The Great Holiday Movie Debate

Popular Classics, Which is Better?

The+Great+Holiday+Movie+Debate

Miah Duncan, Staff Writer

What seems more exciting, running through your own house setting up traps to stop intruders or riding around in magic train? 

If you haven’t already guessed, I’m talking about two famous Christmas movies: Home Alone and The Polar Express. Home Alone, which was made in 1990, is about a kid named Kevin McCallister who is played by Macaulay Culkin. His family is going on a Christmas vacation to Paris, and they leave Kevin behind at home, alone, so he has to defend his house from a pair of burglars. The Polar Express, which is an animated movie made in 2004, is about a magical train that takes children to the North Pole, which comes along with the price of them learning a valuable lesson. 

Both stories are very well developed except The Polar Express isn’t very logical. The story is mainly fiction, consisting of meeting Santa Claus and jumping onto a magical train that somehow can slide on ice without breaking its wheels. However, Home Alone is more logical – though a bit of a stretch – because it is possible to find a highly intelligent 8-year-old kid who uses his house utensils and toys as weapons to prevent intruders from getting inside his home. 

The acting for Home Alone was great, though it could’ve used more emotion, whereas The Polar Express excelled in that area since the movie is animated and only consists of voice acting. Both movies contain entertaining, humorous, and serious scenes. It is very thrilling to watch an 8-year-old kid come up with various ways to hurt and cause severe damage to his burglars, and it is fun to see Santa Claus and ride on a magical train with other children. However, if you have time for only one, Home Alone will just have you more on the edge of your seat. 

Home Alone makes you value your family while The Polar Express only makes you believe in the spirit of Christmas, which doesn’t really give you that emotional connection to the movie. Both movies will never become too old enough to watch. They will forever be classic Christmas movies. In conclusion, Home Alone to me has a rating of 5 stars while The Polar Express has a rating of 4 stars.