The Polar Express (U) ***

100 mins

THE film of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book is notable for more than Hanks playing no less than five roles as he's reunited with his Forrest Gump and Castaway director Robert Zemeckis. The trick is that The Polar Express can claim to be the first feature to be shot entirely using motion capture technology. Actors were filmed first and their live action performances digitally reproduced. The result looks like animation but is driven by the actors' emotions and movements. All very clever but what's the point? These animated humans still have the slightly-crazed look of all computer-rendered people. I'd rather it was one thing or the other. People apart, The Polar Express is a rattling good journey as a young boy, Hero Boy (Hanks) boards the train under the watchful eye of the Conductor (Hanks again) for a rollercoaster trip to the North Pole and Santa Claus. His fellow passengers are all on personal journeys too, including a lonely boy (Scolari) and a plucky girl (Gaye). Not that they have much time to ponder as this rail trip is beset by more problems than a GNER journey from Darlington to York. Zemeckis can't help over-sugaring the pill with an excess of schmaltz and even a dance routine involving dancing waiters serving cups of hot chocolate that's strayed in from a Busby Berkeley musical.

The Phantom Of The Opera (12A) HHH

Stars: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver, Simon Callow, Ciaran Hinds

142 mins

DIRECTOR Joel Schumacher's last encounter with a masked man in Batman And Robin was not judged a success by critics or audiences. He has better luck with Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom, although it's difficult to see where the appeal of the screen version lies apart from with those who've already seen it on stage. The movie is suitably operatic, gorgeous to look at and good listen to - if only it had more than a couple of decent songs. But, all too often, it looks as if we're watching a film version shot on studio soundstage rather than a cinematic interpretation of the stage show. Schumacher uses flashback to frame the story of the crazy, disfigured Phantom (Butler) who haunts the opera house making life difficult for everyone about the place. His main concern is promoting his young protg Christine (Rossum) by dropping pieces of scenery on the resident diva La Carlotta. This action is perfectly understandable considering Driver's overacting in the role. The Phantom's rival for Christine's affections is handsome theatre patron Raoul (Wilson), who doesn't have a zit let along facial disfigurement. When she responds to him, the jealous masked man gets in a right paddy and determines to separate the young lovers. Classically-trained Rossum gives Christine an appealing mix of youthful innocence and blossoming passion, with Wilson making a suitably dashing Raoul. Butler gives the Phantom a raw rock 'n' roll sound although his face, when unmasked, looks more like a nasty burn than bad scarring.

COMPETITION

As The Phantom Of The Opera opens in cinemas, 7DAYS has Phantom goodies for three winners of a competition. Each will receive a jewellery box, compact mirror, 2005 diary, ribbon/crystal necklace and rose bath candles. To enter: Name the actor who played The Phantom in the original stage production. Send your answer, together with your name and address, on a postcard to Phantom competition, 7DAYS, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington DL1 1NF. Closing date is Monday.

Blade Trinity (15) HH

Stars: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Dominic Purcell, Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds, Parker Posey, James Remar

113 mins

THE second Blade vampire hunter movie was a rip-roaring fantasy that delivered blood and thrills in equal measure. This third instalment is just a mess. The main crime is relegating the half-human, half-vampire Blade (Snipes, looking as bored as I felt) to the background. He's in trouble after being framed for murder with the FBI - when did their remit include hunting vampires? - on his trail. Adding to everyone's problems is Dracula's return from the dead, now able to live in daylight. And he's changed his name to Drake (Purcell) in the hope that nobody recognises him. Blade and his mentor Whistler (Kristofferson) need help, so they turn to the Nightstalkers. These human vampire hunters, led by Whistler's daughter Abigail (Biel) and wisecracking Hannibal King (Reynolds), are pitted against Dracula's army of undead, led by Danica (Posey) and her trusty henchmen (Callum Keith Rennie and WWW wrestler Triple H). Blade finally wakes up long enough to have the final face-to-face fight with Drake. David S Goyer, writer of all three Blade movies, directs this one without much thought for plot clarity or conviction. None of it makes much sense, which is a pity after the glorious Blade 2.

Garden State (15) HHHH

Stars: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm, Ron Leibman, Peter Sarasgaard

102 mins

FEW writer-director debuts in recent years have been quite so effective as this one by Zach Braff, best known for his role in TV's medical comedy Scrubs. On the evidence of this, he's destined for greater things as a film-maker. Braff also stars as Andrew Largeman, who's making a moderate living in Los Angeles as a TV actor and waiting tables between jobs. The death of his mother takes him home to New Jersey for the first time in nine years which involves meetings with old friends and a confrontation with the domineering father (Holm) who doesn't understand him. Joy of sorts comes through meeting a girl Sam (Portman) whose outlook on life is the opposite of Largeman's, but through whom he comes to a fresh understanding of his life and upbringing. This makes Garden State sound more serious than it actually is. It has the ring of truth thanks to Braff's observations about returning to your roots and confounding the preconception of old friends and family. Much of it is very funny and well-played by Braff and his cast. On the basis of Garden State, most will await his next feature film with eager anticipation.

Published: ??/??/2004