Cinema Soldier

Score:

Before you see this version of A Christmas Carol remember: you have options. According to IMDB, about 50 Christmas Carol movies have been released through the years, dating back to the earliest days of film. This is not the best of those versions. I prefer A Muppet Christmas Carol and the 1984 version with George C. Scott as Scrooge. I like these because they are the versions I grew up with. 

Robert Zemeckis's take on the story, starring Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge and all three ghosts, is made using motion capture CGI, much like The Polar Express. It's also made for 3D. Honestly, the only surprises here are in those 3D sequences. Instead of being transported around, ghosts grab Scrooge and drag him (and the audience) through POV 3D forests and towns at lightspeed. If Disney World had a Scrooge ride, it would use sequences from this movie. The result is fun to watch, but somewhat exhausting.

Jim Carrey plays his parts admirably, and I especially like the Ghost of Christmas Past, but the screenplay, written by Zemeckis, contains no new material other than 3D fancywork. Perhaps this story is just all tapped out. It would have been nice if some original story ideas had come into play. Still, young ones, and those living under a rock, will find a competent version of the story. Scrooge learns to love others more than money and Tiny Tim blesses all of us, everyone. Just don't expect any new lines. The look of Bob Cratchit reminds me how well Kermit the Frog was cast 17 years ago. 

This is going to be my shortest review yet. What more is there to say? I enjoyed it, but got tired toward the end. Zemeckis has done a decent job, but this isn't inspired work. It's a job. Carrey seems the most enthusiastic of anyone, though I'm not sure he was very inspired by the story either. You're not going to leave upset or disappointed, but don't anticipate surprises. Judging from the low box office take so far, nobody seems terribly interested.

Here's a great, and original, scene from "A Muppet Christmas Carol"