Jane! Get me off this crazy thing!

Everyone knows A Christmas Carol.

Charles Dickens’ classic novel has been adapted countless times in movies, television, plays, and just about every other form of media out there. Often times, it has been reenacted with characters from popular series and franchises such as Mickey Mouse, Mr. Magoo, The Muppets, The Loony Tunes (twice), Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Sanford and Son, and just about any other series out there. You would think that with all of those countless retellings, that the story would be as stale as that fruit cake you still haven’t eaten from several Christmases ago. But the truth is, A Christmas Carol is a true classic, and it will forever be retold. Disney’s A Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is the latest version of the classic tale.

I feel I should give a brief summary of the plot, but I find it hard to imagine someone who doesn’t already know the tale. I suppose I should just give a brief rundown anyway.

Ebeneezer Scrooge is a loathsome being who has grown to love wealth and wealth alone. And one Christmas Eve, the ghost of his equally greedy, deceased partner, Jacob Marley, fortells Scrooge that he will be haunted by three spirits to help redeem him and save him from a most dreadful fate.

But I’m sure you already knew that…

The story in itself is poignant as we all know, but one should always try to look at how well each particular adaptation conveys it.  I’m glad to say that this Robert Zemeckis version does the story justice, and it is something of a relief for a more direct version, without another franchise tacked on. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Muppet version, but rarely do we see a pure adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

A Christmas Carol is the latest Robert Zemeckis film to use motion-capture CGI, which was done previously with The Polar Express and the dreadful Beowulf. I have to say, I never quite understood motion-capture. It’s not that I hate it or anything, but I never understood the point of animating over live actors when you could either just use the live actors or completely animate the look of the film, especially when one considers that the end results can be a mixed bag.

For example, in The Polar Express the characters may have technically had a realistic look about them, but they became increasingly less realistic the more you begin to notice the dead-eyes and robotic expressions. By trying to recreate realism, it seems it becomes more apparent that it is artificial. Whereas a completely animated feature comes off as more believable, as it creates a reality of its own.

Thankfully though, the Zemeckis fueled motion-capture technique has greatly improved since the days of The Polar Express. The characters show more emotion now, and have stronger facial expressions. There are still moments when the look of the characters still has that artificial sense, and at times some of them may look a tad creepy, but thankfully it isn’t too often. And luckily, Scrooge himself constantly had a more realistic look about him (despite his characitured  design). This is a very good thing given that the story always focuses on Scrooge in one way or another (I can’t recall a single scene in which Ebeneezer didn’t make some kind of appearance).

Unfortunately however, Bob Cratchit took some more getting used to. I found his appearance resembled something of a Hobbit at first (which would be fine if this were Middle-Earth), but he did grow on me, and I later got over his Hobbitness (thanks mainly to the warmth of the plot and Gary Oldman’s wonderful acting).

I have to say, the interesting thing about A Christmas Carol’s motion-capture look is that the characters’ facial expressions really do show those of the actors portraying them quite wonderfully. Scrooge, despite his goblin nose and razor sharp chin, is unmistakably Jim Carrey (and I might add that he plays the part brilliantly). Bob Cratchit, even when I first thought he popped out of the Shire, still retained a bit of Gary Oldman in his face. All of the characters are more believable in appearance then they were in Zemeckis’ previous motion-capture outings, though once again, there are still a few moments where some of the supporting cast may have those “dead-eyes.” But it works for the most part.

I suppose with all this talk of the look of the film, it only makes sense to bring up the visuals of the different spirits which haunt Scrooge.

Jacob Marley gives us some interesting visuals, what with all those chains and whatnot. He definitely is creepy enough. And I like that we see him hook his chains onto objects that belong to the living, subsequently creating spectral versions of said objects to add to his chains. I always wondered why those items chained to Marley had ghosts.

The Ghost of Christmas Past is quite intriguing,with his appearance resembling a candle (though unfortunately, he doesn’t break out into “Be Our Guest”). His head a shining flame, complete with the face of Jim Carrey (who, along with portraying Scrooge, also plays the roles of all three ghosts of Christmas). His body looking like a candle itself, yet also resembling a robe (or the sheet of a ghost). And to complete the candle motif, he carries a candle extinguisher, which serves as a cap. He’s quite interesting to look at, though at the same time I wonder how he would look if his face were more of a caricatured Jim Carrey, like Scrooge’s, instead of a more literal look. Though he does have a spooky appeal about him nonetheless.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is, as he always is, the least visually fantastic of the bunch. He of course resembles a giant man with a long red beard, garbed in a green robe with some holly wrapped around his head. He looks as he usually does, though that doesn’t mean he can’t dazzle us with some fancy magic. One scene has the Ghost of Christmas Present making the floor see-through and traversing Scrooge’s room through the city. He may appear to be the most friendly of the apparitions at first, but in later scenes he becomes a bit more frightening.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come has the most subtle, yet the most powerful presence in the film. He appears to be something akin to the Grim Reaper, as he usually is. But he has a new, ominous twist to his design, as he is now a shadow on the wall, only rarely showing his skeletal hand to Scrooge. And his shadowy nature makes for some wonderful imagery.

The different spectres can be a bit frightening at times (in the case of Christmas Past, maybe unintentionally) and for that reason I can’t say this is the most kid friendly version of A Christmas Carol, at least for younger children. Particular note should be taken when Jacob Marley’s jaw dislodges and when The Ghost of Christmas Present “departs” from the world. These scenes, as interesting as they may be, may seen a little unnecessarily creepy. That’s probably how they were in the original story (there have been so many renditions I have forgotten when some things are being added and other stuff taken out), but that doesn’t make them any less frightening for younger viewers.

I will add though, that some of the more poignant aspects of the original story are present once again, which is always a good thing. Though there are a few “roller coaster” action sequences that, while fun, can feel a little forced at times. But I suppose the fact that they are fun and that they give us some more nice visuals makes them not so bad.

One minor thing I have to add that I found enjoyable was the old English that makes up the dialogue of the film. Old English always makes things sound more intelligent, and in this day when Internet terms like “lol” and “omg” are passed around as though they are actual language, the dialogue in A Christmas Carol is quite refreshing.

All in all, Disney’s A Christmas Carol is a terrific treat of a film filled with good storytelling, wonderful visuals and a classic performance (or more accurately, classic performances) by Jim Carrey. Chances are you know the story of A Christmas Carol like the back of your hand, but even if you do, you should see this wonderful retelling. It is sure to go down as one of the best renditions of a classic tale.

Bah Humbug!

(1 votes, average: 8.00 out of 10, rated)

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