Movie Review: A Christmas Carol (2009)

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ 


Disney’s Newest Version of Charles Dicken’s Classic is now officially the worst Christmas Carol movie ever!

by Johnny Punish

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Cast: Jim Carrey, Steve Valentine , Daryl Sabara

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Writer: Robert Zemeckis, Charles Dickens

Runtime: 96 minutes

Genre: fantasy, family, drama

Trailer A Christmas Carol

by CinemaRx

Oh my, Robert Zemeckis is one of this era’s best directors.  My favorite Zemecikis movies are Back to the Future, one of the greatest sci-fi fantasy fun movies of all time and his Cast Away with Tom Hanks, “Wilson!”  Fantastic!   I love Zemeckis’ movies.  But what was this thing?  Great Scott Bob!

First, let me say that using 3-D animation just because you could is not a reason to use it.   Bob, you missed the using your best asset!  Jim Carrey!  Live, he’s an animation!  You don’t need to enchance him!  This is the guy who gave us “Alrighty then!” C’mon Bob!

Jim Carrey is one this globe’s most compelling actors.  His ability to make interesting characters even better by way of his unmatched ability to contort, express, and bring in a fresh idea is a gift that always needs to be shared.   But watching this Jim Carrey felt like it was a total misuse of his ability.   Heck, was that even Jim Carrey?  I thought it was some weak animated character.   Heck it could have been me in that rubber nose animated over some weird twillight zone body.

Zememkis could have hired any actor to play this animated old man and it would done the same thing.  I wanted to see Jim Carrey play Scrooge as only he could and I never found Jim Carrey.  It was just awful.  I was so disappointed.  I want Jim Carrey playing Scrooge darnit!

Worse, I saw the movie on a flat screeen without 3-D so the movie was even more flat. Which means, that when it goes to DVD and cable, the movie will simply not translate well. 

What were they thinking?  I know some say the future of film is 3-D, but I am not feeling the love.

Finally, the story.  Tiny Tim needed to be a sympathetic very sick character, not a cherubic rosy cheeked little boy with cane in hand, looking like a prop and not a needed tool for a very sick boy.  And besides, we never got to know Tiny Tim.  Who was he?  Why should we care about him?   And his family frankly seemed to eat too well and not in need of Scrooge’s helping hand.  They just were not needy enough.  Gary Oldman’s Cratchit was just weak.  Boring!

As for the ghosts, well, I really liked the first ghost, Scrooge’s business partner.  That was scary but what was the nice ghost with the flame-head?  That was weird and the Grim Reaper Ghost of Christmas Future was not scary.   It was just some shadow thing, boring.  

The movie just did not work.   Oh, and out of the 7 people I saw it with, all agreed with me except 1 who said he thought it was okay and wanted to give it one more chance and see it in 3-D.

3-D or not, the movie needed to be live action with Jim Carrey adding his unique ability to the character of Scrooge.  The gimmicky 3-D was boring and needs to be left for some other type of movies that are more outrageous. The Charles Dickens story is a classic and needs to be handled as such. 




See larger image

Back to the Future: The Complete Trilogy (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

Director: Laurent Bouzereau, Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Crispin Glover
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
List Price: $34.98 USD
New From: $15.00 In Stock
Used from: $7.95 In Stock
Release date December 17, 2002.

Filed under: Reviews by Johnny Punish

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