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The Polar Express poster

Movies that feel likeThe Polar Express (2004)

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

If you loved The Polar Express, the closest films we have are Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010), A Christmas Carol (2009) and Epic (2013). All three share The Polar Express' warm and cozy feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Secret of Kells (2009).

πŸ… 55% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.6 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Robert Zemeckisepicwhimsicalwarmcozydreamlike
10 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Disney Plus

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If The Polar Express hit the spot, these will too

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole poster
πŸ… 52%β˜… 6.9animation Β· adventure Β· family

Epic where it counts, whimsical underneath

When a young owl is abducted by an evil Owl army, he must escape with new-found friends and seek the legendary Guardians to stop the menace.

A Christmas Carol poster
A Christmas Carol
2009 Β· dir. Robert Zemeckis
πŸ… 52%β˜… 6.8animation Β· drama Β· familyPrime VideoDisney+

Robert Zemeckis directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: Takes it somewhere less epic than The Polar Express does

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

Epic poster
Epic
2013 Β· dir. Chris Wedge
πŸ… 65%β˜… 6.6animation Β· adventure Β· familyMax

Warm and cozy in the same breath

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their worldβ€”and ours.

Anastasia poster
Anastasia
1997 Β· dir. Gary Goldman
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.2animation Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Adventure with a pulse of dream logic, in both cases

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

Ten years after she was separated from her family, an eighteen-year-old orphan with vague memories of the past sets out to Paris in hopes of reuniting with her grandmother. She is accompanied by two con men, who intend to pass her off as the Grand Duchess Anastasia to the Dowager Empress for a reward.

Kirikou and the Sorceress poster
Kirikou and the Sorceress
1998 Β· dir. Michel Ocelot
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.5fantasy Β· adventure Β· animationPrime Video

Epic animation, and it commits to that

Drawn from elements of West African folk tales, it depicts how a newborn boy, Kirikou, saves his village from the evil witch Karaba.

Brave poster
Brave
2012 Β· dir. Mark Andrews
πŸ… 78%β˜… 7.1adventure Β· animation Β· familyDisney+

Both lean on whimsy more than on family

In the mystical Scottish Highlands, Merida is the princess of a kingdom ruled by King Fergus and Queen Elinor. An unruly daughter and an accomplished archer, Merida one day defies a sacred custom of the land and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom. In an attempt to set things right, Merida seeks out an eccentric old Wise Woman and is granted an ill-fated wish.

Arthur and the Invisibles poster
Arthur and the Invisibles
2006 Β· dir. Luc Besson
πŸ… 21%β˜… 6adventure Β· fantasy Β· animation

Warm fantasy in both cases

Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, tiny people living in harmony with nature.

Return to Never Land poster
Return to Never Land
2002 Β· dir. Robin Budd
πŸ… 46%β˜… 5.8adventure Β· fantasy Β· animationDisney+

Adventure built on comfort, twice over

In 1940, the world is besieged by World War II. Wendy, all grown up, has two children; including Jane, who does not believe Wendy's stories about Peter Pan.

Brother Bear poster
Brother Bear
2003 Β· dir. Aaron Blaise
πŸ… 38%β˜… 6.9adventure Β· animation Β· familyDisney+

Animation with a pulse of scale, in both cases

The difference: Easier on the dream logic than The Polar Express

When an impulsive boy named Kenai is magically transformed into a bear, he must literally walk in another's footsteps until he learns some valuable life lessons. His courageous and often zany journey introduces him to a forest full of wildlife, including the lovable bear cub Koda, hilarious moose Rutt and Tuke, woolly mammoths and rambunctious rams.

Ponyo poster
Ponyo
2008 Β· dir. Hayao Miyazaki
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.6animation Β· fantasy Β· familyMax

Both lean on dream logic more than on family

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

The Rescuers poster
The Rescuers
1977 Β· dir. Wolfgang Reitherman
πŸ… 79%β˜… 6.9fantasy Β· family Β· animationDisney+

Both lean on whimsy more than on fantasy

The difference: 27 years apart, and the 1970s show

Two agents of the mouse-run International Rescue Aid Society search for a little orphan girl kidnapped by sinister treasure hunters.

The Secret of Kells poster
The Secret of Kells
2009 Β· dir. Tomm Moore
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.5animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Both lean on warmth more than on animation

Adventure awaits 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells. In order to finish Brother Aiden's book, Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him beyond the abbey walls and into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide. Will Brendan succeed in his quest?

In the mood for more epic?

all epic movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share The Polar Express’ defining feeling.