Polar Express ?

[ZPT1022]

We bought The Polar Express DVD for our kids for Christmas. Another Mom at DD's school made a comment about wishing she'd watched it alone first before letting the kids see it. Now I'm wondering, I never did get to finish the conversation with her, but what is it that might be questionable about this movie? My kids are 5, 2 and 2. I thought it was just a holiday movie and at $4 a DVD on Black Friday DH grabbed it and threw it in the cart. Wondering from those of you who have seen it what the big deal is? Thanks!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I didn't notice anything wrong with it.

 

[KristinBelle]

I have no clue.

 

[dcgrumpy]

Whatever it is, I must have missed it

 

[Sthronds]

I don't see a thing wrong with it. It is a really sweet story.

 

[dreamcometrue]

let me tell you...my son was on the verge of not believing in Santa last year, and this movie has restored his believe! That's basically what the movie is about...they don't come out and say that this little boy is starting to doubt Santa, so a small child who still truly and wholeheartedly believes would never even pick up on it (my DD didn't...to her it was just about a little boy getting to go visit Santa on the North Pole).

I am not sure why that mom said that...I watch it with my kids all the time. The book has always been a favorite of mine, and we all adore the movie! There are no "bad parts" in the movie and I don't think at all that the movie suggests that there is no Santa (there IS, after all! ), so I am not sure what the mom was implying!

 

[binny]

I've heard people say that some of the parts are scary. like the train going down the hill, but my kids love it and I dont see the big deal about it. Thats the beauty of a DVD you can get up and leave or skip a scene if kids decide its too scary or whatever.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

We have it, and I don't see a single thing wrong with it.

 

[disneymama73]

I can't imagine! My kids love it! Me too.

 

[jstbcuz]

I took my 10 yr old to it last year in the theatre. We loved it. Then she put on her Christmas list a sleigh bell.

We also watched it as a whole family the other night on abc family. I dont see anything wrong with it.

 

[disneymama73]

I've been thinking about this, and maybe the movie put doubt in her kids' minds about Santa's existence?

 

[PixiePop]

I think it is a great movie, with a very sweet message.

 

[mookie]

Our whole family loves this movie, but our 3.5 yo dd, when she first saw it, got a little scared by the man that lives at the top of the train. She thought he was a "bad man." He was a bit odd, but that is kind of the point. Otherwise, I don't think that it's bad for kids at all...I guess it all just depends on their tolerance level?

 

[mickeyboat]

Two things come to mind:

One is I really have a hard time with movies which even touch on whether Santa is real or not. I need to get over it, because my kids seem o.k. Polar Express doesn't dwell on it, and most kids wouldn't even notice.

The second is that my kids did think the movie was pretty intense, even scary in some parts. My youngest doesn't like intense movies - whether the intensity is scary or something else. She begged to leave the theater during Polar Express and also Shrek II.

I think it would be fine for most kids.

Denae

 

[Magickndm]

I bet it was that controversial hot chocolate scene!

I loved the movie myself.

 

[orljustin]

I have not seen the whole thing, but as far as I know, the whole story is about a boy who doesn't believe in Santa. For someone in the right age area, this could raise questions or doubts, that parents don't want to introduce yet, for the fun of the season. Same problem I have with parts of "Year without Santa", and the whole 2nd section of "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas" where Max doesn't believe.

My 8yo's school is having Polar Express day on Friday, which I assume means watching the movie, so I will actually have to sit down and decide whether I want him to watch it.

 

[Briarmom]

No clue. We love it.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

The second is that my kids did think the movie was pretty intense, even scary in some parts. My youngest doesn't like intense movies - whether the intensity is scary or something else. She begged to leave the theater during Polar Express and also Shrek II.

I think it would be fine for most kids.

Denae

Maybe her child, like mickeyboat's, is sensitive to movies that are intense. Otherwise I don't see anything else wrong with it.

 

[ZPT1022]

Thanks everyone. Maybe it was that it was intense. I'm going to have to follow up just out of curiosity, but at least I can rest assured that I didn't let DH buy some trash that will permanently scar them. We'll probably watch it Christmas Day if we can. Sounds like maybe we should have kept it out to watch before Christmas but it's wrapped and who knows which DVD is which so it's too late now! I don't remember the book the most but I was really struggling to think of what could be so wrong with it. Thanks again!

 

[Princess~Fun]

Nothing wrong about it if you ask me. I thought it was great!