Bad review of POLAR EXPRESS- Page 2

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 2:43pm

Redhot - I LOVED that movie! The classic illustrated version of that story had a picture at the end with the littlest angel sitting on the lap of a golden haired teenage angel - and when I was 6 or so, I fell in LOVE with that blond youth - and that's when I knew I liked boys

[B.B. Wolf]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 2:48pm

Yes, Beaver he is. Eerie.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 2:50pm

Yes, well, Lord Olivier was in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 3:41pm

My favorite Xmas movie is The Ref with Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis, Dennis Leary, Christine Baranski and Glynis Johns. Just so unabashedly bitter and mean-spirited (though the ending is sweet), I love it! One of the best collections of one-liners for any movie in the last decade or two.

One of the best (Kevin Spacey to his cruel, imperious, vindictive mother Glynis Johns): "You know what I'm going to get you next Christmas, Mom? A big wooden cross, so that every time you feel unappreciated for your sacrifices, you can climb on up and nail yourself to it."

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 3:44pm

Beav, animated movies take years to make. It's not a stretch at all to believe that Jeter was involved.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 3:53pm

This is the last film Michael Jeter finished before he passed away.

Link to IMDb's summary of the reviews:

http://imdb.com/news/sb/#1

And Rotten Tomatoes:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/polar_express/

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 3:55pm

Welcome home, dear. How was school today?

[Pip]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 3:59pm

Margo! The Ref is my VERY favorite Christmas movie!! It's brilliant and I laugh my butt off no matter how many times I see it!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 4:06pm

Friends introduced me to it a few years back when a bunch of us spent a lazy weekend in the Hamptons. Everybody brought a few movies for the group and when somebody pulled out "The Ref" I groaned because of the the title (I don't know what I was expecting, but this movie certainly wasn't it). Well, a half an hour in, all of us were doubled-over laughing and not quite believing the bile all the characters were hurling at one another. A truly terrific screenplay by the late Ted Demme and one of the best comedies to come out of Hollywood in ages.

[Pip]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 4:13pm

I had a similar experience. I'd never heard of it before and it came on TV...Nothing else was on, so I watched it...and I couldn't believe how incredibly witty and biting the humor was! I know it probably takes a "special" mindset to really appreciate it, but I never tire of it!! I think it would make a brilliant play, too, since everything is held pretty tight.

[laactress]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 4:13pm

I love this book so much and I can't wait to see this film. I can't wait to see it!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 5:18pm

For Thanksgiving, Home For the Holidays is my favorite. I think my favorite Christmas comedy is Mixed Nuts with Steve Martin and Madeline Kahn. An often overlooked gem.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 5:27pm

Pip, I think you're right that it could be adapted successfully into a play. Most of the movie takes place in just of couple of rooms and the dialogue is first rate. Maybe Spacey could commission an adaptation of it during his tenure as head of the Old Vic.

[moonys_autumn]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 5:49pm

My favorite Christmas movies would have to be... The Nightmare Before Christmas, Love Actually, A Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, and A Christmas Story.

From what I've seen of the commercials (And I saw the one before Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban more than 10 times, that trailer was looong...) it seems like... the words match the mouths when the characters speak... yet, they don't. That probably sounds so strange. It looks like noticeable lip synching, which you don't get in pixar and dreamworks films... I'd rather see The Incredibles again. :)

[Jon]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 6:20pm

Hanks completed his work on this film BEFORE doing THE TERMINAL and LADY KILLERS - that's how Michael Jeter got in there!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 6:43pm

I'll add my vote to The Ref - what a cast, and what a script.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 6:59pm

You know I got to through a little somethin' somethin' up on this thread. My favorite Christmas movies are A Christmas Story (It is not Christmas without watching this movie), Scrooged, It's A Wonderful Life (Love it!), National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (not the best out of the series, but funny none-the-less).

[Auggie27]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 7:09pm

Anyone else out there a secret fan of PRANCER? To me, that remains the best Santa-related children's Christmas movie, with a wonderful performance by the child (and Cloris Leachman, too). It rips off Pollyanna, but nicely, and is actually filled on location in the snowy upper reaches of the mid-west; doens't look Hollywood. I have several adult friends who all own copies of the video and watch it as a guilty pleasure when they need a good happy cry. It has an honest-to-God earned happy ending.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 7:15pm

Dont forget BAD SANTA..."Girl, when I'm done, you ain't gonna sh*t right for a week." Touching.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 9:29pm

Just got back, and all I can say is that I am speechless !!!
The movie is amazing !!! GO SEE IT !!!!!!

Storyline and "animation" are both incredible !!!

I was not familiar with the story. (Actually, never heard of it before I heard about the movie)

Its really a touching story that should really hit home with adults more than children. Cant wait to see it again !!!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 9:31pm

i want to see this if for no other reason than the technology that went into making it sounds highly interesting.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 9:53pm

Just got back from seeing it and was quite impressed. The salon.com review was predictably over-harsh as they tend to be reagrding anything mainstream. Like many members of this board, they tend to shred anything that could appeal to the masses in order to attempt an appearance at superiority.

That said, the film is quite exciting and the characters seem realistic enough (the most realistic depiction of humans to date) to thrill any child that would like to join the journey, yet animated enough to maintain the fantasy. The music is beautiful mixing an original score with melodies of well-known carols. I didn't care much for the song the children sang in quasi-pop voices. A little too young-American-Idol for me, but this is a trifle, really. The message is genuinely touching to those willing to check their cynicism at the door for an hour and a half (don't worry, you'll get it back if necessary).

One point about the salon.com review I agree with is the elves. They are WAY too creepy. They remind me of bitter old trolls that spend their evenings haunting the same gay bars with absolutely nothing better to do than hit on twinks and complain. Not that I know anything about it, I can only guess.

My one word of advice: If you're going to see it in the theatre, pay the extra $5 to see it at IMAX in 3-D. As most of the film was obviously created for the 3-D effects, it's worth every penny. The audible gasps from the audience were genuine and it is unlike any 3-D movie, IMAX or otherwise, I have ever experienced.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 11/10/04 at 9:56pm

The only thing that freaked me out (the elves really didnt) were the characters eyes... really weird !!!

[Plum]

Posted: 11/11/04 at 12:05am

It's funny how animated faces that are close to human but not quite are so much creepier than faces that aren't realistic at all, like those in older cartoons.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 11/11/04 at 1:25am

What pisses me off is, according to the PR blitz surrounding this movie, you'd think no other movie ever used computer generated characters. They make it sound like this has completely revolutionized CG technology, yet they're forgetting one very important element in that equation *coughGollumcough*. I mean, really, where would "The Polar Express" be without "Lord of the Rings"'s pioneering the technology they used, that allowed them to motion-capture all of Tom Hanks' performances? Huh? Huh?? HUH?!