David: As a long time fan of Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol”, the latest film adaption by director Robert Zemeckis starring Jim Carrey was no disappointment. By means of live capture animation, a rather understated Carrey was able to play not only Scrooge at all stages of his life, but also all three Ghosts. For those who don’t know the story, Mia has a short synopsis:
Mia: The film was about Scrooge, who was a selfish old man and some ghosts helping him realise how selfish and bad he had been. I don’t think it’s for the younger kids, because there were some kids behind us that were crying and saying “I’m scared”. .
David: This is not just a children’s movie. Except for the almost unforgivable addition of some extraneous action sequences, the film follows the original in all respects: dialogue, visual illustrations, and social commentary are all fully faithful to the 19th Century original without any dumbing down.
Maddy: I knew as soon as the movie started that I was going to enjoy it. I could tell by the swooping camera effects. It was pretty scary, especially the scene where Ghost of Christmas Present disappeared. The Ghost of Christmas Past was nice, and the least scary.
David: We rather regret not take the option of seeing the film in 3D. Every scene is clearly designed to milk that “third dimension” for all it is worth. I reckon you would get your money’s worth if you went to see it at Imax.
Mia: The movie was quite “doomy” until the end. I really liked the part where he got up and told the boy to go fetch him turkey.
David: Yes, this is a dark film for the most part. There are not many laughs, and some sections are downright terrifying. The ending is, however, “as light as a feather” as Scrooge describes it.
Mia: I quite enjoyed it. I give it four and half.
Maddy: I give it four.
David: If we saw it in 3D minus the unnecessary chase sequences, it would be a near perfect film. As it is, I’m giving it four stars too.
