How many reimaginings/remakes/reboots of A Christmas Carol is too many? For me, it’s all been a matter of diminishing returns since Vanessa (L. Yeah) Williams cut an extra-glamorous yuletide picture in VH1’s 2000 classic A Diva’s Christmas Carol, but maybe that makes me crazy. (Possibly.) Seriously, though, after learning that Disney’s new Jim Carrey-led Carol reigned over the weekend box office (to the tune of $31 million), I was starting to think I was the only person in America who thought the film’s trailer made it the most unappealing cineplex prospect since that other Robert Zemeckis holiday movie that I think was called The Nightmare Before Reanimated Tom Hanks Face and Also a Train. But then my friend/special PopWatch correspondent Drew sent me a photo of a defaced Christmas Carol poster from a subway stop in Manhattan, and I realized: I AM NOT ALONE. Who else is alternately bored by the prospect of yet another take on Ebenezer Scrooge, then horrified by the image of old-man Carrey skyward-bound on a makeshift rocket? Or, like EW’s movie critic Owen Gleiberman, did you actually see A Christmas Carol and find it delightful? (For the record, Owen gave it an A!)
'A Christmas Carol': NYC subway graffiti accurately sums up my feelings on nation's No. 1 film
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Comments (1-15) of 74 Add your comment
Boyfriend wants to see this. I don’t. Even his 7 year old daughter doesn’t want to see it. Too scary for her. Too creepy for me. Not a Carrey fan, and I know how the story ends. Meh.
Why do people dismiss movies because they “know how it ends” (Passion of the Christ, Titanic)? Do you never watch a movie more than once? Never see a movie of a book you’re read (or read a book of a movie you’ve seen)?
My point in knowing “how the story ends” is that it’s been done too many times. I personally don’t care for the story either. If it was a movie of a book that I enjoyed, I most likely would see it, though usually I am let down by the film versions. There are few films i would want to watch over and over.
Agree with Kathy. It has been done too many times. I feel that this is one of those Christmas stories that are considered classic because it’s Dickens,so that we’ve been forced to endure its message over & over. I personally have a phobia about Dickens due to having it shoved down my throat in school. The ending isn’t uplifting enough for me. I just want warm & loving & cuddly for Christmas!
duh…
other than a diva’s christmas carol and the one done with the muppets, i have no interest in a retelling of this story. especially with scary computerized people.
I prefer the Mr. Magoo version. Loved it as a kid, still love it now.
The Mr. Magoo version was the best of all time. I also liked the Albert Finny “Scrooge” musical
diva was worst telling of my beloved tale..please stop making “versions”..and Muppets….American audiences are so dumb! (see money spent on “Horror” genre)
Someone sounds like a scrooge!
Our family loved it. We thought it was an amazing faithful adaptation and never for a moment was I creeped out. But then Polar Express is really popular at our house….
don’t hold out for Harvard scholarships for the kids…
LOL!
I thought the same thing when I first saw commercials for this film. How many times do we need to remake this story? It’s a great story, but movie studios should have just stopped after “Scrooged” (which I love). It’s really just laziness on their part. And I hate the new animation. I have absolutely no desire to ever see this film.
Now *that’s* called giving a chance, and justice done.
You hate it and criticise the people who made it before you’ve even seen it. Good job.
Yeah, my kids love the part where the dancer’s nipples are showing. Great family movie.
I did like that part..I never saw a nipple when I awas alive
nipples…yes please and Elvis bless them every one!
A coworker didn’t think it looked interesting at all, but her child wanted to see it so she went, and was glad she did. According to her this is definitely a case of the movie being much better than the trailer and the commercials.
That’s exactly the problem with the Disney pic; Christmas Carol has been done too much. Many critics, in my opinion, were expecting a bit too much, and maybe something different, I think, and when they saw it wasn’t that different, and instead maybe one of the most faithful renditions of the book, they got a bitter look at the movie. Ofcourse, the lesser-enthusiastic reviews hurt the nombers at the BO.
I do think this is one of the most faithful renditions of the tale, dialogues are very similar too. Plus, it’s an awesome visual treat, and offers, in my opinion, a different take to those remakes done ’til now, what with the motion capture and “darker” scenes at times.
I think it really is worth a watch– Carrey’s take on the different ghost’s and Scrooge’s different ages were enjoyable. I don’t see it a problem that he did many characters in the movie.
Granted, the tale has been remade and remade, but that doesn’t mean this one is any less enjoyable; I loved watching it. =]
we will be visiting you tonight..and bring you the gift of good taste
I have no desire to watch this. I watch animated films for laughs, or for artistic merit, in some cases. A Christmas Carol has been done to death. The only way I could muster up some interest in yet another remake would be if it were a) live action, b) did not feature either Jim Carrey or Robert Zemekis, and c) actually had a new and interesting idea about how to present such an old, perfect as is story. I’m sure it can be done, but more dead-eye “animation” isn’t the way to do it.
Why does Jim Carrey hate Christmas classics? First he puts his patented brand of loud-obnoxiousness to the Grinch and now he does it to one of the most beautiful stories of redemption. Next thing you know, he’ll be playing Charlie Brown as a loud-mouth brat who races and screams through the Christmas tree lot.
Wow, you think JC is obnoxious?? =/ How much do you know the guy? =]
Have you seen the movie? He was quite good as Scrooge in it.
I’m not a total Grinchy jerk….lol. Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged and the version with Alistair Sim are few of my must watch movies during the holidays. I’m a sucker for anything Christmas but the part in the previews where he’s flying through the city with icicles hitting him in the face and across the moon screaming just really turned me off.
I thought he would definitely screw this up, but was pleasantly surprised. He did a great job and was very subtle in his portrayal of the ghosts. Well done. I also loved Gary Oldman as Bob Crachitt and Colin Firth as Fred.
he is the anti-christ or at least the anti-christmas..he is sooooo boring…predictable…not funny
I think they peeked with Blackadder’s Christmas Carol in 1988…
Slezak – the guy who bags on A Christmas Carol, and yet is the biggest shill for mindless crap like American Idol.
I’m with FarleyC, it’s a pretty amazing looking film and another fun take on the story. But I also love Polar Express and watch it every year. I do realize it would be a lot cooler of me to be cynical and complain about everything though.
I love the Polar Express and I admit it! I haven’t seen A Christmas Carol yet but I’m sure I will; I’m a sucker for holiday movies.
May be the finest movie I have ver seen – Oscar’s all around – best animated, best special effects, best soundtrack best actor (voie??) for Jim Carrey – can’t wait until it comes out on DVD so i can watch it when I feel like without having to pay for admission. So good I will definitely see it again and again – hell, I can hardly get to sleep I’m so excited!!!!
may I purchase some of what you are smoking?
I was planning on skipping this since i thought that “Polar Express” was pretty creepy and the trailer looked awful (seriously, who wants slapstick added to their Dickens?), but The Slate gave it a very positive review. I may see it closer to Christmas. It’s still way to early (c’mon, my door and windows are open today).
The only Christmas Carol i liked was a Muppet Christmas Carol and that’s because it had Gonzo in it!