A sophisticated and uncompromising festive classic that might not be to everyones taste but cannot be faulted for its authenticity.
Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come, as they help to bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart. The Ghosts remind him of the man he used to be, the hard truth of what the world is today, and what will happen if he does not strive to be a better man.

The miserly Scrooge is intent on spending another penny-pinching Yule on his own. Its a very familiar story, one that as been retold and adapted numerous times. There were comments after the screening we attended that Zemeckis had taken all the fun out of the story the fact is that this is an utterly faithful adaptation of the original version. Perhaps people were expecting the Muppets Christmas tale or something similar, this most certainly is not that.

Its genuinely frightening in places with the ghosts not just scaring the old grump Scrooge, but also giving the audience a thorough going over. The dialogue is lifted straight from Dickens, but is surprisingly easy to follow, proving just what a great wordsmith the writer was. It feels contemporary despite the setting and requires you only to forget the disneyfied versions you might have seen (the irony being of course that this actually is a Disney version of the film).

The payoff is also just as in the original. This will leave some people unsatisfied; as Im sure they will want a more cheery finale with everything wrapped up in a nice bow. Again dont blame Zemeckis for this, it was Dickens who opted for the more subtle conclusion and it is thankfully left relatively unchanged.

Carrey plays Scrooge with a great sense of grumpiness. The curmudgeonly old man is still very human yet strangely lifeless, and no thats not because of the animation style. It is the same signature CGI as used in Polar Express, but whereas Hanks managed to infuse his creations with a sense of dullness and complete emptiness, Carrey brings alive the ghosts and the central character.

The 3D works well and is indeed just as spooky as it should be. The scenes that actually feel most unnecessary are the ones that have the most 3D excess and are additions to the script for purely action needs. The subtle and unnerving earlier moments are the most enthralling, even if you do wish the director would get over the idea that a swooping camera is essential to show-off the prowess of the technology at hand. It isnt.

The film will be on Imax and in Disney 3D (both formats proving to be superior that their standard counterparts).

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By: Mike Edwards