The Polar Express: Only keen eyes would notice these hidden details in the 2004 Christmas classic

Christmas is coming and it is impossible not to think about the 2004 animated film by Robert Zemeckis, The Polar Express.

It was one of those movies back at the time with visuals that were simply ahead of their time. To this date, it never fails to awe the audience when they are watching it.

Although the story wasn't the strongest aspect of the movie, the characters in it, alongside the visuals, were praised by the critics. As of this writing, the movie sits with a 55% score at the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score is a bit high, 66% on the platform's Popcornmeter.

The film's synopsis (via Rotten Tomatoes) reads,

"When a doubting young boy takes a 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."

That boy finally became a believer by the end.

Hidden details in The Polar Express you probably never noticed

The unnamed protagonist

The movie's protagonist, the boy, was basically a prince, a tarnished one. The reason we gave these examples is that popular video games like Prince of Persia and Elden Ring didn't have a name, though the film adaptation of the former gave the prince a name, Dastan. Like them, The Polar Express protagonist didn't have a name either. And by not giving a name, the creators made it for everyone and not just for a niche audience. We are all that boy on a journey of self-discovery.

Tom Hanks was a part of motion capture team himself

If you haven't noticed it yet, look at the movie again. You'll see that the conductor will remind you of someone. It's Tom Hanks himself, and he was part of the motion capture team of the movie. While animators try to bring a character to life using their expressions, motion capture made it simpler and more authentic here, as it's not just a 3D character on screen. It's the veteran actor himself.

The Polar Express logos

The creators made this Christmas ride more authentic, and we are talking brand-wise. The Polar Express was a brand in itself, as you can see from the logo that includes golden-colored letters, "P" and "E." You can see this logo on the back of the train on a maroon background and it also appears on a cup of tea.

The train's got some flexibility

That magical train's got some flexibility in it. In the scene where the train is ascending a mountain while circling around it, you can see the bogies bend like they are made of rubber. That is actually one interesting detail to add when we consider the animation in it.

Tom Hanks voices multiple characters in the film

It might have slipped your notice but Tom Hanks was present everywhere in The Polar Express. He was the narrator, the hobo, our unnamed boy's father, and ho! ho! ho!, he was Santa Claus, too.

Maybe you are waiting to stream Die Hard, but don't forget to add The Polar Express to the list of movies to watch this Christmas. You don't know what other hidden details you might find.