I went into this film expecting to dislike it. I've never been much of a fan of Jim Carrey and I've seen numerous theatrical and film versions of the Dickens' classic over the years. I didn't expect that this new offering could bring anything particularly mind-boggling to the table.
And besides – I have a real soft spot for Disney’s 1992 release,
The Muppet Christmas Carol. Why try to improve on a film that features a singing capsicum?
But the pleasing fact is, this is a pretty spectacular movie. Special effects wonderkid
Robert Zemeckis is at the helm and has seemingly found the perfect vehicle for the motion-capture animation techniques he developed in films such as
Beowulf and
Polar Express. And as if the motion-capture animation isn’t enough to knock your socks off, they’re also releasing it in 3D. As far as a visual experience goes, it doesn’t get much better than this – Zemeckis seems to have realised the potential of 3D better than most directors of recent times. The sweeping shots through olde London town that dart around church spires, laneways and snow capped treetops almost give you vertigo.
Not only have they nailed the animation with this film – they’ve also got a perfect cast …. which mainly consists of Jim Carrey. He plays multiple roles in the film, including Ebenezer Scrooge as a young, middle-aged, and old man, and the three ghosts who haunt Scrooge.
While I’ve found Carrey a little irritating in the past (with
Me, Myself and Irene being the exception), he absolutely shines here. His theatrical style really lends itself to what is fundamentally a fairytale.
The film also features understated performances from the likes of Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn and Bob Hoskens ... who all seem to have understood that they were there simply as supporting cast in the Jim Carrey Show.
One of the few criticisms I have is that some scenes could do with a strong edit (in particular a scene where the ghost of Christmas future is chasing Scrooge in a horse and carriage). Now and then the film dragged just a little. But I can definitely see why this happens - if I’d spent hours painstakingly animating a scene, I’d want people to sit there and watch the damned thing too.
Perhaps the most admirable thing about this film is that it stays relatively close to Dicken’s original novel, which is still as relevant today as it was when he penned it in 1843. And while previous versions have tended to take a soft approach to the more terrifying aspects of the story, Zemeckis seems to revel in them. The ghost of Jacob Marley appears in his burial garb with a dislocated jaw and doorknobs suddenly turn into nightmare-inducing severed heads. While adults will probably enjoy these darker elements, children could possibly whizz themselves.
Parents, you’ve been warned.
A Christmas Carol opens in cinemas today.
You can view the A Christmas Carol movie trailer here on TheVine.