I have grown tired of movie goof posts, which invariably come from people unable to enjoy movies as a suspension of reality, as they are intended.
If I didn't have a good suspension of reality, I wouldn't enjoy Godzilla movies...
As far as Polar Express goes, it's OK, but not a great movie. The part I find a hoot is the train doing it's Ice Capades number...
However, I prefer Chuck Jones' version of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" far more then Polar Express for the illustrating the meaning of Christmas in an entertaining manner.
Rusty
Rusty Traque posted:Jim R. posted:I haven’t grown tired of “Polar Express,” which I have loved from the start.
I have grown tired of movie goof posts, which invariably come from people unable to enjoy movies as a suspension of reality, as they are intended.
If I didn't have a good suspension of reality, I wouldn't enjoy Godzilla movies...
As far as Polar Express goes, it's OK, but not a great movie. The part I find a hoot is the train doing it's Ice Capades number...
However, I prefer Chuck Jones' version of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" far more then Polar Express for the illustrating the meaning of Christmas in an entertaining manner.
Rusty
Considering how much Charles Schulz hated the animation and others have piled on about the “goofs” in “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” you have reinforce my point. You have to look past the flaws, or not look for them at all, and enjoy.
The whole dream is a 12 year old boy's perception, not reality. I don't think anything was done by mistake. Little inconsistencies serve to remind us that it is a dream. Just my opinion.
NYC Fan posted:The whole dream is a 12 year old boy's perception, not reality. I don't think anything was done by mistake. Little inconsistencies serve to remind us that it is a dream. Just my opinion.
See my above post. Can't be a dream, or "The Bell" and note from "Mr. C" would NOT have existed AFTERWARDS. (i.e. AFTER his sister wakes him, and he is again is the film's "real" world/family setting.)
Otherwise, he's stuck perpetually in that dream state and we never see whether he ever returns to the film's "reality world" or not.
For me, it's an obtuse film as well as dark/somber.
Hey Rusty! Got any use for this bell I've got that doesn't ring?
Andre
laming posted:Hey Rusty! Got any use for this bell I've got that doesn't ring?
Andre
I dunno...
All I know is every time a crossing bell rings, another model railroader gets some things...
Rusty
laming posted:NYC Fan posted:The whole dream is a 12 year old boy's perception, not reality. I don't think anything was done by mistake. Little inconsistencies serve to remind us that it is a dream. Just my opinion.
See my above post. Can't be a dream, or "The Bell" and note from "Mr. C" would NOT have existed AFTERWARDS. (i.e. AFTER his sister wakes him, and he is again is the film's "real" world/family setting.)
Otherwise, he's stuck perpetually in that dream state and we never see whether he ever returns to the film's "reality world" or not.
For me, it's an obtuse film as well as dark/somber.
Hey Rusty! Got any use for this bell I've got that doesn't ring?
Andre
Hey!!! Guys it is a fantasy film and one of the greatest Christmas films ever made.
Dark and somber? What are you looking at!!
I have seen most of the Christmas films in my life and I am 72 and every single one is a fantasy film, I enjoy them and never read anything into them, have fun, watch them and enjoy and feel better for doing it.
The bell still rings for me.
Dave
Absolutely is it dark and somber. What are we looking at? The boy who lives on the wrong side of the tracks for whom Christmas "comes" for only the first time that year. The trashed toys one their way for "re-bicycling" at the North Pole, particularly the manic Nutcracker. The Hobo's ghost, who represents (at least) the cynicism of adulthood but hints at things much darker. The fact that no one else "believes" (at least after a few years), leaving the Hero Boy isolated. How about the monitors which trigger alarms when people misbehave--talk about your Big Brother! And who selects the children that get to ride, anyway?
These aspects don't make it a bad movie or a bad story--heck, they are themes that permeate our literature--but they are dark and somber. Even the train is presented in a dark light: scary, dangerous, and unpredictable.
"Dark and somber? What are you looking at!!"
Oh, nothing much... just stuff like this:
Pretty much anytime the lunatic Hobo appears, it's on the dark and somber side. (Even in the details... like the filthy Santa hat, etc.) The entire movie is at night, much of it in inclement weather, and such. That in itself leads to having a dark overtones, and certainly does not engender light hearted and uplifting emotions as does as a scene in the daylight. In fact, IS there a well lit scene in the entire movie? The backgrounds are always dark as I recall.
These are just my opinions, and I don't expect others to embrace them or conform to them, but at the same time, I shouldn't need to conform to an opposing opinion.
Bottom line: None in my family liked the movie and it was only watched once over a decade ago.
I sure didn't mean to whiz in folk's cornflakes here... was just saying that not all families find the film enchanting.
And with that, I shall step back from my iconoclastic overtones (my apologies for that) and simply enjoy this joyous Season, along with the varied approaches to enjoying same, and my family and I will do our best to celebrate the true Meaning of Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all!
Andre
Attachments
BTW: The train's cool!! And I LOVE the models of them! (The S scale version with the snow on the roofs is the berries!)
See? I'm not a complete Scrooge, "BAH-humbug!", type!
Andre
Tell me how many cars are on this train. The train changes in length just about every single shot of it. The know it all kid can't even get his part right. If I am wrong let me know but the 1225 was built by Lima. I even know this and I am still in middle school.
laming posted:"Dark and somber? What are you looking at!!"
Oh, nothing much... just stuff like this:
Pretty much anytime the lunatic Hobo appears, it's on the dark and somber side. (Even in the details... like the filthy Santa hat, etc.) The entire movie is at night, much of it in inclement weather, and such. That in itself leads to having a dark overtones, and certainly does not engender light hearted and uplifting emotions as does as a scene in the daylight. In fact, IS there a well lit scene in the entire movie? The backgrounds are always dark as I recall.
These are just my opinions, and I don't expect others to embrace them or conform to them, but at the same time, I shouldn't need to conform to an opposing opinion.
Bottom line: None in my family liked the movie and it was only watched once over a decade ago.
I sure didn't mean to whiz in folk's cornflakes here... was just saying that not all families find the film enchanting.
And with that, I shall step back from my iconoclastic overtones (my apologies for that) and simply enjoy this joyous Season, along with the varied approaches to enjoying same, and my family and I will do our best to celebrate the true Meaning of Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all!
Andre
Most of the friends I've talked with seem to agree with you, it is a very, very dark version of the book. When I first saw it on TV the Tom Hanks character creeped me out. And it still does!
Guess it is the same thing with A Christmas Carol from 1951 and the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street versus A Christmas Story. My friends who like the latter don't watch the the other two and those who love the Alastair Sims version (aka Scrooge) along with Natalie Woods Miracle on 34th Street never, ever watch the "Story" movie.
Charlie Brown? Who doesn't love Vince Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy in A Charlie Brown Christmas? That alone makes it!! Well, back to running some toy trains
Which Tom Hanks character? He was the father, the conductor, the hobo, and Santa!
Jon
I agree it's kind of a creepy feeling and dark movie when you think about it, but it's also a good movie I think. As for Tom Hanks- I thought his portrayal of the father and also the mother's character we're kind of cold / harsh and not very likeable.
So here's what you need to know about The Polar Express:
The movie slips into dream sequence the moment the Hero Boy closes his eyes the second time. There's foreshadowing of the dream with both the radiator steam and his father's comment that "an Express Train couldn't wake him now..." These were the last things he heard before falling asleep.
As with any dream, things get muddled. The train changes length... the foot-prints appear and disappear... the Christmas display that the boy's parents took him to see downtown stuck in his craw as this was the year he finally realized it was mechanical rather than magical.
The dreamscape characters portray various sides of the existential crisis on belief the boy is facing. The child characters represent his fear of abandonment (Billy), his lack of humility (Know it All Kid), and his lack of confidence (Hero Girl). The adult characters, all voiced by his father (Tom Hanks) all represent his conflicting views of adulthood as seen though his father: Conductor represents authority coupled with faith, Hobo represents the ghost-like view he has of cold-hard reality (which is why he is outside the train), and Santa represents his father's love.
The train of course represents Hero Boy's journey into adulthood... the recycled toys represent his fear of letting go of the transient joys of childhood. The journey into adulthood is fraught with perils, a roller-coaster ride, and at times we're on thin-ice.
The "First Gift of Christmas" of course was Baby Jesus. And it is the one concrete piece of evidence from his existential crisis of belief that he will take into adulthood. That's why it survives the trip from the dream world into the real world at the end.
The movie is much more thoughtful and deeper than you might imagine, given that so many of you are approaching it from the "LOOK a Lima 2-8-4 is on TV!!!" view point.
IMHO.
Jon
I think almost everone including children know that, except the person that posted the video. 😀
No thanks. Not really into people pointing out bloopers, even though I notice them from time to time. Read the book before the movie, and wasn't impressed. Went to see the movie in 3D IMAX when it came out, and loved it! So did the family. Have watched it many times since, even though the kids are grown now. My wife and I just watched it again last week. While the animation and facial expressions are bit clunky with the people, still an overall great movie.
I'm not sure how an animated movie can have "goofs" when every frame is made and analyzed by hand. Everything you see was intentional.
As for the movie being dark, yes, it is. But any good story has adventure, struggle, and fear. It's the contrasts between the cold, dark outside, and the warm glow coming out of the passenger car windows. It's the absolute wonder of the North Pole scene when the first gift of Christmas was given. It's a classic story that sticks with you and is a nice contrast to the sugar pop happiness of so many others.
Look at how dark and downright scary A Christmas Carol is. Some versions are absolutely frightening. But the story needs that in order to prove its point. How about It's a Wonderful Life? Wizard of Oz?
Nothing but nothing tops the dog peeing in the street in the Bond movie Thunderball. LOL
Christmas is the darkest time of the year at the North Pole since the North Pole faces away from the Sun in December.
That is why there is very little light in the movie.
Andrew
BobbyD posted:laming posted:"Dark and somber? What are you looking at!!"
Oh, nothing much... just stuff like this:
Pretty much anytime the lunatic Hobo appears, it's on the dark and somber side. (Even in the details... like the filthy Santa hat, etc.) The entire movie is at night, much of it in inclement weather, and such. That in itself leads to having a dark overtones, and certainly does not engender light hearted and uplifting emotions as does as a scene in the daylight. In fact, IS there a well lit scene in the entire movie? The backgrounds are always dark as I recall.
These are just my opinions, and I don't expect others to embrace them or conform to them, but at the same time, I shouldn't need to conform to an opposing opinion.
Bottom line: None in my family liked the movie and it was only watched once over a decade ago.
I sure didn't mean to whiz in folk's cornflakes here... was just saying that not all families find the film enchanting.
And with that, I shall step back from my iconoclastic overtones (my apologies for that) and simply enjoy this joyous Season, along with the varied approaches to enjoying same, and my family and I will do our best to celebrate the true Meaning of Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all!
Andre
Most of the friends I've talked with seem to agree with you, it is a very, very dark version of the book. When I first saw it on TV the Tom Hanks character creeped me out. And it still does!
Guess it is the same thing with A Christmas Carol from 1951 and the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street versus A Christmas Story. My friends who like the latter don't watch the the other two and those who love the Alastair Sims version (aka Scrooge) along with Natalie Woods Miracle on 34th Street never, ever watch the "Story" movie.
Charlie Brown? Who doesn't love Vince Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy in A Charlie Brown Christmas? That alone makes it!! Well, back to running some toy trains
Funny you mention that, the Alastair Sims "A Christmas Carol" has always been my favorite and I never cared for "A Christmas Story".
What bunch of nitpicking by a pack of scrooges. It is a fantasy, not a documentary-butt heads. Love watching the train and the movie. Merry Xmas ! PS: I hear the bell.
