A Christmas Carol
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Walt Disney Pictures, 2009
By Rachel West
With the early November release of A Christmas Carol, the Christmas season is upon us sooner than ever. This faithful yet novel adaptation is a sure-fire way to bring in the holiday spirit, even if your neighbours still have their rotting jack o’lanterns displayed on their porch.
A tried-and-true story, adapted onto screens big and small over the years, a simple title search on IMDB reveals that there are over 35 filmed versions of the Charles Dickens’ classic, from the made-for-TV movie A Diva’s Christmas Carol (sadly, I’ve seen it), to childhood favourite Mickey’s Christmas Carol, to gems like Scrooged. You may think you’ve seen it all before, know the dialogue by heart, and another adaptation is superfluous at best, but this time, the film is in show-stopping 3D.
The main draw of the film is the use of the new three-dimensional Real-D technology with Dolby Digital projection, thrusting the viewer right into early 19th century London. With the help of handy Wayfarer-style glasses, Scrooge’s miserable existence is thrust right into your face. Dickens’ work literally leaps off the page here and unlike early attempts at 3D with the standard red-and-blue glasses, there aren’t too many in-your-face 3D gimmicks added just for the sake of trying to wow viewers. Here, viewers are wowed by the format of the film alone. The goal of films like A Christmas Carol is to immerse the audience in the story, surrounding them in the action by playing with depth and staging, in what’s become the norm for the new 3D movie. Sure, Jacob Marley still seems to leap off the screen, but it’s the more subtle staging — putting viewers on street level with Scrooge, glaring at carolers, and “bah humbugging” their way through Christmas Eve — that give A Christmas Carol its novel twist.
The story itself rarely veers off the path set by the written word. Some of the dialogue is lifted straight out of the novel and previous screen adaptations. The slow start gives audiences time to wonder at the graphics — the worn leather chair, the wrinkles on Scrooge’s brow, the velvety bed curtains. This slow start might leave you wondering if this film was just an excuse to show off some 3D tricks and make a grab at some holiday cash. But the film quickly gains momentum with the appearance of the first ghost. Sure, some 3D fun is included in the film, like a wild rollercoaster-like ride through the streets and sewers of London, as Scrooge is shrunk to miniature proportions. It sounds weird, but it works, no matter how much it veers from a traditional telling of the tale.
Jim Carrey takes top billing in the film as Ebenezer Scrooge, although he and the rest of the cast voice several characters throughout the film. Scrooge looks like Montgomery Burns come to life with a beak-like nose, hunchback, evil sneer, and liver spots included. Scrooge is clearly Carrey in both looks and speech. Uncannily, the rest of the animated cast look so like their real-life personas, it’s almost creepy. Colin Firth as Scrooge’s nephew Fred looks like a younger version of Colin Firth. Bob Cratchit, voiced by Gary Oldman, looks eerily like Gary Oldman, had he been born two feet shorter. Oldman also uses his talents as the deceased Jacob Marley, come back from beyond the grave to warn Scrooge of the impending visits by the three Christmas spirits — so jarringly frightening in 3D that more than one youngster was lead out of the theatre in tears.
A Christmas Carol is a film for older kids and adults. Younger ones who want to get into the Christmas spirit would be bored and/or terrified out of their minds. Unlike other adaptations like A Muppet’s Christmas Carol there isn’t anything cute or funny to keep younger viewers’ attention. This might be the reason why a weekend matinee had mostly child-less adults in the theatre. The film can be quite dark, especially when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come makes his debut just as the Ghost of Christmas Present sees his flesh decay, turns into a skeleton, and eventually becomes the proverbial dust in the wind. Yes, that really happens. In 3D. In a Disney movie. Which is why the movie is kinda awesome.
A Christmas Carol is worth the trip to the cinema, no matter how well you know the story, and a great way to bring in some holiday cheer.
I love A Muppet’s Christmas Carol! It’s one of our family classics.
I liked the film, but I disagree about the part where he’s miniaturized. Where the first two spirit sections were kind of creepy and off putting and excellent, the Ghost of Christmas To Come, who should be the scariest ghost, was suddenly turned into a kiddy laugh riot where mini-Scrooge is surfing icicles and the director is throwing so many sight gags at us it was like I could hear him screaming “LOOK IT’S IN 3D” directly into my ear canal.
Other than that though, pretty excellent.
I just saw the film today. I do agree with the bit about the characters looking just like the actors, yet in that weird animated way. You could argue that the film would have been better in live action, but I guess it’s easier to digitally age Jim Carrey than to have him wear pounds of make-up.
Also, while I did agree that Marley would have been frightening to a degree, in my opinion it’s the transition from the Ghost of Christmas Present to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come that is absolutely TERRIFYING for young kids.
Overall I think the film was a fairly decent adaptation, but I’m sure that the 1951 Alastair Sim version will remain the definitive (though I have yet to see that one).
BTW, on the subject of multitudes of adaptations, I would say that my favourites would include The Muppets Christmas Carol (who DOESN’T like that one) as well as Scrooged (gotta love classic Bill Murray).