 Jim Carrey is the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge in “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.” Photo courtesy of Disney Studios.
DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Rated PG)
There’s probably a good reason that Charles Dickens’ name is not part of the title in the 3D motion picture event that is “Disney’s A Christmas Carol.”
Robert Zemeckis, serving as director, producer and screenwriter, observes in the press notes that the classic Dickens tale is the “greatest time-travel story ever written” and that he wanted to do the movie the way he believed it was “originally envisioned by the author.”
However, with that said, it is hard, quite frankly, to imagine that Dickens would have foreseen the technological advantages of modern filmmaking, particularly the CGI animation.
Variations of “A Christmas Carol” have appeared over the years on the big screen as well as on TV sets during the holidays. One could fairly ask the question of why yet another production is merited or necessary.
Zemeckis, as you may recall, utilized the performance-capture method of animation in “The Polar Express,” and now he has improved those animated techniques to even greater effect in bringing Ebenezer Scrooge to life in the full glory of his misery and contempt for the cheerful Christmas holidays. What we get is a Scrooge who would probably surprise Charles Dickens for his vivid incarnation.
In a delicious bit of casting, rubber-faced comedian Jim Carrey is Ebenezer Scrooge, realized as the cranky, bitter old man familiar to generations of readers and filmgoers.
Entirely lacking in Christmas spirit, Scrooge begins the holiday with usual miserly contempt, barking at his abused, faithful clerk Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman). His mood is no more jovial for his cheery nephew Fred (Colin Firth), who invites his uncle to enjoy a holiday meal in his home.
As usual, Scrooge makes it clear that he has no intention of enjoying Christmas and goes home alone, where he encounters the ghost of his dead business partner Jacob Marley (also Gary Oldman).
Paying the price in the afterlife for his own callousness, Marley hopes to dissuade Scrooge from staying on the same path to a life of ultimate ruin. Marley informs Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, who in an interesting twist are all played by Jim Carrey.
The Ghost of Christmas Past appears in the form of a detached head with flickering red-hot flames, who escorts Scrooge on a journey back in time where he sees himself as a vibrant young man in love and engaged to Belle (Robin Wright Penn).
The Ghost of Christmas Present, a cackling merry giant decked out in robes, arrives to show Scrooge what his life is really like in the present. The old miser is confronted with a few harsh realities, when he observes the modest Cratchit household and his clerk’s meager situation, including the severity of the illness of his young son, the brave Tiny Tim.
The Ghost also allows Scrooge to view his nephew’s Christmas party, where he witnesses a guessing game in which Scrooge’s dreary life is the punch line.
Perhaps the most unsettling of the spirits is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a phantom who takes Scrooge into the future as the pair explores an unnamed man’s recent death.
Businessmen discuss the man’s riches, and Old Joe (Bob Hoskins) and Mrs. Dilber (Fionnula Flannigan) divvy up his bedding and curtains. Soon enough, Scrooge learns that this is the future that awaits him if he doesn’t mend his ways.
As expected, “A Christmas Carol” delivers its timeless message, just in time to save Scrooge from a fate worse than death.
The Charles Dickens novel has become a holiday tradition for the ages. Only time will tell if “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” achieves success as a classic celebration of the Christmas spirit that endures for generations.
To be sure, the 3D animation is absolutely terrific, resulting in breathtaking visual effects that are wondrous to behold. Jim Carrey delivers a remarkable performance as Scrooge, though he gets a bit carried away in over-the-top characterization of the ghosts.
The photography is often hypnotic and is at its best when swooping over the landscape of Victorian London.
Spectacular in its brilliant animation, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” a visual treat from start to finish, is a fitting start for holiday season entertainment.
DVD RELEASE UPDATE
In the holiday spirit of giving, it is worthwhile to note that one person can truly make a difference in the lives of others.
From PBS Video comes the release of “The English Surgeon,” a true story documenting a British doctor’s undertaking to save lives in a Ukrainian hospital full of desperate patients and makeshift equipment.
London brain surgeon Henry Marsh, driven for over 17 years to improve conditions he witnessed on his first visit to the Ukraine in 1992, openly confronts moral and ethical issues in his dedicated mission.
On a lighter note, I wanted to point out that “Nash Bridges: The Third Season” is being released on DVD.
Don Johnson starred as a San Francisco police investigator with a reputation as a topnotch cop, but who’s not always so successful in his personal life.
Recently, I watched an episode of “Miami Vice,” and came to the realization that Don Johnson was much better served in his Bay Area venue.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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