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Zemeckis' adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' is pleasing blend of old and new
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Do you know how many film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ novella “A Christmas Carol” there are? No one seems to know exactly. The few remains of what is probably the earliest film, a 1901 silent version called “Scrooge”, or “Marley’s Ghost”, exist today. Countless more movies follow, most notably 1938’s “A Christmas Carol” starring Reginald Owen, 1951’s “Scrooge” with Alastair Sim, and the 1970 Albert Finney version of the same name. Of course, those are just the ones directed adapted from the original story, excluding the many parodies, cartoons, and television specials. Writer and director Robert Zemeckis adds to that list now with his animated retelling of “A Christmas Carol”, starring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge.
We all know the story. Scrooge is an old man, a London miser who despises Christmas and good cheer in favor of greed; he refuses even to spend money on coal to keep himself and his assistant, the poor Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman), warm. But one Christmas Eve he is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley (also voiced by Oldman), who informs him that he will be visited by three spirits, who will be him a chance to redeem himself: the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come (all also voiced by Carrey). The spirits take Scrooge through scenes of his past, including the loss of his love (Robin Wright Penn) due to his ever-increasing selfishness; his present, with scenes of Bob’s crippled son Tiny Tim; and his future, where no one mourns Scrooge, and in fact rejoices, when he dies.
This film is not the greatest adaptation of the story, but it still packs an emotional punch, even though we know how it ends. The cast is splendid, particularly Carrey, who, rather than turning the story into a farce as we would usually expect him to, stays true to his characters, and by the end helps make Scrooge quite an endearing character. In fact, the whole film remains faithful to the original Dickens tale, more so than even the best film adaptations.
While the story may be familiar, the animation isn’t, and, using the same animation techniques as he did with “The Polar Express”, Zemeckis and his crew improves even upon that feat, making this one of the most visually stunning animated films ever. The 3D effects really enhance the colors and textures, as well as provide for a few startling moments. However, the 3D could also be considered the film’s downfall, as there are too many slap-sticky scenes made specifically to show off the effects, but instead are a rather jolting shift away from an otherwise serious movie.
As mentioned above, there are too many film adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” to count. So do we really need another one? The answer is no, but Zemeckis’ film is a rare holiday treat, a deviation from the annual dull dysfunctional family comedies and a pleasing, entertaining combination of the familiar and the new that families will be sure to enjoy all season long.
3 out of 4 stars. Runtime: 96 minutes. Rated PG for scary sequences and images.
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