Disney's A Christmas Carol poster & wallpaper

Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth

An animated retelling of Charles Dickens classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

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72% liked it

603,127 ratings

Critics

56% liked it

161 critics

PG, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Release Date: November 6, 2009

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Stats: 10,084 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (10,084)

  • moonrivers
    November 18, 2009
    moonrivers
    Zemeckis adds to his store of holiday films, still hoping for "it's a wonderful life"'s american family favorite status. first there was "the polar express" with it's emphasis on the santa legend, and now (almost as an apology for such pagan posterings) a return to good ol' Chri...( read more)stian and English sensibilities. the art is the story here tho, ever remarkable, as Zemeckis retools the old tale expanding the spectral side of it and, with that, the dreamlike fear of falling (as in from grace). carrey continues to stretch his career spanning Jerry Lewis impersonation in another attempt to tackle the fortress that is the memory of Jimmy Stewart. well worth the visit as this time i believe ol' Robert has done it.
  • gilbertgumphrey
    November 18, 2009
    gilbertgumphrey
    Note: My apologies to anyone who reads my reviews that it's taken so long to write a new one. I've been extremely busy with schoolwork, but I also kinda gave up writing them, because I know very few people read these and I've already written 200 pages worth of reviews - seems li...( read more)ke kind of a waste. But I'm annoyed watching movies and not being able to write reviews on them, so fuck it, I'm (at least temporarily) back.

    A Christmas Carol is probably the creepiest Christmas movie I've ever seen. This is both a positive and a negative attribute. I'll admit that it was one of my most anticipated movies of the year - Polar Express is in my top 15 movies of all time, and I thought (not without merit) that this would be very much like it. It gets the visual wonder, splendor, and trippiness right, but in terms of spreading jolly Christmas cheer, this movie is like a cold lump of coal in your stocking. As I said, it's an absolute treat for the eyes, and you'll probably become more invested, scared, and enthralled than you expect. But you won't feel good. And kids will have the absolute shit freaked out of them.

    I've never read the book A Christmas Carol (because who the fuck reads anymore?), and I admittedly haven't seen too many versions. I believe The Muppet Christmas Carol is the one I'm most familiar with, and I remember even that one scaring and disturbing me as a little kid. If that one is creepy, than this version is nightmare inducing. Robert Zemekis knows how to not only ratchet up suspense (such as when the ghost of Bob Marley is about to visit Scrooge), but also to show terrifying images popping out at you in 3D when you least expect it. No longer does Scrooge see the face of Bob on his doorknob - now, he sees a ghostly, demonic apparition, green and hair floating, eyes cold and dark and his mouth screaming out at him. No longer is the Ghost of Christmas Present a jolly red haired Santa - now, he has little demon kids under his robes, and when he dies he laughs manically as his skin dissolves away until he's nothing more than a laughing skeleton. And don't even get me started on the Ghost of Christmas bloody Future! This movie will probably appeal to adults and teens much more than kids (especially because of the numerous action scenes), because I can't imagine too many children finding any aspect of this movie "fun". It's dark, it's freaky, and if you watch it in 3D, you'll probably jump out of your seat.

    So far, all I seem to have done is talk about the movie's terror aspects. That's because it was the only thing that, strangely, really impressed me. I didn't like it, but I was stunned at the balls Zemekis and Disney had. Visually, the film is absolutely sumptuous. A lot of people complain about the photo-capture animation Zemekis uses, and how it gives everyone cold, "dead eye" expressions. I won't argue that. What I will say is that it's all worth it, because without this animation, Zemekis wouldn't be able to show off his camera like he does. He actually creates a Brian De Palma animated movie here - the camera swoops, flies, zooms, tracks in and around whole rooms while people are talking. The opening scene of the camera soaring through London has been deservedly high praised, and that's the kind of thing he couldn't have done with live action. Every take in this movie is an amazing long take, because he can, and that's what I love most about this animated style.

    The screenplay is probably the film's biggest problem. It drags, and quite simply, it can often get boring. The opening 20 minutes are so slow, with Scrooge being visited with not one, not two, but THREE people, all in the same room right after each other, that I almost passed out. And if pacing is a big issue, so is the dialogue - words are taken right out of the early 20th century text, and to be honest I often didn't know what the hell people were talking about. It sounded almost Shakespearean to me, and that didn't help when it came to recognizing and having sympathy for the characters. But all in all, A Christmas Carol is definitely a movie worth seeing, especially on 3D screens (and most especially baked). Emotionally, it will leave you cold, which is why I think word of mouth will not be anywhere near as good as the wonderful and beautiful Polar Express was. But aesthetically, and as an animated adventure, it continues the tradition of 2009 to be only a disappointing year for live action films, and a revolutionary year for animated ones.
  • stopitgoaway
    November 12, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    A Christmas Carol 3D
    Expected: 13 November
    Robert Zemeckis is back, pushing the boundaries of performance capture that he previously explored in Beowulf. He?s taking on Charles Dickens? classic with Jim Carrey playing Scrooge plus all three ghosts. And if that wasn?t enough, The ...( read more)Dark Knight?s Gary Oldman will play both Bob Cratchit, and his son, Tiny Tim. Yeah, now you?re intrigued.

    Robert Zemeckis, the main pioneer of Motion capture films with films such as The Polar Express,Back To The Future and Beowulf attempts a new version of a story that has been many times before and needless to say it doesn't disappoint. Jim Carrey is a revelation as Scrooge and the three Ghosts but his performance is so good that each has its own personality, Bob Hoskins and Colin Firth are very good as Crachit and Fred. The 3D in the film is stunning and Zemeckis uses to a great degree but it's never a gimmick. It is a faithful adaptation of the story but it's not for young children and several scenes were quite dark and scary which actually added to the film and it's not as heartwarming as previous versions but the happy ending remains. If there is one or criticisms is that some scenes went on a bit too long and some characters were not as well animated and suffered from dead eye.

    Overall, a great Christmas film and it does show the potential of motion capture and if they continue to improve it then it's going a great tool for filmmakers.
    Look out for: Bob Hoskins bringing the fun as jolly employer Fezziwig
  • RiderOfTheStorms
    November 9, 2009
    RiderOfTheStorms
    I loved it! This is the best adaptation i've ever seen of this story.It was also the scariest movie i've seen all year, i'm not kiddin some parts are just fucked and freaky like, I thought the acting was pretty great in some parts aswell. the animation is amazing, this is one of ...( read more)my favorites of the year. I urge 4 every1 2 watch it in IMAX 3D however. It makes such a huge difference and it was filmed 4 dat format so its so much better. The movie is great on its own but i'm telling u, if u wanna watch this movie, watch it in IMAX or don't bother seeeing it in the theatre at all. Might as well wait 4 the dvd.
  • hypathio7
    November 9, 2009
    hypathio7
    What a difference this new 3-D technology makes! Very enjoyable! Nice sturdy, Buddy Holly type glasses that fit over prescription glasses easily bring depth and life to the images. This isn't the type of 3-D entertainment you see at amusement parks. This movie feels very grou...( read more)nded in reality (with a couple exceptions) because of the life-like depth created by the 3-D animation. Also the motion capture effects have been greatly improved, especially for the main characters. They don't look so plastic anymore.

    The story is very faithful to Dickens' novel. The exceptions to the movie feeling live action include Fezziwig's dancing, Scrooge rolling a barrel like a circus performer while being chased by Yet to Come, and Scrooge becoming miniaturized to take a ride down a drain pipe and on an icicle like a soon to be created Disney theme park ride. So much of the movie succeeded in giving justice to the time period, original story, and language though. The animation allowed the filmmakers to be creative storytellers without being physically limited. I forgot I was watching an animated movie at times! Even though this is Disney, this is no kiddie Mickey's Christmas Carol. Marley's ghost, the three spirits, and Scrooge's grave are rendered with real suspense. They are quite frightening for a PG film. Carey and Oldman do a great job with the bulk of the characters. The supporting cast contributes strong turns as well. A satisfying telling of the classic Christmas tale.
  • inuyasha233
    November 20, 2009
    inuyasha233
    my daughter love's anything doing with christmas movies
  • adades1
    November 20, 2009
    adades1
    i really want to see this
  • jojopinks
    November 20, 2009
    jojopinks
    i havent seen it before.
  • judelyncagaral
    November 20, 2009
    judelyncagaral
    i want to see this movie
  • salahosny64
    November 20, 2009
    salahosny64
    it must be a good movie but never seen it

View All Disney's A Christmas Carol Reviews

Critic Reviews

November 6, 2009
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Zemeckis' film preserves much of Dickens' original dialogue and detail while amplifying the utter ethereal strangeness of the ghosts. full review

November 6, 2009
Kyle Smith, New York Post

You don't identify with Scrooge at any point, nor is blatant fakery scary. Picture The Seventh Seal with sock puppets. full review

November 6, 2009
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

A branded piece of shiny seasonal entertainment. full review

November 6, 2009
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

Dickens purists can stay away. Others can feel free to sample the rollicking aerial views of Victorian London, the droll and scary elasticity of Carrey. full review

November 5, 2009
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

To put it bluntly, if Scroogely, Disney's 3-D animated version of A Christmas Carol is a calamity. full review

November 5, 2009
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Favors thrill-ride effects that are more often the star than the servant of the story. It's like "Silent Night" played by Led Zeppelin. full review

November 5, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

A re-telling should either present a resonant or fresh thematic take. This Christmas Carol seems like a pale ghost of Dickens' magical Christmas classic. full review

November 5, 2009
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Shockingly, the new film turns out to be very good, at times close to brilliant: a darkly detailed marvel of creative visualization that does well by Dickens and right by audiences -- when it's not tr... full review

November 5, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The story that Dickens wrote in 1838 remains timeless, and if it's supercharged here with Scrooge swooping the London streets as freely as Superman, well, once you let ghosts into a movie, there's roo... full review

November 4, 2009
Armond White, The New York Press

Zemeckis' latest motion-capture CGI project capsizes Dickens' narrative power simply because the faces of the human simulacra are so utterly inexpressive and ugly. full review

View more Disney's A Christmas Carol reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • EreborTabor
    November 4, 2009
    EreborTabor
    Wait a minute...3D animation, based on a classic beloved story, directed by Robert Zemeckis with Robin Wright Penn as part of the supporting cast. Last time that happened, I was very disappointed. On the upside, Gary Oldman and Bob Hoskins have roles of some sort. Could this movie make up for the let-down knows as BEOWULF? Let's find out.
  • azharikassim
    November 4, 2009
    azharikassim
    i hope this is a good movie..coz actor is jim carrey..
  • Rosepetal75
    October 31, 2009
    Rosepetal75
    http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/achristmascarol/
  • mj19moh
    September 13, 2009
    mj19moh
    I thiNk it's really great moVie,...... So i will watch thiS,.CaNt waiT,... So exCiteD,.Well let's sEe...........
  • michellerubio
    May 14, 2009
    michellerubio
    I am VERY excited about this movie, usually Christmass movies dont call my attention, but with a cast like this! I thought it would be a live action movie,it would have been SO much better!
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  • Reference:
    This movie references:
    Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"
    Not only is the movie a retelling of the novel, but it directly alludes to the fact that it's a retelling when the first chapter of the Dickens novel is flipped open in the opening scene.
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