Summary
The original Polar Express movie suffered from poor reviews and box office performance due to its lack of substance and forgettable characters. The upcoming sequel, The Polar Express 2, needs to address these issues and deliver a better story with more depth to avoid a disappointing performance. Simply relying on technical innovations and visuals alone will not make the sequel stand out; it needs to find a new way to differentiate itself in the current animation landscape.
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The Polar Express had a rocky release, garnering negative reviews from critics and poor revenue at the box office, but the upcoming sequel The Polar Express 2 can finally solve the problems that caused its lackluster performance. The Polar Express was made in 2004, at a time when 3D animation and motion capture were in their infancy. At the time, the movie was a technical marvel and the first of its kind, and while the visuals didn’t hold up long, it became a favorite Christmas classic for many.
The original movie’s producer, Gary Goetzman, recently confirmed The Polar Express 2 is in development. The upcoming sequel has a huge problem to overcome from the original movie, though, if it is to avoid another disappointing performance. Though The Polar Express might not deserve the hate, the original received poor reviews and underwhelming returns at the box office upon its release. Something has to change for The Polar Express 2 to find a better footing than the original, and its visuals are not the answer.
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The Polar Express’ Subpar Reviews & Box Office Had A Lot To Do With Its Storytelling
One of the drawbacks to The Polar Express leaning into its novel motion capture technology was that it focused too much on it. While it had some selling points to draw viewers in, such as the animation and Tom Hanks’ many roles in The Polar Express, there wasn’t much substance to its story. The original movie had a simplistic story about a train to the North Pole. While it did touch on themes like the power of belief in a compelling way, it wasn’t enough to convince critics. Aside from a few impressive set pieces, such as the train sliding on the frozen lake, The Polar Express had barely any lasting impact.
The Polar Express’ cast of characters was also incredibly forgettable. Most of the characters don’t have actual names, including the protagonist, and the other children on the train have similarly underdeveloped names and character arcs. Tom Hanks’ characters were the most interesting in the story, yet they were also one-dimensional, with each fulfilling a specific role and no more. The Polar Express 2 must address these issues and add depth to its story and characters.
The Polar Express 2 Can Finally Fix The Original Movie’s Storytelling Issue
The Conductor in Polar Express.
The Polar Express clearly prioritized its visuals and the capabilities of its animation style over its plot. Many of the movie’s criticisms point out that entire scenes were manufactured just to display motion capture and animation, such as when the girl loses her ticket and it flies through the cabin. While the visuals were innovative at the time, they had nothing else to fall back on. Even its unique style of animation received criticism due to the uncanny appearance of its characters. When the movie’s technology inevitably became outdated, so did The Polar Express.
The story already has some unique elements, such as the train itself, and developing these further into a better narrative than its predecessor would be entirely possible. The Polar Express 2 would also benefit from the amount of time that has passed since the original. After 20 years, it won’t be expected to tell a direct continuation of the first movie, which grants it more creative liberty. A new direction for the story could also bring new and more compelling characters to the parts of the film that worked.
The Animated Christmas Sequel Will Need More Than Animation To Stand Out
Recent hit movies like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem have only been some of the most recent examples of the current animation Renaissance. Animated films have become more stylized and unique, and can’t rely on technical innovations alone to stand out. The Polar Express 2 will need to find a new way to differentiate itself from other fantastic additions to the medium. Improving upon the first film’s story, coupled with the nostalgic benefits of releasing a sequel 20 years later, could be a recipe for success.
The Polar Express is available to stream on AMC+.
The Polar Express was an ambitious movie for the medium of animation, as it utilized motion capture for the first time. Despite its originality, it suffered poor reviews and box office performance. The Polar Express 2 was recently confirmed to be in early development, but the main problems from the first entry to the series still need to be solved. The sequel needs to deliver a better story with more memorable characters, or it could suffer the same disappointing fate.
The Polar Express
Release Date November 10, 2004
Director Robert Zemeckis
Budget $165 Million