Where to Watch The Polar Express in Canada

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. The human element stays intact thanks to Tom Hanks and Leslie Zemeckis, who anchor every scene. The Polar Express came out 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.