With Christmas nearing ever closer, it’s finally time to stick your feet up and get in the spirit with a few festive films. Each year, many of us mark the start of the season of goodwill by kicking back with favourites like Elf, Home Alone and Love Actually.
For animation fans, there’s none better than festive fantasy-adventure The Polar Express. The beloved 2004 takes place on Christmas Eve, after the town has gone to sleep, as a disillusioned young boy boards a magical train known as The Polar Express.
The conductor invites him on board to take an extraordinary journey to the North Pole with many other pyjama-clad children. There, he receives an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience.
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The film stars Tom Hanks – who lends his voice and motion capture to six different characters including the Conductor and Santa Claus – alongside Spy Kids’ Daryl Sabara and The Hunger Games’ Josh Hutcherson. It is directed by Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis from a script by Zemeckis and Apollo 13 and Cast Away writer William Broyles Jr. – eagle-eyed viewers will even spot a Flux Capacitor from Zemeckis’ iconic 1985 sci-fi within the Polar Express train’s cabin.
The Polar Express received mixed reviews upon its release and grossed $314 million worldwide against a then-record breaking $165 million – the largest budget for an animated film at that time. In the almost 20 years since, The film has cemented itself as a festive staple and is enjoyed by many every year during the festive season.
It also regularly features in lists of the best ever Christmas films. Last year, Empire readers voted it the 28th best Christmas film of all time, while Esquire has named it 29th behind films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Die Hard.
So if you’re keen to take a trip on the Polar Express, here’s how you can watch the film this Christmas.
How to watch The Polar Express this Christmas and is the Tom Hanks film on TV
The Polar Express is not on streaming platforms such as Netflix or Disney+. Here in the UK it is available to watch on Sky where it is showing on Sky Cinema Christmas every day from December 21 to Christmas Eve, plus a showing on Sky Showcase at 6:20pm on December 23.
This means that if you want to watch The Polar Express over Christmas, you’ll need a subscription to Sky. Savvy shoppers can currently get Sky Cinema included in an awesome deal that also includes Netflix and Apple TV+.
This amazing entertainment bundle includes Sky Stream, Sky TV, Sky Cinema, Netflix and Paramount+ for £37 a month, with members also able to claim six months of Apple TV+ at no extra cost. This money-saving deal means bargain hunters can save almost £270 and access premium Sky channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky Max and Sky Documentaries, plus loads of films like Elf, Love Actually, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and May December.
What’s more, this bundle includes all the most-talked-about new shows on Netflix and Apple TV+ including The Crown, Slow Horses, Godzilla spin-off Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ upcoming WWII epic Masters of the Air and the fourth season of True Detective. Sky Cinema members also get Paramount+ included at no extra cost, giving access to loads of blockbuster films and shows like Transformers Rise of the Beasts, Top Gun Maverick, Yellowstone, Frasier and South Park.
What’s more, a membership also comes with two free Vue cinema tickets every month. Those looking to upgrade their broadband can also add Sky’s Superfast broadband with 35Mb/s for an extra £13 a month.
Amazon customers can rent or buy The Polar Express on Prime Video for £3.49 or £4.99 respectively.
Join Sky to watch The Polar Express this Christmas. Alternatively, a host of other Christmas films are available on Netflix and Disney+.