Story
The story begins on Christmas Eve, with a young boy whose growing sense of logic leads him to think that there’s no Santa. Yet something inside him still wants to believe. Lying awake, he strains to hear sleigh bells and instead is jolted upright by the thundering arrival of a huge train, the Polar Express. The train is bound for the North Pole, carrying pyjama-clad children, from all walks of life, who don’t believe in Santa, who’ve forgotten the meaning of Christmas, or who’ve lost a part of themselves that this trip will help them find.
On the train, the young boy, who remains nameless throughout, meets new friends – a lonely boy, a courageous and confident girl, and a know-it-all. The boy also encounters a ghostly hobo, travelling on the roof of the train, who’s always there to help just in the nick of time. The journey turns into a rollercoaster ride with one crisis following another as the conductor tries desperately to keep the train on track (literally) and on time.
The journey involves many freakish events that threaten to keep the train and its passengers from reaching their destination. In the end, the children see that these challenges helped them find the things they needed most.
Themes
The magic of Christmas; companionship; self-discovery
Violence
The Polar Express has some violence. For example:
- When 2 train engineers are trying to change the light bulb on the front of the train, one gets stuck. The other grabs the first engineer’s beard to stop himself from falling off the train.
- The conductor repeatedly yanks on his beard to communicate with a herd of caribou, even though it’s obviously very painful.
- The hobo, sitting on a speeding caboose, smashes into a wall.
- The emergency brakes on the train are applied a few times, which send passengers banging around the compartments.
Sexual references
There are no sexual references in The Polar Express.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
There’s no use of substances in The Polar Express.
Nudity and sexual activity
There’s no nudity and sexual activity in The Polar Express.
Product placement
There’s no product placement in The Polar Express.
Coarse language
There’s no coarse language in The Polar Express.
Ideas to discuss with your children
Based on the award-winning picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express is a movie with something for young and old. For children, it’s an action-packed adventure full of courage, hope and holiday cheer. For older children and adults, there are outstanding special effects as well as deeper meanings.
Because of its suspenseful scenes, The Polar Express isn’t suitable for children under 6-7 years. We also recommend parental guidance for children aged 8-13 years.
These are the main messages from The Polar Express:
- Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.
- The true spirit of Christmas lies in the human heart.
Values in The Polar Express that you could reinforce with your children include faith, courage, friendship and humility.
The Polar Express could also give you the chance to talk with your children about what Christmas means to you.