The Polar Express

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>>87106873
my fucking mother makes me watch this goddamn piece of shit every year on Christmas day I AM FUCKING SICK AND TIRED OF IT

The only good part was the train. As a kid I thought it was horribly mundane.

It honestly just tries way too hard.

Fuck you I love it

>>87107005
nigga that rhymes

>>87106873
Its better than Mars Needs Moms.

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>>87106873
I've watched it every year since it came out and i still can't figure out what the fucking meaning behind the "ghost" on top of the train was. Was he actually a ghost? My best theory is that he's the Ghost of Christmas Future or something like that, and it's taking the form of the main character as a homeless person because that's how he'll end up without believing in Santa Claus.

Or is he an angel? Is he Jesus with a haircut? Or just a figment of his imagination?

If he is a ghost, why is he on the train? He wasn't there just for the main character's visit, because the Conductor mentions something saving his life, that "may be" an angel. So the ghost wouldn't exist specifically to speak to the main character, he's been there years.

Was he a kid who once rode on the train, but died from trying to climb on the top, and got flung when someone used the emergency brake? That's why the Conductor freaks out when people use the brake?

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>>87107233
He's the conductor's Stand: "I Can't Drive 55"

That's the only reasonable explanation.

I've watched it every Christmas since I was 7 and I still think it's decent. I just recently discovered it has a somewhat negative reputation on /co/.

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>>87107233
Holy shit is this copypasta

>>87107005
Bullhorn.

>>87107233
He's a personification of his own inner doubt. The entire idea of the Polar Express and everything on it is meant to get you closer and closer into believing that anything is possible. He's just one part of it.

He is there to test the boy to make sure he is ready to believe in Santa Claus. He says seeing is believing but we know that isn't the truth, you gotta believe in it before you get proof or what's the point of belief? At the end, he can't see Santa Claus until he believes.

CONDUCTOR WE HAVE A PROBLEM

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>None of the children physically visit the North Pole, but rather journey there in shared dreams that would often weave together. Numerous things suggest a dream, such as the pocket not actually being ripped until Christmas morning, the toy train looking just like the Polar Express, the standing still of time, etc. The first song in the credits also goes deeply into the topic of dreams.

>The ghost, conductor, and Santa are all various representative manifestations of the boy's psyche. The Hobo is probably best described as the boy's doubt, and the conductor is the boy's inner guide that helps lead him to his belief (Santa). It's safe to presume the other children viewed the conductor and Santa differently, according to their inner perspectives. They never saw the hobo because they didn't have doubt.

Hmmm, I may have to watch this movie again.

>>87106873
fuck christmas

>>87107367
But he cannot be a personification of his own specific inner doubt because he's been riding the train long before the kid got there. He saved the Conductor's life before.

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>>87107488

>>87107493
As >>87107468
mentioned, it's not entirely all real. Perhaps the Hobo only appears to those who doubt, perhaps in the manner of dreams there was a history between the two that never actually happened. But the Hobo is absolutely a representation of the boy's doubt.

>>87106873
I cannot fucking stand that stupid part where the bearded guy yelps like an idiot to scare the deer. The part that pisses me off the most though is how the black girl or nigger, as I like to call them pulls on his beard knowingly the second time like a fucking asshole spoiled brat who gets joy out of his misery.

>>87107488
what the fuck's your problem anon? christmas is easily the comfiest time of the year

>>87107468
Okay okay but what is the factor that gets all of these kids to have shared dreams? Isn't that fucking creepy as shit? It's literally like inception. Did the CIA travel to their houses and use inception boxes?

Or maybe there's a weird fuck with telepathic superpowers (the conductor, maybe) who pulls all these kids together and takes them on a trip in order to get them to keep believing in Santa Claus into their adult years.

Whoever is the one controlling and weaving these dreams also would have had to sneak into the kid's house and plant the bell in there too. Which is also the main flaw in the "just a dream" theory.

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>>87107488
Were you raised Jewish or something?

Despite the weird as fuck mocap, I always thought it was surprisingly good

>>87107649
It's fucking Christmas magic bro. Hot damn. The whole point is to believe.

>>87107649
Did they specify if the kids actually knew each other outside of the "dream"?

>>87107488
Hear Hear!

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>>87108046
Yeah but even magic requires someone to use it. It doesn't just happen out of nowhere with no cause.

There is someone behind the scenes "conducting" this, there's no way around that fact. It's simple logic.

>>87108095
As far as with the characters we know, none of them knew each other before the "dream," and there's no proof that they knew each other after either. So one could argue that those kids were a figment of the main character's dream, but the biggest strand that still stands strong in refuting these theories is the bell with the note from Santa Claus at the end. We know it also wasn't a figment of his imagination, because his sister heard it ring and the parents at the very least saw it.

>>87106873
I like it quite a bit, but only at night with the lights off and without commercials. The movie has a great ambiance, but it can be shattered by interruption.

>>87107488
Hi Ebenezer. Nice to see you finally updated your catchphrase.

>>87108384
Tonight he will be memed by three posts?

>>87108416
Meme of Christmas Past (gotta be Pepe)
Meme of Christmas Present (Harambe? who else would qualify, Dat Boi?)
Meme of Christmas Future (who knows)

>>87108313
>Yeah but even magic requires someone to use it. It doesn't just happen out of nowhere with no cause.

It might.

When it was new if freaked me out a little because I thought it was borderline photorealistic

>>87108313
>Yeah but even magic requires someone to use it. It doesn't just happen out of nowhere with no cause.
>source: my ass

Aerosmith sucks

>>87107488

Fuck you. We are entering the GOAT trinity of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

These are the best of times.

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Why was Steven Tyler an elf?

>>87106873
I really love this movie. I just love the spirit, warmth and how realistic the animation. I don't find it to be creepy in any way.

>>87107233
He's santa in disguise.

>>87107808
No my mom didn't give me a choo choo when i was 5.

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>>87109309
in that case, wouldn't it be more like Santa Claus is his disguise? You can't hide that huge beard and fat.

>The real Santa Claus is actually a scruffy homeless-looking man who dresses up in a suit and beard, just like the mall Santas
POTTERY

>>87107488
O:<

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>>87108470
>>87108734
Since when does ANYTHING happen without a first cause? Do you even philosophy faggot?

Is magic an entity that does things? From what I know, magic is used by entities, it is not its own entity.

Something can't just happen with both no cause and no reason.

Or rather, what I'm getting at is that this situation HAS a reason: to get kids to come to belief in their lord and savior Santa Claus.

If something happens like this that HAS a reason, there needs to be a mind or entity that is pushing to that reason.

It is completely impossible for something to happen with a reason, yet no cause. I think if you really think it through, we can agree on that statement.

Using that knowledge, we can deduce that there MUST be an entity that is causing these things to happen for the reason that we already know.

>>87109608
To clarify what I mean by cause, since there are other meanings of the word, I mean an action, usually physical.

For example, you buy a book because it was interesting.

Buying the book is the cause. You caused the book to be bought. The reason is because you found it interesting.

I love this movie, and i watch it every christmas eve. Problem is it just pisses me off how theres no solid plot to if its real or is it a dream. Like everything suggests dream, but that fucking bell that the kids can hear and adults can't just ruins it all.

>>87109718
I thought the bell proved it was real.

>>87109608
>Is magic an entity that does things? From what I know, magic is used by entities, it is not its own entity.
Magic is whatever the fuck you want it to be. Your definition is completely artificial

>>87109762
then why does he tear his robe twice?

It's gotta be a dream that Santa gives to kids who still have the christmas spirit in them, but are starting to stray. Each kid must have an individual dream. Because the train isn't full of doubters, only the protag is a doubter. I don't like the theory that theyre all individuals connected in the same dream.

>>87108313
The Christmas Spirit, bro you are taking this way too literally.

>>87109862
well nevermind because each kid had a lesson to learn with their ticket punch

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Headscratchers/ThePolarExpress

Good ideas presented here.

Discuss.

>>87109608
>Since when does ANYTHING happen without a first cause? Do you even philosophy faggot?
Read Hume

>>87109807
Santa Magic puts everything back into place after the dream, suspended in time, but doesn't fix it. His robe was ripped but the marbles were put back with magic and hung there. The kid, out of habit, rushes and ribs his robe the same way again, and the robe and marbles are no longer suspended in time when he touches it, and he tears the hole BIGGER the second time. That's why he can fit 2 fingers in rather than only 1, like earlier in the movie.

>>87109923
Ignore that part, I agree that was lazy on my part.

What do you think about the theory of "if there is a reason behind it, there has to be a cause" with figuring out if there is someone causing the magic to happen?

>>87109931

whoa whoa whoa ive totally missed this with years of viewings. I always saw it as him ripping the pocket for the first time again. Not making the hole bigger. don't marbles come out a second time?

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>>87109885
Who the FUCk is the Christmas Spirit? No such person exists in the story, there is no proof or basis to back this up. Your ideas are lazy and don't provide any real, solid answers.

I'm not looking for a half answer of "well it just sorta happened because whatever," I need REAL ANSWERS RIGHT MOTHERFUCKIN NOW, MOTHERFUCKER.

>>87109981
The marbles do come out a second time, although through the entire fucking movie, the main character sticks one finger out through the small hole, with dramatic camera zooming in.

In the end, with the "second rip," he fits two fingers in, with dramatic zooming in, and the hole looks bigger.

>>87110002
>Who the FUCk is the Christmas Spirit?
It can be whatever you want it to be. It can be snow with Santa, or beer, or gin, or rum with schnapps.

>>87109931
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDN6Svfo5Fg

he rips its clean for the first time again.

>>87110042
explain how he is able to fit his whole hand in there then

>>87110067
Well, son, when a man really loves a woman...

>>87106873
Watch Arthur Christmas, or Abed's Christmas Special from Community

>all the kids had normal voices except for mandark

>>87110067
explain how its fully intact hanging on the bed with marbles in it? Dude you can clearly see its intact, then rips at the seam when he pulls it. how many fingers he puts in it is a moot point

>>87109952
Do you look for the someone behind gravity?

>>87110122
I'm no astrophysicist or whatever, but from what I gather, the earth causes its gravity for that function. Or maybe it's space or whatever.

The point is there is something causing it. The thing causing something to happen as a function doesn't need to be sentient.

>>87108469
>Meme of Christmas Past (gotta be Pepe)
Fuck you, that's nowhere near far enough to be the past. It'd be Cockmongler, Suiseiki, or Longcat.

Also moot or even Snacks would be Marley.

Trying to avoid all things Christmas right now so that i don't get over hype in October.

Alright here is what i think this is all about. These kids win a santa lottery to go on this dream adventure fueled by christmas magic. The time travel is taken in dream form, but it all really does happen due to the bell. If it wasn't for that bell, you could say the whole thing is a dream that the kid just had. But i think the Polar Express is a vehicle used by Santa and the christmas powers that be to give some kids a character building experience and adventure of a lifetime. Its presented to them in a dream so they can't just be like concrete "oh man that actually happened" but real enough that im sure when they woke up they were like "was that just a dream?"

Idk i l wonder how the whole "Us parents actually set the gifts but wait how the fuck did this present get here with a note from santa?"

>>87106873
I watched this with the other fourth graders in my school way back when. I remember that we all got tickets, hot chocolate when that one scene where they drank it came on, and at the end of the movie (which was near the end of the school day) we all got a bell to take home with us. I brought the ticket home with me and I think my mom still has it in one of her scrapbooks.

>this thread
It's Christmas magic, you fuckers. Ain't gotta explain shit.

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>>87110368
>Santa uses the speedforce to get around the earth fast enough to deliver presents all in one night
>he wears also red

>>87106873

I haven't watched this movie in years but somehow I'm sick of it.

When it comes to this movie, I always remember stories of how people were forced to watch it.

>>87106873
>Stop questioning things you little shit and just uncritically believe what everybody around you does, otherwise you're the problem

I did not care for the message

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YOU DON'T DISCUSS CHRISTMAS MOVIES YET YOU FAGGOT IT ISN'T EVEN HALLOWEEN
GODDAMN I HOPE YOU CHOKE ON YOUR NEXT MEAL

>>87110734
Also the moral of Forrest Gump, also starring Tom Hanks.
Coincidence?

>>87110760
holy shit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COdoHpU_a8U

This is kind of when Zemeckis went off the rails and never really recovered

>>87112403
>off the rails
boooo

>>87107005
Lima Berkshire steam locomotive that actually exists. Pere Marquette 1225 the Christmas train.

>>87106873
This movie is the definition of comfy.
It's a fucking magical train going to the north pole at midnight, how fucking comfy is that?
Muh uncanny valley fags can take a hike.

>>87106873
I think Christmas needs to fuck off and let Halloween have its day

>>87114186
Americans go home

>>87114199
>Only Americans celebrate Halloween

Halloween > Christmas

Beowulf was better.

>>87107233
I watched this movie 1 time

He's jack frost you retard

>>87115676
But he didn't hee ho a single time

For some reason CN showed this the other day so I have it fresh in my mind.

Complete cluster fuck of a movie. Writing sucks, direction sucks, entire movie is pretty fucking shitty.

My favorite part is when the boy argues with the black girl over which leveler is the break for the train. THe acting, the conflict, jesus christ what a fucking cringe fest.

>>87109473
This post
>wikihow to blow my mind.

Anyone got that /co/s recommended christmas episodes/movies from last year?