Entertainment
The Christmas Classic Kids Accepted Because They Had Nothing Else, It's A Horrible Movie
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Christmas movies are allowed to be saccharine, bright, colorful, and overly cheerful, making them feel-good movies to watch every year with the family. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Elf, The Santa Clause, and A Christmas Story are all classics, but yet, for some reason, these days you’ll find The Polar Express, Robert Zemeckis’s motion-capture box office disappointment, considered a modern classic. How anyone can look deep into the soulless eyes of Tom Hanks as the Conductor and think, “That’s the spirit of Christmas,” is beyond me because this film drove straight into the uncanny valley, and the plot must have lost its ticket since it’s nowhere to be seen.
Straight Into The Uncanny Valley
Released in 2004, The Polar Express was filmed in motion capture, the same style that Zemeckis would use later on for Beowulf and A Christmas Carol, specifically to capture the painterly quality of the famous children’s book. The book exudes warmth and wonder from its pages thanks to the talent of Chris Van Allsburg, but it’s very short and lacks enough content for a feature film. I’d argue the feature film lacks enough content for a feature film, as even when talking to people who like this movie, they only ever talk about the train sequence itself and leave out the back half of the film with kids running through the Elf command center.
The Polar Express is about Hero Boy, a young boy (motion capture provided by Tom Hanks)who is losing faith in Christmas when the train stops in front of his house, and he walks on after being urged by The Conductor, played by Tom Hanks, on the journey to the North Pole. Hanks, as The Conductor, isn’t playing the role big enough for this type of movie and for any emotion to register in his performance. Coming across as a stern dad, The Conductor isn’t the villain of the movie, but he’s also not the type of joyous guide you’d expect on a train filled with children going to the North Pole.
There’s an action scene along the way, created for The Polar Express film, when it goes off tracks and over an ice-covered lake, it is the only moment of the film that feels like it has any real stakes or momentum to it. Outside of that moment, nothing happens. Sure, it ends with a sweet moment with the ringing of the bell (which goes against the original meaning of the novel), but that moment is not worth the journey to get there due to the off-putting CGI, lack of plot, and, finally, the annoying kids.
A Classic By Default
I know The Polar Express is meant for kids, but in the 20 years since the film’s release, it seems like studios finally realized that children in movies can be fully realized characters that go beyond the old style of representing a single stereotype, like know-it-all, lonely, hero, and girl; those are the main kids of the film. If Zemeckis had any guts, he would have had Billy the Lonely Boy receive the first gift of Christmas instead of Hero Boy. Still, instead of subverting expectations, we’re left with irritating dialogue, bizarre facial expressions, and poor decisions that are obviously there to give the film something to show on screen.
And yet, it’s because the movie is meant for kids that it’s considered a classic now after those kids have become adults and they look back with nostalgia at the early-Aughts. This is the same generation that has decided the Star Wars prequels are great, but I can’t judge them too harshly, as I thought Three Ninjas was peak cinema, and I loved A Claymation Christmas Special. In 2004, there were no big-budget, G-rated Christmas movies getting major releases, which leaves The Polar Express as the favorite of a generation by default.
When we’re kids, we have horrible taste, and again, I will admit my love of Three Ninjas, which is why no one talks about The Polar Express outside of “I love that movie.” There’s no discussion about scenes, great moments, iconic lines, or classic characters, yet people will talk fondly about the film. It’s because they were kids when they saw it, and they can still hear the bell today, and not because it’s a good movie or even an okay movie, it’s a movie, and when you’re a kid, that’s good enough.
The Polar Express is streaming on Disney+, and Max, in case you need a reminder that this is the movie in which nothing happens.
Entertainment
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.
Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.
The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?
Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.
After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?
Entertainment
Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121
TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.
You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.
Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.
What’s included?
This license comes with:
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Word
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Excel
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PowerPoint
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Outlook
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OneNote
The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations.
Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about.
Why rent when you can own?
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Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.
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Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
Gibberish.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
There are no recurring letters.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
TRIPE.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
