A Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is a surprisingly literal adaptation of the story; it is a stylized version set in bleakly realistic Dickensian London. This is both its greatest strength and its innate weakness because instead of creating something new for the readers, Zemeckis has re-told the classic tale exactly like most people remember it except with his usual 3-D mo-cap technology. Be that as it may, there’s also something to be said for “If it ain’t broke…” and despite being told as is through the narrative eyes, just to remind us how much a classic this story really is…
Scrooge is an old man with no heart and a sack full of money. He lives in a world where most people are not nearly as rich as he is; and when snow began to fall, spirits began to rise revealing Scrooge’s hatred for Christmas even more. As for his nephew Fred and coworker Bob Cratchit who like Scrooge hate carolers but have their hearts filled with Christmas cheer. The only remaining part that belongs to his humanity died seven years ago – Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former partner. Nonetheless, on Christmas Eve he gets visited by Marley’s ghost who tells him that he will be visited by three ghosts: Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future.
Naturally though, what makes or breaks this movie lies in the animation which is never elaborate save for during the scenes involving spectres. On all other occasions however, the film takes place in a very relatable real-life London setting. Finally though when we are shown the ghosts themselves does this film turn into ‘visual adventure’ mode (and even then not until near its end), offering three different kinds of 3D visualizations at once. The initial one is where Scrooge rides back into past at great speed with one ghost appearing as a C.G.I. version of the Beauty and the Beast candelabra. The second presentation is located at Christmas Present and takes place in a room with a transparent floor that floats above certain scenes and then descends upon them. The final ghost is of Christmas Future who chases Scrooge in a huge but ultimately meaningless chase scene through a giant London as he gets smaller while they try to fly away from the Reaper-like spirit; objects on Earth slide by or fall towards viewers in an obvious 3D moment.
Jim Carrey, who delivers a very successful performance as the grumpy, cold-hearted Scrooge, does not do as well with his ghost characters because he acts like Jim Carrey in many of his movies. Past and Present are two particularly annoying characters who, despite their visual flare, simply feel like the cartoon caricature which Carrey so delicately avoids playing as Scrooge. On the other hand Colin Firth (as Fred) and Gary Oldman (as Cratchit) give completely forgettable performances although Oldman’s brief relationship with famous Tiny Tim is portrayed quite emotionally true for a moment or two.
A Christmas Carol is a dark, but still innocent offering for the holidays for families. Interestingly, this film has some 3D integrated into it with such effectiveness: an overhead shot of London with all its splendor and vastness– but only in isolated moments because the movie tries to inject a number of scenes that seem so much like they have been simply forced into the narrative just to support the gimmick that is being displayed. Combining this aspect with the un-interpreted way the account is told, it makes everything look too familiar. However, having an illustrated CG approach just doesn’t make it feel fresh at all. On the other hand, Zemeckis really enjoys himself here; though some may argue that he has done anything new or subtle in this case, this is a fun-filled family extravaganza, visually striking yet void of originality.
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