The Guardian wants more than anything to be a summer blockbuster. But as a fall movie in earnest--clocking in at well over two hours, no less--the movie is stripped bare and revealed as a middling action flick without much action.
Even though it may lack a human touch here and there, The Polar Express is still a brilliant effort in CGI-animation and will certainly evoke the Christmas spirit in us all.
If you have to sit through another adaptation of Peter Pan, this version is serviceable, if not original, with enough eye candy and enjoyable performances to make it worthwhile.