My Movie Review on A Christmas Carol (2009)
Merry Christmas, my good friends.
This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.
And today, for the 5th installment of my "Christmas Craze" series, I'm gonna be reviewing "A Christmas Carol". The 2009 film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey to be precise.
Here's the summary of this tale:
Ebenezer Scrooge is a cranky and cold-hearted businessman who cares little for anything but himself, and money. He particularly believes that Christmas is nothing but a waste of time, and that those who are poor are inferior to the human race.
On Christmas Eve, however, the ghost of Scrooge's old friend and business partner, Jacob Marley, visits Scrooge and warns him that if he doesn't change his ways, his spirit will be doomed to walk the earth in chains. He also notifies that three spirits, a Ghost of Christmas Past, a Ghost of Christmas Present, and a Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come will be coming individually to show Scrooge why it's better to change his ways rather than the opposite of that.
Will Scrooge ever change? Or will he forever be the cruel and cranky man he currently is?
For much of my life, I've often recalled seeing more than one adaption of the classic story by Charles Dickens, including ones that I'm interested in reviewing at some point in the future. However, out of every adaption I've watched, this one is by far the most unique.
I can definitely see that Robert Zemeckis, helming the chairs of director and screenwriter, went all-out in being true to the actual story and making this film a masterpiece. The way he was able to take the story on a completely visual level was unlike anything I've seen before in an adaption of "A Christmas Carol", and he incorporated an astounding sense of passion into it too.
The film's use of digital motion-capture was fantastic to watch too. The effects of this movie elevated it to where it was like the pictures from the book were brought to life, and it was awesome!
The music that was composed by Alan Silvestri was an element that I also highly commend. He gave his music a spirit that perfectly matched the Christmas season, and the overall range and melodies featured boosted the film in making audiences feel like they were in the adventure itself.
Finally, the performances of the cast, casting, characters, and character development were amazing.
If my hunch is right, no one would've ever guessed that Jim Carrey would make a perfect Ebenezer Scrooge. However, in an adaption with an entirely digital look, Carrey was astoundingly able to prove that he was perfect for the part of Scrooge. He incorporated such powerful emotion and feeling into the character, with an occasional sense of humor on the side. Plus, Carrey and actor Gary Oldman showcased an incredible ability to play more than one character, making them as distinguished and different from one another as possible. Carrey not only portrayed Scrooge, but also the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future; Gary Oldman portrayed Jacob Marley and Bob Cratchit.
Now if I'm gonna be honest, I wouldn't recommend this film as something for ages under eleven to see. It's mainly because there are several dark and scary moments in the film that I'm afraid would give the little ones nightmares. The scenes featuring Jacob Marley and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and when the Ghost of Christmas Present's time fades away and what happens before it are the ones that I'm talking about. As a matter of fact, those moments were strong enough to creep me out.
In conclusion, though, Robert Zemeckis's "A Christmas Carol" is one of the best adaptions of the classic Charles Dickens story I've ever seen, and it's one that I believe pre-teens and older will absolutely enjoy.
So, I rate "A Christmas Carol (2009)" 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
