Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.
Is it me or is it a bit early to start thinking about Christmas? Then again I bump into Santa's at my local mall and hear Christmas music on the radios already so I guess its inevitable that even though we have Thanksgiving inbetween now and Christmas, we might as well start releasing Christmas movies. The first, I think, of these Christmas films comes in the form of YET ANOTHER adaptation of A Christmas Carol. We have seen everything from a word for word translation of Christmas Carol, to Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck Christmas Carol, heck there has even been a Muppet Christmas Carol. So what makes this one stand out from the other hundreds of Christmas Carol tellings? In my opinion: the acting and the style.
The visual style of A Christmas Carol is evident from the getgo. Its stunning visuals are a feast for the eyes, showing an evolution of an already great system shown in A Polar Express and Beowulf. Its improved even more making it look even more lifelike while at the same time totally over the top. One of the most stunning things to me is that Jim Carey and Gary Oldman (among a few others) play multiple characters and all seem distinctly different. That is how great these visuals are. Add to them the 3D element and you got a treat for the eyes. I am not usually a fan of 3D in movies and find it to be really distracting but it is REALLY well done here.
As I mentioned briefly the acting is awesome in this movie. Jim Carey is a great character actor if not a character himself. His mannurisms, his delivery, his expressions are all so animated already that he fits perfectly into a movie like this. Carey plays Scrooge in this movie, as well as all the Ghosts (past, present, future). Each one is distinctly different although the ghosts tend to be a little more over the top and out there compared to Scrooge. Carey is wonderful but Gary Oldman is brilliant. Any fan of Oldman should already know how good of a character actor he is. He plays Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchet and Tiny Tim in this movie, all three totally different characters but all very well done. I was pleasently surprised with the rest of the cast as well, especially Robin Wright Penn and Carey Elwes doing phenominal.
My only criticism is one I share with all psuedo human animated films and that is the lack of a human element. I know its animated but the emotions that I felt watching other, more realistic versions of A Christmas Carol I did not feel watching here. Maybe this will come in time but our technology right now lacks that emotional impact.
Besides that it is an extremly well done and well acted adaptation and definetly worth a look if you have a family or have enjoyed previous versions of this classic Christmas story.
MY VERDICT: OWN IT
I'm looking forward to seeing this. I felt The Polar Express wasn't up to Zemeckis' usual standard, and neither was Beowulf, but the animation was glorious. Although I do wish (which is a point you make) Robert Zemeckis would make some non-animated films and not spend years developing better and better graphics. It's now 9 years since Cast Away, I dread to think Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 will all be animated.
ReplyDeleteYeah i totally agree. Castaway was a phenominal film and I really wish he'd do another live action movie soon. I didnt mind Polar Express or Beowulf (better than Gerard Butler's Beowulf and Grendel) but it does get old after a while. I do appreciate the EFFORT he's put into all of his animated films though. With every new film the animation just gets better. It makes me hope for the future of animated films (although i am a bit nostalgic towards hand drawn animated films)
ReplyDeleteThe effects in this film are amazing.
ReplyDeleteBut I still have to say the Muppet version of A Christmas Carol is still one of my favorites renditions.