The Golden Ticket is an iconic symbol of “The Polar Express.”
The Polar Express (2004)
Rating: 5/5
“The Polar Express” follows the journey of three children on Christmas Eve from their homes to the North Pole aboard a train named, you guessed it, The Polar Express. The children take a comedic journey where they discover more about themselves and the meaning of believing. It’s a great family movie, and it has become an iconic movie many families consider a staple of the holiday season.
“The Polar Express” brings back memories of movie days in elementary school, where students would wear pajamas and drink hot cocoa, and it’s a great movie for reliving childhood nostalgia. The movie also has a great soundtrack that pairs with its vivid animation. For children, the song “Hot Chocolate” is to dance and sing along to, while songs such as “Believe” by Josh Groban speak more to the meaning of the season for teens and adults. “The Polar Express” keeps the joy and excitement of the season alive, and it truly shows the magic of Christmas for audiences, young and old.
Elf (2003)
Rating: 4/5
A Christmas classic, “Elf”, tells the story of a human, Buddy, who lands in Santa’s bag as a child and is raised as an elf. Knowing something is different about him, Buddy soon finds out that he is actually human and travels to New York to find his real father. The movie follows him as he encounters people and experiences in the real world that force Buddy to grow up, but Buddy counters every real-world problem with a North Pole solution.
“Elf” is more suited towards children than teens, as the humor is very basic and repetitive, and the movie seems childish from the animation to Buddy’s behaviors. However, it is still a great family movie to watch. Will Ferrell is the star of the movie, and his spot-on childish acting truly makes “Elf” the iconic movie it is. “Elf” allows viewers to remember the playfulness and love of the holiday season and leaves a little sparkle in the eyes of everyone who watches.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a cute movie with an obvious theme, making it a good film for all ages.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Rating: 4/5
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is the story of an outcast reindeer with a bright red nose, who is told he can only be a real reindeer if he has a normal black nose. Rudolph joins the journey of the misfit elf Hermey, who does not want to make toys, but wants to be a dentist, to find where they belong.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” can be watched with friends and family no matter what age. The timeless storyline and the easily identifiable theme, showing that your flaws are what make you special, make it easy for everyone to relate to and enjoy the movie. It can also be a nice throwback movie for your parents or grandparents to watch and be reminded of their childhood.
“The Grinch” is a good throwback movie, as it has been remade multiple times.
The Grinch (1966)
Rating: 3/5
“The Grinch” is another classic animated Christmas story. It follows the Grinch, his dog Max and their plans to foil Christmas for Whoville. Throughout the movie the Grinch learns that Christmas is not all about materialism but loving and spending time with family. The Grinch’s heart grows, both physically and metaphorically, and in the end, he spends his Christmas with the citizens of Whoville.
The movie has a lot of good qualities, but the treatment of Max before the Grinch’s heart grows makes many people uncomfortable, causing the rate to drop a bit. Aside from that, the movie is another good throwback to watch, as people of all ages can remember watching “The Grinch” when they were a child with the 1966, 2000 and 2018 versions.
