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Written by Movie Megan
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 Click To View Trailer!  
1 out of 5
Recommended For: Middle school age and above
Starring: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Running Time: 1 hr. 36 min.
MPAA Rating: PG for scary sequences and images.
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Animation
This adaptation of the familiar tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his miserly disdain for Christmas (and all things cheery) is a triumph in animation. Too bad that's all it is.
A Christmas Carol is a Disney film. It's animated. It's offered in 3D. And every trailer and clip leads us to believe that the familiar tale of repentance will be an enjoyable one, perhaps even become a holiday classic. What it really turns out to be is a mixture of yawn-inducing dialogue, indulgent animation, and disturbing images. I don't know where to point the blame--at Disney's marketing platform or Zemeckis.
After hearing a lot of critics claim the film was too scary for kids, I did not quite believe it. Some films have frightening images, certainly, but if the story is a redeeming one, like Astro Boy, children are less likely to dwell on the few scary parts. But, A Christmas Carol is 80% frightening images. And they aren't just quick glances, they are long, drawn out scenes, making you squirm in your seat. (Or making young ones cry, as most did in the theater I attended.)
I should have known, coming from Zemeckis. If you remember, he produced such terrible films like What Lies Beneath, Ghost Ship, House on Haunted Hill, Monster House, The Reaping, etc. His obvious taste for horror comes through so blatantly in A Christmas Carol that I cannot rightfully call this a Dickens' adaptation. Zemeckis, I believe, took this beloved story of redemption and turned it into a horror flick...that just so happens to be set on Christmas day. No wonder they released it the weekend after Halloween. It is not a Christmas holiday film, no matter what the trailers may lead you to believe.
There are no swear words or sexual situations, but a few of the women wear low-cut dresses, and one in particular flaunts herself like a prostitute for a few seconds. It's wholly the horror-like animation that makes this film unsuitable for kids below middle school age.
OVERALL
If there's one animated film to miss this year, A Christmas Carol is it.
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Movie Megan |
| About the author: |
| Megan has been involved in countless plays and musicals in her lifetime. Her experience both in the spotlight and backstage, as well as playwriting and film-making, has seasoned her into a well-rounded film critic. She enjoys the excitement of finding the diamonds in the rough for you and your family, even if it means sitting through hours of tasteless or boring films. Email Movie Megan
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