"Disney's A Christmas Carol" Movie Review

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My favorite film adaptation of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol is the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim. Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and adapted by Noel Langley, the movie captured the dark yet whimsical tone of Dickens classic.

Disneys A Christmas Carol, the new animated film from writer-director Robert Zemeckis, tried to reinvigorate one of the greatest Christmas stories ever told. Though Zemeckis failed to find the right balance between the dark and the whimsical, I still applaud the movie for being faithful to Dickens work.

The film is very faithful indeed, that some of the images may terrify little children. Lets face it, Dickens 1843 novella was intended for adults. So Walt Disney Pictures is in a quandary. They are marketing an animated film to children that will ultimately scare them.




We all know the story by now. An old, bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge (voiced by Jim Carrey), finds redemption when he is visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve. Carrey also voices Scrooge at various ages, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Christmas Yet to Come.

The Ghost of Christmas Past appears in a form of a flickering flame which is a fitting representation of what Dickens described as a bright, clear jet of light. The Ghost takes Scrooge on a journey back in time, revisiting moments in his past. We see Scrooge as a bright-eyed apprentice of Fezziwig (Bob Hoskins), as a man in love with Belle (Robin Wright Penn), and the caring brother of Fan (also voiced by Penn).

The most entertaining of Scrooges spectral visits is the Ghost of Christmas Present. Hes a merry giant who presents himself atop a Christmas tree decked out in robes and shows Scrooge what his life is really like in the present. Underneath his robes are two scary looking kids named Ignorance and Want.




The chapter that will terrify small children feature the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. He is Death incarnate and takes Scrooge into his horrible future. Theres a scary scene where Scrooge is being chased by a carriage pulled by black horses with red, beady eyes.




Zemeckis has nearly perfected the performance-capture animation technology he utilized in 2004s The Polar Express and 2007s Beowulf. The cinematography of the film is excellent; its like a travelogue to Ye Olde England of the 1800s in full Disney Digital 3D. There are also many flying scenes to entertain the young audiences.

Carreys performance as Scrooge is credible, but I get the sense that the actor is more at home with the Ghosts characters. Gary Oldman as Cratchit, Scrooges assistant, steals the show. Oldman also voices Marley, Scrooges partner, and Tiny Tim, Cratchits sick boy.

My main complaint is Scrooges characterization. He wasnt presented nearly as evil as the film hoped for. Sure, Scrooge wishes for poor people to die, but then the next scene shows him getting his comeuppance.

Also, Scrooges transformation towards the end wasnt as joyful as I remember other Christmas Carol adaptations. But I did like the surprise narrator in the end, and Zemeckis still captures the spirit of Christmas.

I also enjoyed Zemeckis take on the Ghosts. By using Carrey to voice the phantom visitors, this film version questions whether the Ghosts are merely extensions of Scrooge himself.




And for that, Disneys A Christmas Carol gets 3 Bah Humbug kisses

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[camdabam]

how the heck is it scary

[mdelar]

for kids...specially the Ghost of Christmas present...dying right in front of you...after being jolly and sweet? That's definitely creepy for kids, don't you think?

[hackensac]

Does this guy give a positive rating for all the movies he reviews?

[mdelar]

not really, check out my other reviews, and my website, where you'll find other reviews that I didn't post on youtube...thanks for watching!

[jamarianne]

Kuya..r.zemekis directed back to the Future am I right???

[mdelar]

Yes he did. He also helmed Forest Gump and Cast Away :)

[atebalate]

i loved this movie! i cant lie i did scream in some parts. but all in all it was a wonderful movie. and now i cant wait for christmas!

[muterabbit]

Marley's scene was instantly dumbed down when his jaw came loose. I understand they were trying to add a little bit of comedy relief to soften a somewhat jarring scene, but to me it seemed distracting and out of place.

[RiddleBat]

I can understand kids being afraid of the movie, but if you aren't a kid and this movie scared you......

[sqweebel1]

I loved the ghost of christmas future

[SajidaAsha]

@mdelar Not just the ghost of Christmas present, Jacob Marley! He was thee scariest one, and lets not forget Ignorance and Want! I'm still getting chills, and I haven't seen it in a little less than a year!

BTW, I like your movie reviews. They're thorough without being long and boring! <3

[39thHourProductions]

Wow this video is so gay!!!!!

[timtak1]

My four and 8 month year old watched it all but said that he was scared. Poor kid. I cried at the bit about Tiny Tim.

[amckitty]

MY DAUGHTER IS ALMOST 5 AND SHE WATCHIED IT AND LIKES IT SHE WAS NOT SCARED

[missmarisela2006]

I think this movie would scare the hell out of five year olds! I was watching it the other day with surround sound and some parts were really creepy

[JustKimberly1992]

@TechnoRaver94 No problem! :)

[TechnoRaver94]

@JustKimberly1992 I see thanks but I already finished that part of the script ^w^ we're in rehearsals now (were very tight on time >.<) thanks again!