Review of FULL film: DISNEY’S “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” in REAL 3-D

…  At the end of July, 2009, I wrote & posted the following about a PROMOTIONAL TOUR for Disney’s film “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” starring Jim Carrey, as seen at:

http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com/2011/02/report-on-train-promotion-for-film_02.html

Here now is a review of the whole FINISHED film:

Review of film:  DISNEY’S “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” in REAL 3-D 

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Charles Dickens (novel)

Robert Zemeckis (screenplay)

Starring:

Jim Carrey

Ryan Ochoa

Gary Oldman

Colin Firth

Cary Elwes

Robin Wright Penn

Bob Hoskins

Daryl Sabara.

MPAA Rating:

PG for scary sequences and images.

Quotes:

“Bah, humbug!”

“You’ll be haunted by three spirits.”

“What’s happening?!”

MY Rating: 

9 of 10 stars (for the 98-minute film).

             A MISER’S GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE REDEMPTION

There have been some complaints about this film not having completely “human”-looking mannerisms & images, due to the use of the special stop-motion + animation process (based in part by attaching SENSORS to the live stars to give the basic general movements that the animation then “follows”)…

…  Since MOST animation doesn’t tend to provide those characteristics “fully” in today’s films, I feel that’s a generally specious argument;  I thus prefer to judge the film on what it DOES provide (since there are only very minor segments where the movements look a bit “askew” when characters seem to “hop” a bit, & only JIM CARREY’S “Scrooge” face is significantly “caricatured” for “effect”).

…  As stated above, Carrey plays the central character of penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge in this version, & I feel he does a FINE job in appropriately “exaggerating” (but not “overdoing”) things for the 3-D effects…

…  (He ALSO provided the movements & / or voices for the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present & Future [Yet to Come], along with Scrooge as a Young Boy, Teenage Boy, Young Man & Middle-Aged Man)…

…  The film starts out with a wonderfully “atmospheric” journey thru London around 1836, swooping thru streets, around shops, past denizens, etc.: 

…  Carrey helps you feel the “pain” it gives him to come up with money owed the Undertaker for  handling the funeral of his just-deceased partner Marley & at the idea of giving any donation to carolers or charities.  Thanks to the effectively-handled animation, you also clearly “feel” the dislike and fear other people have just from being around the usually-angry, money-grubbing Scrooge.

…  People like his employee Bob Cratchit (played by GARY OLDMAN) & Scrooge’s nephew Fred (COLIN FIRTH) find a way to “put-up” with the offensive tightwad-iness of Scrooge, & they keep trying to find some thing “good” about him (tho that’s usually very difficult)…

…  You keep feeling SORRY for people who have to deal with him, such as a Portly Gentleman (CARY ELWES) & others who come to him hoping for Christmas-time contributions for the underprivileged & the like…

…  I found the special-effects (of the “ghost” of Marley coming back to “haunt” him, the various Ghosts of Christmas, etc.) to be excellently done overall, especially with the 3-D…

…  There are various minor characters in the story, such as Scrooge’s first employer Mr. Fezziwig (BOB HOSKINS), Belle (Robin Wright Penn), Cratchit’s disabled son Tiny Tim (voiced by GARY OLDMAN), friends of Fred, a housekeeper for Scrooge + her family, etc.  (Most people are voicing multiple characters in the movie)…

…  As you may know, the story involves characters who eventually serve to help show Scrooge the proto-typical “ERROR of his [miserly] ways”, & he ends up getting pleasure from becoming a GIVING (rather than taking) type person… 

…  I tended to “settle back” & let the film’s “ambience” (the cold rooms, the poor people, the falling snow, the warm Holiday gatherings at different family homes, etc.) “WASH” over me & just enjoyed the story-telling…

…  The movie isn’t “great”--  but I found it to be a very EFFECTIVE telling of the tale, with fine work by Carrey, impressive animation & special effects, & a lively capturing of the “atmosphere” of the life & times of people in that day & place…

…  In other words, NO “Bah Humbug!” here…

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