Now Over 5500 Reviews and (near) Daily Updates!

WELCOME! Use the search engines on this site (or your own off-site engine of choice) to gain easy access to the complete MAKSQUIBS Archive; more than 5500 posts and counting. (New posts added every day or so.)

You can check on all our titles by typing the Title, Director, Actor or 'Keyword' you're looking for in the Search Engine of your choice (include the phrase MAKSQUIBS) or just use the BLOGSPOT.com Search Box at the top left corner of the page.

Feel free to place comments directly on any of the film posts and to test your film knowledge with the CONTESTS scattered here & there. (Hey! No Googling allowed. They're pretty easy.)

Send E-mails to MAKSQUIBS@yahoo.com . (Let us know if the TRANSLATE WIDGET works!) Or use the Profile Page or Comments link for contact.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

THE POLAR EXPRESS (2005)

Though not as disgraceful as the recent live-action Dr Seuss adaptations, this expansion of the well known "believe in Santa" picture book is plenty depressing in its own way. Using a creepy CGI animation process that turns the cast into slick corpses, there are some impressive if over elaborated visuals and a brief truly magical moment when a pack of wolves makes a surprise visit. The story lifts more childhood tropes than you thought you knew & when those run out we get fake John Williams music & the waiters from HELLO DOLLY! Writing, directing & pandering in equal measure, Robert Zemeckis earns first place in the "bah, humbug" tournament while Tom Hanks, playing multiple parts, gets second, third, fourth . . .

No comments: