 ***PLEASE NOTE: A Blu-ray 3D disc is only compatible with 3D Blu-ray players.*** Tagline: Season's Greedings Tagline: Ready for Christmas? Neither is Scrooge. But it only takes one night to change your life. From Walt Disney Pictures comes the magical retelling of Charles Dickens' beloved tale -- Disney's Christmas Carol, the high-flying, heartwarming adventure for the whole family, starring Jim Carrey. When three ghosts take penny-pinching Scrooge on an eye-opening journey, he discovers the true meaning of Christmas. Complete with spirited bonus features, this exhilarating and touching Disney classic is destined to be part of your holiday tradition, adding sparkle and heart to all your Christmases yet to come. Storyline: Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption. Written by Jim Beaver Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, November 15, 2010 -- God bless us every one! "Charles" and "Dickens" may be two of the most feared words in high schools around the world. The A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations author has made many an English class the worst of times for students who find themselves struggling to get through his verbose prose and understand the finer points of his stories that lie beyond chaotic revolution and orphan boys. Behind the many pages and small print lies timeless treasures of literature that prove far, far better than the sum of their Cliffs Notes. Vividly-drawn characters, handsomely-realized worlds, and smartly-penned lyricisms are all ever-present companions on every page, and they're the defining attributes of one the author's greatest stories ever told and a seminal Holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol. First published in December of 1843, the story has become a staple of the Christmas season, it's tale of the protagonist/antagonist Ebenezer Scrooge a treasure trove of heart and spirit that sees a man transformed not only out of fear but by the very goodness that lies within him, long since dormant but nevertheless awaiting an opportunity to erase decades of "bah! humbug!" that came to define a man and shape the Christmases of those unfortunate enough to be within earshot of his stilted views of that most cherished of holidays. 2009's A Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemeckis (The Polar Express), retells the story with a bountiful display of new technology whilst retaining the same old-world charm that's made Dickens' tale a giant amongst its peers, even more than 150 years after its first publication. It's been seven years since Ebenezer Scrooge's (Jim Carrey, The Truman Show) longtime associate, Jacob Marley, died on Christmas day. The aged Scrooge refuses to acknowledge the joys of the holiday season, seeing it as an inconvenience at best and a money-losing distraction that has no place in the world if he's in a particularly bad mood. Scrooge hordes his wealth, refusing to give to charity, while nearly losing control at the mere thought of spending the holiday with family. Scrooge reluctantly gives his trusted employee, Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman, Bram Stoker's Dracula), the day off, and heads home to lament the wasted day and pass his time nestled in solitude in front of his fireplace and in his trusty leather chair. Suddenly, he's faced with a frightening figure: the ghost of his old associate, Jacob Marley (again, Gary Oldman), appears before Scrooge covered in chains and, he says, forced to carry a burden that's a physical manifestation of his earthly greed and bad attitude. Marley's spirit foretells the visit of three ghosts -- Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come -- who will lead Scrooge on a personal journey that's meant to show him the error of his ways, and only through his repentance and a changed attitude will he find redemption and a future free of the bonds of misery that will forever haunt his long-since deceased associate. First, the film's technical prowess. In a word, A Christmas Carol is striking. That the filmmakers have so effortlessly recreated an old-world charm within the digital realm of new-world technology is an amazing feat, and better still is that they've ensured that quality of story has superseded even the pitch-perfect computer effects, effectively bringing the magical Dickens story to life like never before. The London backdrop is splendidly realized; the filmmakers have used shadow and a general lack of vibrancy to reinforce Scrooge's sour outlook on the holiday season to absolute perfection. Better yet, the rickety old locales -- accentuated by overbearing fog, slushy roads, dark clothes, and a generally cheerless atmosphere -- lend an underlying support structure that's obvious in purpose but seamless in presentation. Robert Zemeckis may very well have found the definitive Dickensian-era look for his film; no other adaptation has done so well in that regard, but none of them had the horsepower under the hood and the limitless digital resources to make it happen. It's the seamlessness between the perfect digital throwback world and the way the animation disappears under the importance, scares, charm, and heart of the tale that makes this version so good. Indeed, most elements merely blend into the story; whether the simplest of things like Scrooge's trademark pajamas and sleeping cap or the more complexly-realized ghosts that haunt him, the film manages to perfectly recreate the world of old London while having some fun with the capabilities of CGI and motion capture technology, meshing both with a wonderful telling of a classic tale that may very well redefine how the story is perceived from here on out. Also of note is Jim Carrey's wonderful performance as Ebenezer Scrooge. Though his live performance may have looked like something out of the Holodeck on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and his digital recreation a bony old codger who resembles Jim Carrey about as much as Danny DeVito resembles Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor's physical performance -- aided by his high-flying, physics-defying, and age-progressing digital helpers -- gives life to the miserly curmudgeon (it wouldn't be a true review of any interpretation of A Christmas Carol without those words) in a way never quite before seen on film. Carrey certainly owes the digital artists an assist, but his unique brand of physical humor and ability to lend quite a bit of genuine heart and emotion into his performances make him the perfect choice for the dour penny-pinching geezer. With the ability to rework his efforts into a perfectly-realized digital creation that replaces Carrey's looks -- but not his acting -- with Scrooge's toothpick legs, bony old fingers, elongated nose, and jutting chin, the proposition seemed like a can't-miss, and indeed, never has there been a Scrooge with so much character and such a perfect look as Carrey's. A Christmas Carol is additionally populated by several other superbly-realized characters -- many of whom are also played by Carrey -- that not only pull off the material wonderfully, but look about as close to real as today's technology allows. Best of all, A Christmas Carol tells an ever-timely tale that transcends place and time and technology and the means of telling it, forever retaining that core principle that speaks on man's innate goodness that might not always be obvious but is nevertheless ever-present, even if buried somewhere deep in the subconscious and long since abandoned in light of life's many challenges and hardships. It's a simple story that combines humanity and that most special of holidays, playing one off the other to better emphasize not just the spirit of the season but the importance of finding cheer, contentment, and family both at Christmastime and year-round. Director Robert Zemeckis' picture holds up as an honest adaptation of Dickens' classic by emphasizing not the unique visuals but instead the crux of the story by capturing all of its raw emotion -- both of the good and bad varieties -- that comes with it. It's a story that's both maddening and heart-wrenching, but one that's ultimately of the feel-good variety that posits that within every man lies a humanity and a prevailing goodness that sometimes take a little bit of nudging to let free. Of course, the "ghosts" are but devices meant to steer Scrooge in the right direction, and even considering some of the otherworldly overtones that might be read into the story -- not to mention the rather large role played by "death," both of characters and the dark spectre itself -- A Christmas Carol is still a family-friendly (but age-appropriate) holiday story meant to bring out the best in viewers and inspire not just holiday cheer, but a better life. Robert Zemeckis' motion capture/CGI take on A Christmas Carol doesn't shed any new light on the story; nevertheless, audiences won't think of Ebenezer Scrooge, his family and colleagues, old London, or the three Christmas ghosts in quite the same way again. A Christmas Carol perfectly captures the traditional look, feel, and appeal of Charles Dickens' timeless classic while still managing to spruce it up for the 21st century with a dazzling computer-aided visual scheme that has to be seen to be believed. Visually, A Christmas Carol seems far more seamless than even Zemeckis' own The Polar Express and Beowulf. That, combined with the honest and heartwarming adherence to the story's themes and principles, makes this a burgeoning new holiday classic suitable for the entire family. Disney's 3D Blu-ray release of A Christmas Carol features the best overall Blu-ray 3D experience yet. Combining a fantastic full HD 3D transfer, an equally strong lossless soundtrack, and several extras -- including the amazing commentary/picture-in-picture combo supplement -- this is a must-own set for all Blu-ray 3D owners and the perfect Christmas gift for the Blu-ray and 3D fan. Highly recommended. Cast Notes: Jim Carrey (Scrooge / Ghost of Christmas Past / Scrooge as a Young Boy / Scrooge as a Teenage Boy / Scrooge as a Young Man / Scrooge as a Middle-Aged Man / Ghost of Christmas Present / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come), Steve Valentine (Funerary Undertaker / Topper), Daryl Sabara (Undertaker's Apprentice / Tattered Caroler / Beggar Boy / Peter Cratchit / Well-Dressed Caroler), Sage Ryan (Tattered Caroler), Amber Gainey Meade (Tattered Caroler / Well-Dressed Caroler), Ryan Ochoa (Tattered Caroler / Beggar Boy / Young Cratchit Boy / Ignorance Boy / Young Boy with Sleigh / Tiny Tim), Bobbi Page (Tattered Caroler / Well-Dressed Caroler), Ron Bottitta (Tattered Caroler / Well-Dressed Caroler), Sammi Hanratty (Beggar Boy / Young Cratchit Girl / Want Girl), Julian Holloway (Fat Cook / Portly Gentleman #2 / Business Man #3), Gary Oldman (Bob Cratchit / Marley / Tiny Tim), Colin Firth (Fred), Cary Elwes (Portly Gentleman #1 / Dick Wilkins / Mad Fiddler / Guest #2 / Business Man #1), Robin Wright (Fan / Belle [as Robin Wright Penn]), Bob Hoskins (Mr. Fezziwig / Old Joe). IMDb Rating (06/04/11): 6.9/10 from 18,720 users
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