The Polar Express
Summary
Tom Hanksplayed seven roles in Christmas favoriteThe Polar Express , some of which are easier to descry than others . ground on the child ’s picture record book by Chris Van Allsburg ( Jumanji),The Polar Expressbecame famous / notorious for its extensive use of movement gaining control . Director Robert Zemeckis was a proponent of this technique , as it relieve him to order the tv camera wherever he wished . Despite this , the film was heavy criticized for its uncanny valley visuals , with many critics being particularly unsettle by the exanimate eyes of the movie ’s main character reference .
In hindsight , the animation for the human character can be unsettling , but the picture show has nevertheless become aChristmas flick classic . While Zemeckis once take he would stick with motion gaining control for the rest of his calling , after the mixed receipt to his follow - upsBeowulfandA Christmas Carol , he returned to lively - action with 2012’sFlight . Tom Hanks once considered run every function inPolar Express , but afterwards reduced that number to a mere seven .
8
The Polar Express is one of those Christmas movies we ca n’t aid but dearest . Let ’s take a slip with Tom hanks and check out the detail you missed .
7The Hero Boy
While his typical features can be seen in several other characters , some witness are shocked to learnHanks also playedPolar Express ' main character , The Hero Boy . The character ’s name is never revealed in theRobert Zemeckis movie , but behind - the - scenes information states he ’s called Chris , in laurels of the book ’s writer . In the movie , Hero Boy has grown skeptical about Santa Claus ' existence , which is why he ’s grant a just the ticket aboard the titulary gearing to meet Santa and see the North Pole for himself . Of course , he learns the true meaning of Christmas along the mode - but not before some misadventures .
Where to watch The Polar Express
Hanks provided the motion gaining control for " Chris , " admit his facial expressions . The boy ’s actual articulation was provided bySpy Kids’Daryl Sabara , while futureHunger GamesstarJosh Hutcherson provided additional motion capture for Hero Boy . On Hanks ' side , he plays the role with a sense of curiosity and optimism but cadaver guarded about Santa in reality being real .
6The Hero Boy’s Father
Hanks also play Hero Boy ’s Father inThe Polar Express , who is never find clearly . Hanks give the part a genuine warmth , however , and is take in stating his hope Chris has n’t give up on believing in Christmas . The ending also makes it clear Hero Boy ’s parent ca n’t hear the gong Santa in person gifted the son , meaning that , like most adults , they no longer believe in Santa Claus .
5The Conductor
The punctual , somewhat uptight Conductor is one of the most prominent fibre and the persona who is most intelligibly modeled after Hanks . The Conductor is in flush of arrest the train to the North Pole on metre , and while he ’s enwrapped on establish the children onboard a good journeying , he ’s always stress out about check that the railroad train is n’t late . Hanks ' Conductor is often irritated by the Hero Boy ’s antics , but there ’s a kind soul beneath the bad-tempered exterior .
4The Hobo
Hanks is also recognizable as the Hobo who ride the Polar Express for free , whom Hero Boy meets on top of the train . The fibre has a frenzied vim and does n’t trust in Santa either , though he help Chris out at several stage in the story regardless .
Related : Every Tom Hanks & Robert Zemeckis Movie , Ranked Worst To good
The movie later on revealsHanks ' Hobo is a ghost , and only Hero Boy can actually see him . A deleted scene revealed the character ’s backstory too , explaining he was killed while devolve on atop the Polar Express geezerhood before and now reappears every Christmas .
3The Ebenezer Scrooge Puppet
During the hair-raising sequence where Chris is attacked by a group of puppet , this crew is led by an Ebenezer Scrooge bird . The creature claim Hero Boy is a sceptic , though it ’s soon revealed he ’s being insure by the Hobo from atop the train ’s roof . Still , the Ebenezer Scrooge puppet is often credited as another character for Hanks , and it has to be said , he ’s quite creepy in the role .
2Santa Claus
SinceThe Polar Expressis all about the journey to the North Pole , it ’s only right Santa himself eventually turns up . He seem before Hero Boy after he finally admits he think in Christmas , withHanks projecting a favorable self-assurance as Santa . It ’s a fairly traditional take on the lineament , which is completely fine , given that the moving-picture show is all about the magic of the festive season itself .
1The Narrator
Just like the Ebenezer Scrooge chick is basically the Hobo in disguise , The Narrator is plainly an older version of The Hero Boy . Hanks ' Narrator opens and shut the story , revealing the bell Santa gifted Chris allowed him to believe in Christmas for the rest of his life . Since the character is never seen inThe Polar Express , there ’s not much to differentiateTom Hanks ' take from The Hero Boy ’s Father .
