Christmas
The 2009 adaptation of the classic Dickens tale. It shows off one of the newest elements to filmaking: performance capture, and is presented for theater audiences in 3D. Directed by Robert Zemeckis who was behind 2004's Polar Express and 2007's Beowulf.
Acting - 6
I was quite impressed with Jim Carrey's performances in this movie. He portrays a multitude of characters and the performance capture techniques employed by the director do a good job of masking their appearance and really making the characters come to life. In fact, a very enjoyable part of the viewing experience was attempting to decipher who played whom. His take on Ebenezer Scrooge was not unlike many portrayals in the past. Where he really shines is in the parts of the three primary ghosts in the film. Gary Oldman's Bob Cratchit is an unassuming optimist with not an ounce of ill will in his heart. Oldman also appears in the role of Jacob Marley, the former business parter of Scrooge who haunts him on Christmas Eve. The majority of this role is geared around special effects so it's hard to say where the acting is actually impressive and where it's made to look impressive. Not the best performance by Oldman, but a solid one at that. Colin Firth appears in a relatively minor role as Scrooge's nephew, Fred. All in all, a typical showing from Firth who seems content to appear in movies surrounded by big names without trying to stand out. Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes, and Robin Wright Penn appear in small roles which add to the movie quite nicely.
Story - 5
The greatest thing about the story and dialogue in this film is that it was willing to stay true to the original text found in Dickens' novella. Old English is frequently used and the movie, which seems to be geared towards children at first, never does dumb down the dialogue or the themes chosen for the story. The only thing that I was bothered by were the various chase scene's speckled here and there in the movie in an attempt to make the movie more viewable for casual movie-goers. The story is a classic for a reason, and while it does not do anything new, it presents the story to a newer audience in a more appealing shuttle.
Audio - 4
I was mostly disappointed by the audio because of the bland cookie-cutter carols found in just about every Christmas film ever. I would've been much more drawn to the music had I not been presented with the same songs that I learned to associate with Home Alone over 15 years ago. Just because the appearance of the movie is quite dazzling is no excuse for subaverage music selections.
Visual - 9
The performance capture in this film did more than make the movie look astonishing. It allowed for things to be done which normally would be impossible in any other movie. The ghosts are able to appear in very classical form, but without looking at all cheesy. The actors were able to seamlessly play multiple characters and forget the difficulties of changing or freshening up for every scene. The 3D performance (which was my first 3D viewing experience) made for important supplements to the overall product. I would say that if viewers are planning on seeing this movie at all that they should do it in theaters and in 3D because I'm not sure that it would be at all the same anywhere else.
Product - 6
I was pleasantly surprised in watching this movie. The group I was with decided to see it as a last minute decision and I ceded my vote in an attempt to make the process go a bit faster. I did not go in expecting much, but I enjoyed myself. The 3D action was more than enough to make just about any movie good in that situation, and the anachronistic presentation sat well with me. I was even able to drown out the song selections by trying to find out which actors were playing who and by reveling in the visual splendor. This movie is worth seeing if you are willing to see it in theaters.
Overall Score:
6.0 stars out of 10
The 2009 adaptation of the classic Dickens tale. It shows off one of the newest elements to filmaking: performance capture, and is presented for theater audiences in 3D. Directed by Robert Zemeckis who was behind 2004's Polar Express and 2007's Beowulf.
Acting - 6
I was quite impressed with Jim Carrey's performances in this movie. He portrays a multitude of characters and the performance capture techniques employed by the director do a good job of masking their appearance and really making the characters come to life. In fact, a very enjoyable part of the viewing experience was attempting to decipher who played whom. His take on Ebenezer Scrooge was not unlike many portrayals in the past. Where he really shines is in the parts of the three primary ghosts in the film. Gary Oldman's Bob Cratchit is an unassuming optimist with not an ounce of ill will in his heart. Oldman also appears in the role of Jacob Marley, the former business parter of Scrooge who haunts him on Christmas Eve. The majority of this role is geared around special effects so it's hard to say where the acting is actually impressive and where it's made to look impressive. Not the best performance by Oldman, but a solid one at that. Colin Firth appears in a relatively minor role as Scrooge's nephew, Fred. All in all, a typical showing from Firth who seems content to appear in movies surrounded by big names without trying to stand out. Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes, and Robin Wright Penn appear in small roles which add to the movie quite nicely.
Story - 5
The greatest thing about the story and dialogue in this film is that it was willing to stay true to the original text found in Dickens' novella. Old English is frequently used and the movie, which seems to be geared towards children at first, never does dumb down the dialogue or the themes chosen for the story. The only thing that I was bothered by were the various chase scene's speckled here and there in the movie in an attempt to make the movie more viewable for casual movie-goers. The story is a classic for a reason, and while it does not do anything new, it presents the story to a newer audience in a more appealing shuttle.
Audio - 4
I was mostly disappointed by the audio because of the bland cookie-cutter carols found in just about every Christmas film ever. I would've been much more drawn to the music had I not been presented with the same songs that I learned to associate with Home Alone over 15 years ago. Just because the appearance of the movie is quite dazzling is no excuse for subaverage music selections.
Visual - 9
The performance capture in this film did more than make the movie look astonishing. It allowed for things to be done which normally would be impossible in any other movie. The ghosts are able to appear in very classical form, but without looking at all cheesy. The actors were able to seamlessly play multiple characters and forget the difficulties of changing or freshening up for every scene. The 3D performance (which was my first 3D viewing experience) made for important supplements to the overall product. I would say that if viewers are planning on seeing this movie at all that they should do it in theaters and in 3D because I'm not sure that it would be at all the same anywhere else.
Product - 6
I was pleasently surprised in watching this movie. The group I was with decided to see it as a last minute decision and I ceded my vote in an attempt to make the process go a bit faster. I did not go in expecting much, but I enjoyed myself. The 3D action was more than enough to make just about any movie good in that situation, and the anachronistic presentation sat well with me. I was even able to drown out the song selections by trying to find out which actors were playing who and by reveling in the visual splendor. This movie is worth seeing if you are willing to see it in theaters.
Overall Score:
6.0 stars out of 10
