The Polar Express

Right now you can watch The Polar Express in Australia on HBO Max, and in the UK on HBO Max Amazon Channel and Sky Go — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Tom Hanks's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on HBO Max.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Polar Express is worth clearing space for. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry The Polar Express through its more ambitious moments. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. Tom Hanks and Leslie Zemeckis lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2004. What separates The Polar Express from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give The Polar Express a chance. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Tom Hanks anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.