Leighton Trent (Glove86)

This early film of Gus Van Sant's is a very impressive piece of independent cinema. A modern take on Shakespeare's Henry IV, even with various parts in iambic pentameter, brings out unflinching, honest performances from River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves and the strength of Van San't writing is able to bring this out of them. It's amazing to watch this film with its own unique style and verve. It has a life of its own, and as it moved along, I was both marveled and moved. You can feel the deeply personal elements of Van Sant portrayed here and this makes it even greater.

A solid, if well done film. The best use of motion capture Zemeckis has employed yet is here with this extremely faithful adaption of Dickens' tale.

Carrey is terrific vocally, as is Gary Oldman - both with multiple roles. The visuals are amazing at times, most notably with the Ghost of Christmas Present and the background of falling snow, but can be distracting as well (the green ghost of Scrooge's former partner, Marley, feels out of place visually, and the Ghost of Christmas Past with Jim Carrey's floating head is just odd).
The darkness of the story is welcomed, as is a lot of Dickens' original dialogue. Most romanticize the story, but Zemeckis keeps its dark tone, and this makes for a strong effort and should be commended.

But somehow it just doesn't all mesh for me, as I thought it would. Maybe, at the end of the day, I just ask, what is the point of doing this story over again, even with something as revolutionary as motion capture? What does this version accomplish, besides being more adult, that all the others didn't?

Well done, but ultimately forgettable for me.

Incredible. Hugh Jackman proved to me that he can act. Beautifully shot, impeccably crafted, and achingly told; a love story that is [literally] transcendent and touches my soul in a way no other film has. Plus, I'm still trying to piece it all together. It's like a living, breathing jigsaw puzzle for me. Unappreciated in its time.

Ever since I was a little kid, I've loved dinosaurs. For the little kid in me, this is the ultimate film.