Hero Boy (narrating): On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear. The ringing bells of Santa's sleigh.
Father: All right. All right, Sarah, you had your water. Now let's get you upstairs and into bed.
Sarah: But. But. But, I have to. He said Santa would have to fly faster than light to get to every house in one night.
Sarah: And to hold everyone's presents, his sled would be bigger than an ocean liner.
Father: Your brother said that? He was just kidding you. He knows there's a Santa.
Sarah: He said he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if Santa was for real.
Father: Of course Santa is real. He's as real as Christmas itself.
Mother: But he won't come until you're sound asleep, young lady. Sweet dreams.
Father: Santa will be here before you know it. (whispers) So go to sleep.
Hero Boy: "Stark, barren. Devoid of life. "
Father (whispers): He's gotta be asleep by now.
Mother (whispers): He used to stay awake all night waiting for Santa.
Father (whispers): Think those days are just about over.
Mother (whispers): That would be sad if that were true.
Father (whispers): Yeah, an end of the magic.
Mother (whispers): Merry Christmas, sweetheart.
Father (whispers): See, he's out like a light. An express train wouldn't wake him up now.
Hero Boy (thinking): "End of the magic"?
Conductor: All aboard! All aboard! Well? You coming?
Conductor: Why, to the North Pole, of course. This is the Polar Express.
Hero Boy: The North Pole?
Conductor: I see. Hold this, please. Thank you. Is this you?
Conductor: Well, it says here, no photo with a department-store Santa this year, no letter to Santa. And you made your sister put out the milk and cookies. Sounds to me like this is your crucial year. If I were you, I would think about climbing onboard. Come on, come on. I've got a schedule to keep. Suit yourself.
Children (singing): 'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express Whoo, whoo, the whistle blows That's the sound of her singing Ding, ding, the bell will ring Golly, look at her go You wonder if we'll get there soon Anybody's guess'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express When we get there We'll scream, "Yay!" We'll arrive with A bang, bang, bang Boom, boom, boom Laughing all the way With a comfy seat and lots to eat Boy, it's just the best Wish it wouldn't ever have to endWith a little luck, we'll be on time There's no need to stress'Cause that's the way things happen On the Polar Express
Hey. Hey, you. Yeah, you. Do you know what kind of train this is?
Train. Do you know what kind of train this is? Do you?
It's a magic train.
- We're going to the North Pole. - I know it's a magic train.
It's a Baldwin - - S -class steam locomotive.
. built in at the Baldwin Locomotive Works. It weighs pounds and.
Are we really going to the North Pole?
- Hey, look! - Isn't that wonderful?
Wow, look at all those presents. I want all of them.
It's so Christmassy and cozy and beautiful!
Try your pocket.
Try your other pocket.
Hey, watch out, there.
That is a public-address microphone. It is not a toy.
Boy, that guy sure likes to show off.
Look what that wise guy punched on my ticket.
- "L-E." What the heck does that mean? - Next stop, Edbrooke.
We're heading for the other side of the tracks.
Well? You coming?
It's just another pickup.
That's weird. I thought you were supposed to be the last one.
Why, to the North Pole, of course.
This is the Polar Express.
Hey, that kid wants to get on the train.
We have to stop the train.
- I don't know how. - Pull the emergency brake!
Who in the blazes applied that emergency brake?!
In case you didn't know, that cord is for emergency purposes only.
And in case you weren't aware, tonight is Christmas Eve.
And in case you hadn't noticed, this train is on a very tight schedule.
Now, young man, Christmas may not be important to some people.
. but it is very important to the rest of us!
He was just trying to stop the train so that kid could get on.
I see. Young man, is that what happened?
Let me remind you we are on a very tight schedule.
And I've never been late before.
. and I am certainly not going to be late tonight.
Now, everybody, take your seats, please!
Your attention, please.
Are there any Polar Express passengers in need of refreshment?
- Me! Me! Me! - I thought so.
- Hot, hot - Oh, we got it
- Hot, hot - Hey, we got it
- Hot, hot - Say, we got it
Hot chocolate Hot, hot
- Oh, we got it - Hot, hot
- So we got it - Hot, hot
Yo, we got it
- Hot chocolate - Here we've only got one rule
Never, ever let it cool
Keep it cooking in the pot
- Then you got - Hot chocolate
- Hot, hot - Oh, we got it
- Hot, hot - Hey, we got it
- Hot, hot - Say, we got it
Hot chocolate Hot, hot
- Oh, we got it - Hot, hot
- So we got it - Hot, hot
Yo, we got it
- Hot chocolate - Here we only got one rule
Here we only got one rule
Never, ever let it cool
Never, ever let it cool
Keep it cooking in the pot
Soon you got hot chocolate
- Hot, hot - Hey, we got it
- Hot, hot - Oh, we got it
- Hot, hot - Yeah, we got it
- Hot, hot - Oh, we got it
- Hot, hot - Yeah, we got it
- Oh, we got it - Hot, hot
Yeah, we got it
You know, Montezuma, the king of the Aztecs.
. would drink quarts of hot chocolate every day.
It was thick as mud and red. He put chili pepper in instead of sugar.
- Get it? Hot chocolate? - How do you know? That's not true.
- Where you going with that? - It's for him.
- I don't think we're to leave our seats. - It's a violation of safety regulations.
. for a kid to cross moving cars without a grown-up.
I think I'll be okay.
What about this lad in the back? Did he get any refreshment?
Well, let's take some to him, by all means.
Watch your step, now. Watch your step.
She forgot her ticket.
It hasn't been punched.
What are you doing? You're gonna get us in trouble!
Young lady, forgive me.
I believe I have neglected to punch your ticket.
I left my ticket right here on the seat.
- But it's gone. - You mean.
. you have lost your ticket.
She didn't lose her ticket.
I was trying to return it to you.
But the wind blew it out of my hand.
You can have my ticket.
These tickets are not transferable.
. you will just have to come along with me.
You know what's gonna happen now? He's gonna throw her off the train.
He's gonna probably throw her off the rear platform.
Standard procedure. That way, she won't get sucked under the wheels.
They may slow the train down, but they're never gonna stop it.
That's it! I have to stop the train again.
No, please, don't do that again.
What happened to them?
Please, she's in big trouble. You have to help me.
I found your ticket! Wait!
I have your ticket!
Is there something I can do for you?
I'm looking for a girl.
I have her ticket.
Well, lookie. Lookie here. What is this?
This is an official, authentic, genuine ticket to ride.
You better keep this in a safe place, young man.
I keep all my valuables right here.
Right here in the old size .
Experience shows this is the safest place.
Not that I have much use for those.
I ride for free.
Oh, yeah, yeah. I hop aboard this rattler any time I feels like it.
I own this train. Oh, yeah.
It's like I'm the king of this train. Yeah. The king of the Pol Ex.
In fact, I am the king of the North Pole!
Oh, where's my manners? Sit, sit. Sit.
Take a load off.
Hey, would you like some Joe?
Nice hot refreshment. Perfect for a cold winter's night.
There. Bless you.
What about Santa?
- Santa? - Isn't he the king of the North Pole?
You mean this guy?
What exactly is your persuasion on the big man?
Since you brought him up.
I want to believe.
- But. - But you don't wanna be bamboozled.
You don't wanna be led down the primrose path.
You don't wanna be conned or duped, have the wool pulled over your eyes.
Hoodwinked. You don't wanna be taken for a ride, railroaded.
Seeing is believing.
But what about this train?
We're all really going to the North Pole.
Are you saying that this is all just a dream?
You said it, kid. Not me.
So let's go find that girl.
One other thing.
Do you believe in ghosts?
I have to wake up.
Yeah. I have to wake up.
Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
Kid, get your head out of the clouds!
There's no sleepwalking on the Polar Express.
We gotta jump them knuckles.
Come on, kid. Flip my shoulders.
That skirt you're chasing must have moved ahead.
- We gotta hightail it to the hog, pronto. - To the hog?
The engine. The engine, you tenderfoot.
We gotta make the engine before we hit Flat Top Tunnel.
So many questions.
There is but one inch of clearance between the roof of this rattler.
. and the roof of Flat Top Tunnel.
It's just the run up to the hump, kid.
This will be interesting.
Get back on, kid. Hurry!
Grab my muck stick.
There's only one trick to this, kid.
When I say "jump".
You. I thought you got thrown off, and.
- You're driving the train? - They put me in charge.
- The engineer had to check the light. - Here's the light. Careful.
- How do you know how? - It's easy. Come here, I'll show you.
This big lever here, that's the throttle.
This little one here, that's the brake.
And those are the pressure gauges.
And that rope is the whistle.
You wanna try it?
I've wanted to do that my whole life.
Hold still! Hold still! Don't move!
Stop the train! Stop the train!
They want us to stop the train.
- Which one is the brake? - He told me this was.
- Who? - The engineer.
- The engineer? This one looks like a brake. - No, he said this was the brake.
There can be no Christmas without the Polar Express arriving on time.
Am I the only one who understands that?
You. I should have known.
Are you bound and determined that this train never reaches the North Pole?
I make that herd to be at least maybe even a million.
It's gonna be hours before they clear this track.
- A tough nut to crack. - We are in some serious jelly.
- And a jam. - Tight spot.
- Up a creek. - Up a tree.
- Lost in the grass. - I'll tell you what's grass: Our a.
Problem solved. All ahead, slow.
We're going pretty fast.
Tell the engineer to slow down.
Watch the speed!
Jumping jeepers, the cotter pin sheared off.
- They can't hear me. - They can't?
I don't like the look of this. Under the safety bar.
Is everything all right? What should we do?
Considering we've lost communication with the engineer.
. we are standing totally exposed on the front of the locomotive.
. the train appears to be accelerating uncontrollably.
. and we are rapidly approaching Glacier Gulch.
. which happens to be the steepest downhill grade in the world.
. I suggest we all hold on.
- The pin. - The pin.
Jiminy Christmas, the ice has frozen over the tracks.
Hold on. Hold on. No, no.
Come on. Watch your step.
Come on, sweetie. Up you go. Up you go.
Put your feet on here. On here.
Little adventure, huh?
Young man, quick thinking on your part.
Step to your left, please. To your left.
Well, that is more like it.
What in the name of Mike?
Get us the blazes out of here!