Review of A Christmas Carol

November 21, 2:28 PMManchester Movie ExaminerKyle McVeigh

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© Disney

Though Jim Carrey's choices in film have been a little suspect of late, there's no denying he's an extremely talented actor.  And only a truly talented actor could give an engrossing performance through performance capture technology.  Andy Serkis did it with Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Carrey does the same in A Christmas Carol.

Director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Beowulf) is the latest filmmaker to bring the classic Charles Dickens story to life.  You might think that A Christmas Carol has been done to death with all the various iterations between film and television having already been made.  Everyone has their favorite (this critic enjoys Scrooged the most) but this version feels fresh, a welcome addition that could unseat some viewers's previous favorites.

Perhaps that is because it feels like a more literal adaptation; the dialogue, the accents, the wardrobe, the cold, snowy and foggy London setting, it all works to create a world that is easy to get lost in.  Even if you don't care for animation, within a few minutes you will forget you're watching computer generated imagery.  It's quite spectacular, especially if you catch it at the Hooksett Cinemagic where it's being shown in IMAX 3-D.

Watching Jim Carrey in this movie is a real treat.  Not only does he play Ebenezer Scrooge and does a terrific job playing an old miser, he also portrays all three ghosts of Christmas.  Carrey appropriately reigns in his more manic traits and tendencies this time around and gives each character their own distinct personality.  The Ghost of Christmas Present in particular is impressive.  When Scrooge becomes a changed man, we see some Carrey-isms come out to play but it works and doesn't feel forced.  If the spirit of the holiday season hasn't hit you yet (and really, who could blame you?), A Christmas Carol will put you in the mood.