Audy Birdo

WARNING, SPOILERS DOWN BELOW, SKIP IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS MOVIE. The sixth sense isn’t just one of the greatest ghost movies of all time, but it is also the most impactful film in history. Everyone knows about the amazing plot twist that made this movie so brilliant, but I feel as though people don’t talk enough about the little things in the movie. The quote about dead people only seeing what they want to see can even be applied to the living, something that the movie also addresses. It’s about seeing the bigger picture and the story behind it. When Dr Malcome tries to open the locked door to his study in the earlier part of the movie, we are usually only shown the upper part of the door and the door handle and not the bottom part. We do not see what prevents the door from opening until Dr Malcome stops seeing what he wants to see, what he believes what is or isn’t there. It is then we see the whole door shown. the bigger picture. The truth. The movie focuses on what is going on with Cole, knowing that the audience are seeing what they only want to see: a boy who can interact with ghosts. But after the audience watches the whole movie, they will no longer be blind to what was hidden within the movie, and they will finally stop seeing what they want to see. They will see the truth. And some may even begin to realize how they missed signs not only in the movie, but in the real world. I recommend people to rewatch this movie over and over as it can reveal more things you might have missed after watching it for the 17th time. This movie may truly be the only one of its kind and I only hope that if we don’t get any other movie like this, that we will always go back to this classic film and learn something new from it every time we watch it.

This movie was saved by the memes. Nothing else. Just some tall dude with the m’lady fedora and pop culture references that get all the 13 year old fan girls writing fanfictions of him clucking himself. Seriously. Don’t look it up. Just trust me.

I have never read the book, and I’m sure I would have enjoyed it, but the movie will still hold a special place in my heart. Unlike other animated Christmas movies, this movie held a more serious, eerie, yet adventurous and fantastical tone to it. It always gave you something else before you got bored with one of these tones, sometimes even mixing all of them together. Although this movie was pointed more towards children, it was something that adults could also enjoy. As an adult, I would always think of my Christmas as a child, and how it felt as though there was magic. Yes, this movie is unrealistic, but I can sort of forgive that, as some of it is pointed more to the children, like the scene where the train goes a fast speed down the mountain and the characters on the VERY front somehow didn’t fly off. The point of the scene is to make young viewers feel excitement and adventurous. If they flew off and died, I’m pretty sure we would all be horrified and scarred. Now the animation is shockingly advanced and detailed for its time. Animated movies in 2004 were great, CGI animation was improving significantly, but the animation in Polar Express took things to another level. The plot in the movie was okay, but it could have been better. I loved the first half of the movie, but the second half, the part where they are at the North Pole, was meh. The characters ranged from being very likable to being somewhat obnoxious and/or somewhat unlikeable. The female main character is shown to be determined but gentle and kind, acting as a big sister for the younger main character. The young, shy protagonist is shown to be less confident than the rest. He does develop as the story continues and opens up to the other two main protagonists, which is a really great thing to add to this movie as it shows growth. The train conductor is quirky and hilariously serious. He is shown as a no nonsense guy with an obsession of getting to a destination on time at the beginning, but in the end is presented as a man who is a child at heart and just wants the children to believe in Christmas. The obnoxious boy is, well, obnoxious. I didn’t hate him, per say, but I didn’t like him either. He didn’t develop so much, but he does learn a lesson, although small compared to what else he could learn. He learned to, well, learn. Santa Clause is different than the other versions of him. He is not some silly, jolly man without any other emotions. He is professional and wise, and he is a no nonsense man. Although he seems more intimidating to approach, you can tell there is something deep within the man. He is the best Santa I have seen in an animated movie, and I do see him as more serious as he is delivering to ALL the children in the world, carrying tons of presents and keeping them in great condition through a cold and possibly stormy night. He treats his job like an ACTUAL JOB. He is kind of like a father that is serious but loves his children and will do anything for them. The main character, the kid with the blue rob, is relatable as he loses his belief in the big man we know and love, as this is something everyone goes through at some point in their childhood. The movie highlights the feelings perfectly, especially when the boy faces the truth of the North Pole with hesitation. It was actually sort of bittersweet to hear him talk about growing up with everyone no longer believing, left with a bell from Santa’s sleigh as proof of the North Pole’s existence. All in all, this movie holds a lot a value for me, not just as a Christmas movie, but as a childhood movie. It is more unique than most animated Christmas movies and is still is, especially when you compare it to some recent garbage animated movies today.