The Polar Express (2004)

What are some of the key ingredients in order to make a great Christmas film? You'd need a bit of fantasy, a scoop of adventure, a sprinkle of marvel and a dash of wonderment. Combine them in a bowl, stir them together and pour them onto film and you'd wind up with Robert Zemeckis's The Polar Express.

Pictured Above: Tom Hanks

It's a story of a boy whose Christmas beliefs are in doubt, and the adventure that he must undertake in order to restore them. The film stars Tom Hanks as just about everyone, from the boy himself, to the narrator, conductor, hobo-angel, Santa Claus and I believe he also played the part of the train.

The boy, who's never named in the film, falls asleep on Christmas eve, when he's awoken by a strange sound. As he curiously looks out his window, he sees the Polar Express arrive at his doorstep. Or does it? Maybe he's still asleep, and it's all a dream.

 After being questioned by conductor Tom Hanks, the boy hesitantly gets on the train as it's peeling out. He enters the passenger car and is greeted by some other kids, whom have also been picked up by the express, bound for the North Pole.

Most of the film takes place on the train, hence the movie's title, only stopping for plot devices along the way. During this time, we're introduced to scenes involving dancing waiters serving hot chocolate, hobo's skiing atop the trains' cars, and a harrowing train out of control sequence, before finally arriving at the North Pole.

One of the most surreal scenes in the film takes place here, as the elves are gathered in the town center, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa. The elves prepare the sleigh, hen stroll out the reindeer, and finally the reins, with a great deal of pageantry. Then, in unison, they start singing (more like chanting), "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" in anticipation of Santa's appearance. When the big guy finally does show up, the elves lose it, frantically jumping around everywhere, as if they were at a rock concert. Speaking of which, the Steven Tyler elf even shows up to belt out a Christmas tune, as unnecessary as that is.

After finally believing, the main boy is transported back home, via the Polar Express, where he's awoken by his sister Christmas morning.

Was it all just a dream?