Summary

• The Polar Express 2 can be better than the first movie in of animation, as technology has evolved since 2004.
• The motion-capture animation in the first movie was groundbreaking at the time but has since aged quickly and drawn criticism.
• The sequel has the advantage of improved animation technology, which can make for a more visually appealing and immersive experience.

Robert Zemeckis’ Christmas movie The Polar Express is now getting a sequel, and there’s one big way in which The Polar Express 2 can be a lot better than the first movie. Throughout his career as a filmmaker, Robert Zemeckis has explored a variety of genres, and in 2004, he brought a family-friendly Christmas movie with The Polar Express. Based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express is an animated fantasy movie starring Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, and Nona Gaye.

The Polar Express follows a young boy who, on the night of Christmas Eve, sees a train known as the Polar Express stop outside his window. The train’s conductor tells the boy they’re heading to the North Pole and invites the boy to the adventure. Despite getting mixed reviews from critics and struggling at the box office, The Polar Express has a place in film history thanks to its animation style, which was a novelty at the time of its release, becoming the first all-digital capture film – but the sequel can be a lot better than the first movie in this area.

The Polar Express 2 Would Naturally Look Better Than The 2004 Movie

Despite motion capture computer animation having already been used in movies before The Polar Express, Zemecki’s film was the first one to be done in this style in its entirety. This allowed actors to play multiple characters, as was the case for Tom Hanks, who played the train’s conductor, a hobo, Santa Claus, the boy’s father, a puppet, and the boy as an adult. The Polar Express was a then-unique visual experience, but the sequel now has the upper hand thanks to it finally happening two decades after the first movie was made.

Animation, motion-capture, and CGI have evolved a lot since The Polar Express was released and are in constant improvement, hence why the special effects in recent movies that looked realistic when they were released no longer look like that. It’s expected that The Polar Express 2 will look a lot better (and, hopefully, less creepy and more natural) than Zemeckis’ 2004 movie, which can definitely elevate the viewing experience.

Polar Express’ Motion-Capture Animation Was Groundbreaking (But It Aged Fast)

When The Polar Express was in development, Zemeckis didn’t want it to be a live-action movie as he wanted to keep the charm of the book’s illustrations, but Allsburg set the condition of the adaptation not being an animated cartoon (via BBC). Zemeckis and his team found a solution in motion capture animation, which was a new experience for them and the cast, as well. The animation process and style of The Polar Express was groundbreaking, but it also drew a lot of criticism.

There are moments throughout The Polar Express that were clearly written to show off the animation rather than to serve a purpose in the story, and some characters were labeled as “lifeless zombies” and considered to fall into uncanny valley territory. As groundbreaking as The Polar Express’ animation was when it was released, it aged too fast, and watching it nowadays can be an unsettling experience, especially when looking at what animators can now achieve.

The Polar Express 2 has the huge advantage of happening at a time when animation has evolved a lot and can give its visuals a longer lifespan. The Polar Express 2 will not only improve on The Polar Express’ animation, but through this, it can also become a bigger and more exciting visual experience – and, hopefully, the team behind it will pay more attention to the story than just looking to impress the audience with its visuals.

Source: BBC.