I can practically hear my parents’ voices in my head telling me, “Michael, it’s Christmas. You shouldn’t be fighting.” Normally, I’d agree with them, as it’d give me more time to wrap up my personal tour of the 2024 movie schedule, and start writing my own version of the Nice List.
However, as two of my favorite Robert Zemeckis-directed Christmas movies continue to draw fire from the masses, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ignore that family wisdom. It’s time to get into a hypothetical brawl, as I’m about to defend both 2004’s The Polar Express and 2009’s A Christmas Carol - and I’ll hear no arguments against two of the best Christmas films to ever exist.
The Polar Express Is One Of The Best Examples Of Expanding A Kid’s Book
Author Chris Van Allsburg’s The Polar Express was a holiday tradition in my house, long before it was even a gleam in the eye of the man who brought us Back to the Future. Through the years, I had not only read this book in the original text, I’d heard it narrated by the late William Hurt, Garrison Keillor and Liam Neeson himself.
By the time I saw the first teaser trailer for The Polar Express in my college dorm room, I was amped for an adaptation starring Tom Hanks. And as an amateur expert in how this story works, seeing those results on the big screen did not disappoint. Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr. 's expansion of the original book covered themes of personal belief, good will towards others and learning life lessons as they present themselves.
Honestly, the only points I’d take away from The Polar Express is that odd Steven Tyler cameo, in which he appears as an elf singing my least favorite song from the soundtrack. Putting that aside, I absolutely love this movie, and consider myself as someone for whom the bell rings clearly.
I’ve even seen some of my fellow CinemaBlend staffers like Danielle Bruncati change their mind on The Polar Express as an adult. That gives hope, as I move on to the other Robert Zemeckis Christmas movie I’m here to defend.
Robert Zemeckis’ A Christmas Carol Offers A Fresh Take On A Beloved Classic
If you want to travel further back into Young Mike’s early days of Christmas spirit, you’d discover that another absolutely vital text to my holly jollyness is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Three versions in particular were important to fostering my love of Ebenezer Scrooge’s face turn from rampant Victorian capitalism: 1983’s Mickey’s Christmas Carol, 1988’s Scrooged and 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Having my heart won over by The Polar Express five years prior, I’d convinced my family to actually make the trek out to see Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Scrooge in IMAX 3D. I was once again pleased with what I had seen from Robert Zemeckis’ pen and camera, as a childhood hero of mine brought another deeply held favorite of mine to life.
I’m open to being corrected here, but last time I checked, A Christmas Carol is one of the few adaptations that actually includes the entire section where the Ghost of Christmas Present teaches Scrooge about Ignorance and Want. Not to mention, the mere idea of Jim Carrey playing Scrooge and each of the spirits that visit him unlocked all sorts of joyful interpretations of this text. If you’re in love with Mr. Carrey’s “epic performance” in Sonic 3, you should really consider revisiting this one.
The Most Common Criticism Between The Polar Express And A Christmas Carol
I feel like the moment any of you readers saw the titles I was here to defend, you practically chimed in with the same thoughts. In the case of both The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol, it was Robert Zemeckis’ supposed obsession with technology that landed him into hot water with some viewers. Looking at the reasons for each individual case, this is a prime case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” if I’ve ever seen one.
For The Polar Express, the criticisms stated in Rotten Tomatoes’ official consensus said that "the animation for the human characters isn't lifelike enough." Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph’s review of A Christmas Carol slammed the movie by saying “how much is gained by the half-real visual style for this story is open to question.”
So which is it, folks? Is the Zemeckis Christmas Spirit too fake for you, or too real? In both cases, I think the visual style presented was just right - especially when considering not only the respective needs for each project, but also the fact that A Christmas Carol made our own list of best animated Christmas movies.
However, I will concede one point on the front of Polar Express nightmare fuel: that Steven Tyler elf should have never been allowed to see the light of day. Seriously, there's no way to get a "good" picture of that moment, and even in full motion it's horrific.
Why You’re Wrong About The Polar Express And A Christmas Carol
I’ve heard The Polar Express compared to a living, moving oil painting, with some of the harsher criticisms calling the characters lifeless and creepy. Not to mention my own wife, despite her surprise that such criticisms exist surrounding this beautiful story of hope, has constantly told me that it looks like a movie made of melted chocolate. Which is a good time to remind ourselves that this was 2004, and as such the technologies for motion capture and CGI were still developing.
By the time 2009 came around for A Christmas Carol, the medium had advanced to the point where in the space of a month, Robert Zemeckis and James Cameron had shown us the future had arrived. But even ignoring technological history, there’s the matter of what each project calls for in its individual story.
To me, The Polar Express is a child’s dream-like journey into the world of Santa and the North Pole, while A Christmas Carol is a man being forced to look inward and question his life’s deeds. Of course a kid is going to imagine a Christmas voyage informed by all of the store decorations, train sets and media he’s consumed. And naturally it would take an exaggerated nightmare of sorrow, loss, and regret to turn a cold-hearted moneylender into someone with a thankful heart.
In both their individual stories and the aesthetic approaches that are applied, we’re seeing someone wrestle with doubt in a spectacle laden manner. Both fill my eyes with tears, and my heart with joy, whenever I think of them in this festive period.
Ok, so maybe this wasn’t the fight I wasn’t intending to have in the intro. But considering how that’s the core lesson at the heart of Charles Dickens’ text, and The Polar Express is an Iron Man 3-style riff on A Christmas Carol’s very lessons, this feels rather appropriate.
I invite you all to reconsider your notions on both of these Robert Zemeckis gems that happen to celebrate an anniversary this year. Especially since you can watch both The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol with access to a Disney+ subscription! Though you’ll need access to Hulu to see the former, so keep that in mind before you watch. With that, I wish you all a happy holiday, and may Bob bless us everyone!
