FILMS
‘Bah-humbug’ is right: ‘Christmas Carol’ film disappoints
Reviewed by Rebecca Bostic | Nov. 16, 2009 | The Catholic Sun
Many have adapted Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for the silver screen, hoping to teach the masses about the value of generosity and the consequences of selfishness.
Walt Disney Pictures’ most recent adaptation, featuring Jim Carrey as the vocal talent for a computer animated Ebenezer Scrooge, is not only a poor rendition of the masterpiece, but perhaps even morally problematic. Director Robert Zemeckis seems to use the classic tale to make money off unsuspecting moviegoers.
The story is still familiar, but it must be the most frightening adaptation yet. The Ghost of Christmas Past is creepy; the Ghost of Christmas Present has a horrifying death scene; the Ghost of Christmas Future ends his torment of Scrooge in a haunted house-style graveyard — complete with the lid of a coffin creaking open.
The added chase scenes take the film from bad to ridiculous. Scrooge runs, slips, slides and flies through London. Presumably this is meant to be frightening or funny — but it fails on both counts.
Too many times the filmmakers add details for a “cool” three-dimensional moment. While the animators are busy showing off, Dickens’ voice fades from the screen.
Meanwhile, Carrey tries to move from the comical to the serious without much success. The audience knows the story too well.
Scrooge doles out his well-known “bah-humbug;” the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, warns Scrooge that the selfish pursuit of financial gain may spell his doom.
The three ghosts of time stop by to show Scrooge the error of his ways. And then, the next morning, he begins a new life with a joyful and generous spirit.
On its own, Dickens’ message is timeless. Every person has a chance at redemption, no matter how corrupt his past. But in this latest rendition, the graphic tricks dilute rather than enhance.
The film, which is intended for a family audience, also continues a recent trend of animated features that are too frightening for children.
While Pixar animators are famous for making cartoons for adults, they remained child-friendly in the process. The multi-generational content is not mutually exclusive.
This newer crop of films, though, tends to lack such balance. Families go into the theater thinking the pictures are harmless, but find out otherwise only after they’ve bought their $5 popcorn.
Therein lies perhaps the film’s most tainted attribute: hypocrisy. Financial exploitation of Dickens at the expense of the family audience is humbug indeed.
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Media critic Rebecca Bostic is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.
