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View Poll Results: A Christmas Carol Review Poll.
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8 2 28.57%
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Old 11-06-2009, 09:43 AM   #1
RedVader 2004
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Default A Christmas Carol Movie Review Thread Poll.

I usually don't go and see many cartoon movies for i generally save them for dvd unless its a Pixar or Dreamworks attempt but i always liked this story. Being The One with George C Scott as my favorite scrooge and adaptation. Anyways i had no idea going in if it would be good. Certainly Zemeckis is good with animated attempts but i found Polar Express was well done. But it was very boring to watch.

Anways i liked the cast so its why i went and came out with being glad i did. Even though the characters are animated you could almost see them playing there real selves at times.
Jim is very good as Scrooge and Oldman was a good Crachet. I am hoping Oldman does a Villain again soon for i was quite use to that.
Anyways now it does have its moments of being slow but i think it was worth seeing.
Unfrotunately its really the only Christmas movie we have which is kinda odd. Anyways i recommend seeing this movie. Even if people were saving up too see New Moon. Just kidding i know how much you guys here hated the first one
I give A Christmas Carol 8/10.
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Old 11-06-2009, 05:35 PM   #2
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A Christmas Carol

Directed By Robert Zemeckis

Running Time 1 Hour and 36 Minutes



“Bah Humbug”

Zemeckis once again takes Motion Capture technology and uses it to create an adaptation of A Christmas Carol. The film is about Ebenezer Scrooge, a man who hates the time of year where people are happy and get presents. One night, he sees the ghost of his old co-worker, who tells him that he will be haunted by three spirits to not only show him what exactly caused this character downfall, but to help this old curmudgeon see the error of his ways.

It’s a story as old as time itself. A story made so many times, from the stage, to the screen, to the TV Screen, to 2d animation, to even Muppets. Now, Zemeckis has brought us an all Mo-cap version of the tale, unfortunately, while the script, and the performances are well done, the main problem with the film, lies with Zemeckis himself.

Narratively and aurally speaking, there’s nothing wrong with the film. Jim Carrey, who plays literally half the roles in the film, does fine work here. His performance as Scrooge was a surprise, as I feared many Carry-isms would make it into his portrayal. Thankfully, he plays it straight, and it works here. Gary Oldman also does nice work as Scrooge’s assistant, who is struggling with little pay, and trying to take care of a sick boy named Tim. Everyone else in the film, despite getting billing in the opening credits, are relegated to mere cameos, and in the case of Carey Elwes, a blink and you’ll miss it performance.

The score by Alan Silvestri is excellent. Probably one of the better scores for a holiday themed movie in a while. It perfectly sets up the mood of the picture, and the various Christmas themes that litter its way through the film is well timed with the events on screen. Silvestri has almost always been the go to guy for bombastic and triumphant scores, and it shows here.

However, the main problem here is that Zemeckis has taken a relatively simply story, and attempts to make the flashiest film ever. The film is jam packed with so many elaborate set pieces, that it makes the story it’s trying to tell lost within the film. There are many scenes where Zemeckis just feels the need to fly the camera around the area, giving the impression that you are not watching a film about Scrooge becoming a better person, but that you are watching the next installment of Star Tours. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come came after Scrooge with a TIE Fighter. Half the film, Zemeckis throws in a bunch of floaty camera movements, and sometimes presents whole scenes in one shot, that whatever emotion he is trying to convey is buried underneath the technical aspects, and the film becomes a bore.

The CGI varies from near photorealism, to almost too cartoony. The first fifteen minutes are incredible, but then it begins to loose its charm as it moves along. For the beginning of the film, it seemed rather grounded in reality, with the hauntings to be played out like dream sequences, which would’ve been fine. But when a ghost shows Scrooge an event that actually happened in his life, containing a large woman twirling in the air for ten whole seconds, you loose me.

Whoever marketed this movie should be fired. Advertised as a Happy Comedy, the film is anything but. Sure, there are a few amusing bits, but they're all in the trailer. Overall, the film is very dark in places, but people familiar with the story should expect nothing less. However, Zemeckis makes the film even darker, creating a rather spooky, nearly frightening atmosphere in some scenes of the film, which will catch you off guard. Expect your kids to be frightened.

The film is pretty much word for word the original story, but it also tries desperately to make it seem like it’s been updated for audiences, creating an overly ambitious, borderline boring film that is all sound and no fury. There is really no reason for this film to exist, other than to indulge Zemeckis’ current fascination with Motion Capture technology. While the really good Polar Express and the excellent Beowulf seemed like big steps forward for the medium, A Christmas Carol feels like a complete step back. While the acting and script are more than commendable, the fact that it’s buried in a film in which the technology used to create it actually hurts it rather than complements it, makes it a crushing disappointment. It’s also bad that watching the film in 3D will make you realize rather quickly that the film will never hold up on a 2D viewing. Better luck next time Zemeckis.

5.5/10
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Old 11-06-2009, 07:37 PM   #3
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Zemeckis is a very, very talented director and has made some truly great movies. I don't understand why he continues to make bad CGI movies.
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Old 11-06-2009, 07:41 PM   #4
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He should do a James Cameron and take a break from movies then reboot his talent like Camerons doing with Avatar which looks amazing and ground breaking work.
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Old 11-07-2009, 01:49 AM   #5
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Oh my god, I can't believe all the bad reviews A Christmas Carol is getting. It's sad.

I went in not really knowing what to expect. A kids Christmas film with the classic story as the backdrop or one of Zemeckis's flights of madness.. and luckily it's more of the latter than the former.

This is definitely Roberts' most successful attempt at filmmaking using the Mo-Cap technique. Carrey is brilliant although it's going to be hard for audiences to appreciate it when he's masked behind the wall of CGI. But it's truly a performance worthy of recognition.

Seeing this in 2D is not worth it. I saw it in Digital 3D although I was holding out for IMAX but ended up a few dollars short so I ran across the street and saw it at the AMC which doesn't have an IMAX theatre. Nonetheless it's ingeniously realized in 3D and is the only true way to get the most out of the experience since it's clearly designed for it. I think Zemeckis is a filmmaker that understands 3D not as a gimmick but as a useful tool, not as a selling point but as an enhancer. It's truly ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I'VE EVER SEEN IN 3D no joke. It's absolutely immersive and lush and packed at every corner with beautiful imagery and sound devices. Flashy? Yes but not attention grabbing. I didn't feel like I was being bombarded with "Oh look at this!" moments, but rather being sucked into the story just all the more..

All of these reviews saying how the movie is SOULLESS is ridiculous to me..

RIDICULOUS...!!

Two things happened while I was watching the film that I in no way expected...

1.) About half way through I realized Zemeckis had carefully constructed one of the best horror films of the year. Period. This is going to scare the crap out of small children, and I loved every minute of it.

2. ) I actually shed tears during two scenes. Literally felt sadness. Going into a movie where I was constantly told the film would leave me numb and it was purely a visual thrill ride... I experienced real sadness for some of the characters. It shocked me.

All in all I say this is a rousing success for Zemeckis and his team.....I really really enjoyed this movie and I don't even celebrate Christmas.
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Old 11-07-2009, 03:08 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SnoBorderZero View Post
Zemeckis is a very, very talented director and has made some truly great movies. I don't understand why he continues to make bad CGI movies.
My thoughts exactly. What made him go down this crappy CGI/Christmas theme of directing movies? I keep thinking to myself he must have lost a bet somewhere with someone. That's the only logical explanation.
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Old 11-07-2009, 04:14 AM   #7
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My thoughts exactly. What made him go down this crappy CGI/Christmas theme of directing movies? I keep thinking to myself he must have lost a bet somewhere with someone. That's the only logical explanation.
He's just not narrow minded and wants to explore different avenues of filmmaking, and A Christmas Carol is a triumph for him.
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Old 11-07-2009, 12:55 PM   #8
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He's just not narrow minded and wants to explore different avenues of filmmaking, and A Christmas Carol is a triumph for him.
In that case, filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese must be the most narrow-minded filmmaker ever.
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Old 11-07-2009, 01:30 PM   #9
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Well atleast Zemeckis can make films now unlike Polanski but sure he will be back after he gets out of jail.
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Old 11-07-2009, 02:00 PM   #10
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huh?
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Old 11-07-2009, 02:18 PM   #11
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He's just not narrow minded and wants to explore different avenues of filmmaking, and A Christmas Carol is a triumph for him.
Polar Express and Christmas Carol are considered triumphs? Did I miss something?
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Old 11-07-2009, 03:18 PM   #12
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Polar Express and Christmas Carol are considered triumphs? Did I miss something?
You missed Beowulf, also another triumph.
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Old 11-07-2009, 06:03 PM   #13
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I was just looking at the Christmas animated movies. But, you're right - Beowulf is not to be left out.
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Old 11-07-2009, 06:19 PM   #14
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I actually liked Beowulf. Polar Express, I didn't care much for. And I'll probably see this eventually.

I agree that it would be nice for Zemeckis to return to live-action, but I guess he wants to experiment with a new technology.
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Old 11-07-2009, 08:04 PM   #15
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I actually liked Beowulf. Polar Express, I didn't care much for. And I'll probably see this eventually.

I agree that it would be nice for Zemeckis to return to live-action, but I guess he wants to experiment with a new technology.
Well he experimented with it twice over, and the end result hasn't been very successfully, critically or in terms of box office. Perhaps he feels that third time is the charm, but I do also miss the times when he used to dish out live-action films.
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Old 11-07-2009, 08:31 PM   #16
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Polar Express and Christmas Carol are considered triumphs? Did I miss something?
Do you attribute success to box office dollars? That's a corporate mentality.
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Old 11-07-2009, 09:47 PM   #17
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Polar Express gave me nightmares.
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Old 11-07-2009, 10:08 PM   #18
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Do you attribute success to box office dollars? That's a corporate mentality.
Even if you attribute it to critical reviews, 56% on RottenTomatoes or 6.7 on IMDB.com is hardly a success either.
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Old 11-07-2009, 10:56 PM   #19
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Exactly - and overall crappiness which Polar Express rated pretty high in. Think of it like a reverse tomato meter reading - the fresher the crap meter, the worse the movie. Polar Express was a pretty fresh steamy pile.
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Old 11-08-2009, 01:06 AM   #20
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Polar Express has become a success with children, believe it or not. Its become like a tradition. It's on TV every Christmas season. I don't like the movie either, but just saying.
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Old 11-08-2009, 02:16 AM   #21
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Polar Express has become a success with children, believe it or not. Its become like a tradition. It's on TV every Christmas season. I don't like the movie either, but just saying.
I don't think that is an indicator of something being successful or good. As much as they show it on television all the time, it doesn't necessarily mean that the children watch it all the time. Besides, when did children become the best critic of holiday movies? Even we watched whatever that was showing on television last time, and that doesn't make the film any better than it is.
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Old 11-08-2009, 03:32 AM   #22
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I didn't particularly like Polar Express but Beowulf was awesome to me, I saw it in IMAX after rolling a fresh joint, I wasn't blown out of my mind but high enough to be on a cloud and I sat back and rolled with the punches and got dazzled.. I thought the film had flaws.. but the good sorta outweighed the bad. With A Christmas Carol I think Zemeckis knocked it out of the park.. it's a brilliant theme park ride of a movie, it's a creepy ghost story, Carrey is awesome, the animation is great with improvements and the way Zemeckis's composes his shots and uses the camera as if it were a spirit in and of itself is a nice touch. Seeing it in 3D and completely sober I was transported.. and felt some genuine emotion and by the end I felt like I had just been on a ride at Universal Studios. I loved it and I hate Christmas movies. . . I'm all for Zemeckis' returning to traditional filmmaking.. I'd love to see him shoot a practical sci-fi film again.. or a comedy.. but I totally understand why Bob has dabbled in motion capture, because he can retain huge amounts of actual character nuance in the animation courtesy of the motion capture suits AND it allows him the freedom of directing and conducting scenes the way he wants without all the hassle of actors, sets, wardrobe, production vehicles, grips, people standing around pouring coffee.. all the hardships of literally shooting a movie, which he has commented on... on numerous occasions in the past is GONE. What's left is his imagination and the latest in CG technology to bring his visions to life.. and while all his experiments haven't been rousing success stories, they've all been interesting and A Christmas Carol, if it is a failure.. is a spectacular one.
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Old 11-08-2009, 12:20 PM   #23
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I didn't particularly like Polar Express but Beowulf was awesome to me, I saw it in IMAX after rolling a fresh joint.
Maybe that's why it looked good.
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Old 11-08-2009, 01:02 PM   #24
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I guess im the only one who loves PE
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Old 11-08-2009, 02:23 PM   #25
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I liked PE too But don't get me started on Math...
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