--- title: "The Polar Express: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-polar-express/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-polar-express" critics_score: 58 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Polar Express (2004): what the critics said Critics' score 58 from 13 reviews: 3 positive, 8 mixed, 2 negative. The reviews lean mixed, with praise clustering around the train sequences, wintry landscapes and technical ambition. Several critics find the journey more engaging than the story carrying it, admiring the sense of movement and occasional delicate visual touches. Tom Hanks’s multiple roles also draw praise, while some reviews find warmth in the quieter moments. There is broader agreement on the film’s visual achievement than on its ability to make its Christmas sentiment convincing. The divide is chiefly over emotional warmth: The Hollywood Reporter finds heart alongside the technical achievement, while Variety considers the film emotionally cold and its story thin. Other reservations concern stretched plotting, limited character development and sentimentality. Responses to the animation also vary, from admiration for performance capture to discomfort with the digital faces. The spread is wide, although most verdicts sit between enthusiasm and rejection, acknowledging the spectacle without being fully persuaded by the storytelling. ## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2004. Festival review. Byrge gives the film a warmly positive verdict, calling it a technical landmark with heart. He especially praises its kinetic train sequences, tender moments, and lively performances by Tom Hanks and the supporting cast. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/polar-express-review-movie-2004-1248000/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Nathan finds the film sentimental and overly committed to one-dimensional Christmas ideals, but ultimately thrilling and extraordinary. He particularly praises the train’s exhilarating motion and a lyrical sequence in which a lost ticket journeys through the wintry landscape. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/polar-express-review/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no praise or complaint to report. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-polar-express-2004) ## Screen Daily — Mike Goodridge Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2004. The review text is inaccessible beyond its headline and metadata. Its verdict and any singled-out praise or complaint are not available. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-polar-express/4020652.article) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 10 November 2004. The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint can be established from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/10/movies/do-you-hear-sleigh-bells-nah-just-tom-hanks-and-some-train.html) ## Radio Times — Sloan Freer Rating ★★★. Freer finds the film technically impressive, though the review’s full verdict is not available here. The review singles out the performance-capture animation and Tom Hanks’s multiple roles for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ebj4t0/the-polar-express/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2/4. 6 November 2004. Gonzalez finds the film emotionally hollow, criticizing its synthetic spectacle and Christmas-pageant thrills. He praises a brief image of wind making a snowman appear to wave goodbye, but says the film lacks subtlety and grace. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-polar-express/) ## Time Out — DA Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). The review considers the film inconsequential overall, despite its technical achievement. It singles out the modern computer-animation techniques as a demonstration of the medium’s potential. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-polar-express) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 3 December 2004. Bradshaw finds the film initially enjoyable but ultimately overwhelmed by schmaltz, leaving it reasonable yet inferior to Pixar. He praises its opening stretch for blending Spielberg, Norman Rockwell and Roald Dahl. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/dec/03/the-polar-express-review) ## Variety — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 24 October 2004. Rooney judges the film an ambitious misstep: technically impressive but emotionally cold, with a thin story. He praises the painterly landscapes and says the traditional animation is more captivating than the digital characters. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2004/film/reviews/the-polar-express-3-1200530031/) ## Den of Geek — Mark Pickavance Rating 4/5. 24 November 2009. Pickavance finds the film charming and increasingly classic, though it loses momentum after reaching the North Pole. He praises its magical train sequences and criticizes the 3D presentation for draining color and causing headaches. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-polar-express-3d-blu-ray-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Emily Breen Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2014. Breen finds the re-release tentatively charming, though its dated effects and unsettling character designs may trouble adults. She praises the film’s immersive visual world and highlights the moving duet between the Hero Girl and Lonely Boy. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/polar-express-3d-10th-anniversary-review/) ## Eye for Film — Josh Morrall Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 2 January 2005. Morrall finds the film visually impressive and morally appealing, but says its thin story is stretched too far. He praises the motion-capture animation while criticizing the plot, character development, and pacing. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-polar-express-film-review-by-josh-morrall) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-polar-express.md