The Polar Express

Year

2004

Duration

96 minutes

Genres

Action and Adventure, Animation, Family

Language

English (English subtitles)

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Synopsis

A young boy is at the age where he's beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Claus. However, one Christmas Eve he hears a thunderous noise outside and, on investigating, finds it's being made by a huge train - the Polar Express. A kindly conductor asks him aboard and soon he and some other children are on a rollercoaster ride north to see the big man himself. Director Robert Zemeckis honed the use of "motion capture" technology when filming The Polar Express, and the technique perfectly suits this charming, fantastical nature of a film about the magic of Christmas.

Director/s

Robert Zemeckis

Cast (in alphabetical order)

Also available with this film on Into Film+

3 RESOURCES & 1 INTO FILM+ PLAYLIST

Find the resources and film highlights related to The Polar Express (2004) to use in your teaching

What is an Into Film Club?

Classification

This film contains mild threat.

Find out more on the BBFC website

This film is part of the following theme

SEND / ASN / ALN

Also available with this film on Into Film+

3 RESOURCES & 1 INTO FILM+ PLAYLIST

Find the resources and film highlights related to The Polar Express (2004) to use in your teaching

Resources To Use With This Film

Christmas on film

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

Festive activities based on five Christmas-themed films.

Suitable for 5–11

1 pdf

1 ppt

View resource

Into Film Festive Quiz 2021

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

Our annual festive quiz is back with a brand new set of questions on a range of seasonal classics and feel-good...

Suitable for 5–11

2 ppt

2 pdf

View resource

Into Film's Christmas Quiz 2020

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

After a long year, enjoy watching some festive classics and have fun testing your club members with our Christmas Quiz!

Suitable for All ages

8 ppt

8 pdf

View resource

Resource

Into Film's Festive Quiz 2022

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

Enjoy a brand new edition of the annual Into Film Festive Quiz to round off another busy school term!

Suitable for All ages

2 ppt

2 pdf

View resource

The Polar Express: Film Guide

A film guide that looks at The Polar Express (2006), exploring its key topics and themes through informal discussion.

Suitable for 7–11

1 ppt

View resource

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Training

Learn to use film to raise literacy attainment and engage students.

Enter our Festive Review 500 Competition

30 Nov 2021

We're running a special festive edition of our ongoing Review 500 competition. Encourage young people to review one of the festive films on Into Film+ to win.

Reading time 3 mins

View Article

Our Festive Film Favourites

29 Nov 2016 in Film Features

Christmas classics, lesser-known gems, and a somewhat terrifying side of Santa - enjoy our Programming team's festive film favourites for Primary and Secondary.

Reading time 7 mins

View Article

Stream Festive Favourites with Into Film+

04 Dec 2024 in Into Film+

Bring the holiday spirit into your classroom by streaming some festive favourites and feel-good films with Into Film+.

Reading time 8 mins

View Article

SEND / ASN / ALN

Film can be an effective tool for helping those with SEND to better understand, not only curriculum-linked topics, but also the wider world around them.

Films 24

Resources 15

View theme

Christmas on Film

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

A list of Christmas themed films on Into Film+ and Into Film+ Premium for primary and secondary students to get into the festive spirit.

Suitable forAll ages

No. of films18

View film list

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The Polar Express

Film Details

Year

Duration

Genres

Language

Synopsis

Director/s

Cast (in alphabetical order)

Also available with this film on Into Film+

3 RESOURCES & 1 INTO FILM+ PLAYLIST

Additional details

Classification

Engaging for ages

This film is part of the following theme

Also available with this film on Into Film+

3 RESOURCES & 1 INTO FILM+ PLAYLIST

Resources To Use With This Film

Christmas on film

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

Into Film Festive Quiz 2021

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

Into Film's Christmas Quiz 2020

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

Into Film's Festive Quiz 2022

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

The Polar Express: Film Guide

Related Films

The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn(2011)

The Adventures of Tintin - The...(2011)

Miracle On 34th Street(1947)

Miracle On 34th Street(1947)

Raymond Briggs' The Snowman(1982)

Raymond Briggs' The Snowman(1982)

Elf(2003)

Elf(2003)

Rate this film

Your rating

Member rating

Leader rating

Reviews (1392)

Into Film Clubs

Do I Need a Licence?

How do Into Film Clubs work?

Training

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Enter our Festive Review 500 Competition

Our Festive Film Favourites

Stream Festive Favourites with Into Film+

SEND / ASN / ALN

Christmas on Film

Christmas Day, 25 Dec

What our educators say