Believe it or not, The Incredibles is going to be ten years old this November. Another one that's hard to wrap my head around is The Polar Express, released November 10th, 2004. I vaguely remember seeing it when it came out in theaters, but I can remember being completely awed by it. From then on, it instantly became a holiday classic within my family. The artwork, lighting, story, music and characters are all fantastic. Also, it's about a steam locomotive and Christmas...you can't get much better than those two things combined. However, the past couple years I have learned that after talking with some of my friends and after reading several reviews online that a good number of people, it seems, don't care for the film. A lot of this dislike stems from being "creeped out" by the animation of the characters. Products of motion capture, they so closely resemble real human beings that when they don't quite move like human beings should, the result apparently causes a sense of disturbance for the viewer.
Last Thursday in class I learned that there is an actual term for this phenomenon: "The Uncanny Valley". I suppose looking at them now, they do have a certain creepiness about them. And I do agree that it is best to use an animation medium the way it was designed. Back in 2004, CG technology (especially motion capture) wasn't really ready for animated humans yet. The viewer could relate more to toys and bugs because that was what the computer did well.
I don't think I've ever seen a more ugly baby than the one in Tin Toy. Nowadays, with much more advanced technology, animated humans are way more convincing than they were ten years ago. Nevertheless, I still love Tin Toy, creep factor aside. I don't understand how people can get so caught up in the look of the characters and totally miss their personalities, the story, and everything else involved. I believe the same applies to The Polar Express. Sure, the character animation may look a little "zombie-ish", but the artwork and animation of everything else is done so beautifully.
I get chills whenever I watch the scenes where the "hero boy" is running through the train, chasing after it, or skiing down the snowy slope of the train's roof and Alan Silvestri's mesmerizing musical score is playing. To me, Christmas is not just jolly and fun; it's also powerfully mysterious, spooky, and filled with adventure. I cannot imagine Christmas without the art and music of The Polar Express. Anyways, that was my semi-rant about my belief that the "uncanny valley" doesn't always have to determine the whole outlook of a film. (...because it does for some, apparently...)
"The bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe."
Polar Express is definitely one of my favorites. I agree - I totally get chills from some of the scenes, and for lack of better words, feels. Not only does it have beautiful, haunting songs, but the concept and themes behind the story are just awesome. The scores mixed with the images are honestly just captivating. I saw it in theatres the first time, and I was too young to understand it in it's entirety and complexity then. Also the fact that the protagonist has no name makes it a bit more...connecting? You can see yourself as the hero, like, "yeah I truly believe now!"
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