Disney has released a new featurette:
Oooh, thanks, Bill! I definitely still think Jim Carrey was made for this kind of movie. At any rate, after seeing the train tour and the trailers for this, I can’t not see it now!
Five new clips from the film have emerged on various websites. These may contain spoilers, so watch at your own risk.
movies.ign.com/dor/objects/94836 … 02109.html
movieweb.com/video/VILofMNM8tqtPN
fandango.com/featuredvideos/ … ,_2_503425
There are a bunch of new images out, too:
latinoreview.com/news/exclus … carol-8333
I liked those clips - the Jacob Marley scene still impresses me. The more I see of this movie, the more I think it will be a really different way to see the story. I’m really excited now - just two more weeks til’ it’s release!
New featurettes and interviews seem to be pouring out as we draw ever closer to the release.
This featurette deals with the 3-D presentation:
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … experience
This one focuses on the story of the film and Robert Zemeckis:
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … -the-story
Here we have a many of interviews:
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … t-zemeckis
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … ve-starkey
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … jim-carrey
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … ary-oldman
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … ob-hoskins
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … olin-firth
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … cary-elwes
traileraddict.com/trailer/a- … right-penn
Wow - thanks so much, Bill! Just one more week til’ it’s release stateside!
So, I know it’s Halloween and not Christmas right now, BUT I saw this app on the movie’s Facebook page, and it’s kinda funny. You can send people messages from Scrooge himself - just to double the scary! 
Two articles have come online dealing with casting and composing the score, courtesy of Jim Carrey Online.
jimcarreyonline.com/recent/news.php?id=1397
jimcarreyonline.com/recent/news.php?id=1404
I’m definitely going to be looking out for ''God Bless Us Everyone" - like Zemeckis said, I’m sure it will be a Christmas classic.
Well, even though I’m really not in a Christmas mindset right now (for me, its Thanksgiving time), I don’t feel like waiting until after Thanksgiving to see it. So, I’m off to see it today and we’ll see how I like it. It is one of my favorite stories, and like most people, I’ve seen a billion versions of it. I have my favorites, so we’ll see if this gets anywhere close to those.
Honestly, after five pages, I’m the first to comment on the actual whole movie? The animation (I saw it in 2D, didn’t want the 3-D distraction and rollercoaster ride and pay $13+) was good, whatever it’s called. The story, of course, is well-known, and the writer/director didn’t deviate one iota, except to give us a few animation rides and some extra punishing scenes to poor old Scrooge.
If you have ever seen earlier productions, plays, or read the book (and who hasn’t unless you are very young or live in some country far, far away from Britain and Dickens), you will immediately notice near verbatim dialogue with the original work. I once played Scrooge in a play many, many years ago, but could still remember it all. This version isn’t the first to cull lines directly, but it is still so startlingly close that it’s actually distracting, like, “When are they actually going to come up with some new dialogue?”. You just know they will sooner or later.
[spoil]Actually, the hearse scene was original, and it was lengthy. The way this was extended into the maid’s cackling over her booty was clever.[/spoil]
Kids were scared. They were crying and their parents had to hold them, and they turned away from the screen for periods. The appearance and apparition of Jacob Marley were masterfully done. I think they could have done a much better job of characterizing Tiny Tim. The families at the end of the film were all clapping! They were jubilant! For me, the movie lived up to its splashy previews, now if only Avatar can…
Does it beat Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol? Well, it’s updated to a new generation, and most kids today have no clue as to who Jim Backus’ famous character is anyhow (if you’re not aware, Mr. Magoo was a very famous cartoon character who hit prime time for over twenty-five years with his animated version). This movie could enjoy similar success to Carey’s Grinch character, just not in purely animated or live-action style.
I saw it yesterday. Overall, I’d give it a C. I was planning to see the 2D version, but saw the 3-D instead, only because I got there in time. I thought Jim Carrey did a pretty good job voice-wise, as Scrooge. The performace capture was a little off-putting at times but really most of my complaints are from the visual and story. I liked the music, of course, and a lot of the effects were nice to look at.
But, there were other things I just didn’t get or understand. I felt two sequences ([spoil]Scrooge flying up to the moon, and then falling through the sky[/spoil] and [spoil]the carriage chase with, like, a three-inch high Scrooge[/spoil] had no point. Although I’m sure they felt it would break up the plot a little by having some action parts. As well, I’m thinking he might have meant them to be funny, but I didnt. And at times I was, like, wait, is this a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? I did not feel the need to [spoil]turn the Ghost of Christmas Present into a skeleton[/spoil]. Plus, certain scenes felt rushed, so much so that by the end I didn’t really feel for anybody.
Now, I’m not gonna say this version was awful. It wasn’t. I’ve seen awful. Plus, based on what I’ve read about this online, there are reviews at both ends of the spectrum, so some hate it, some love it. So I’m thinking most people are gonna have to make their own decision. Who knows? Maybe this is the kind of thing that will appeal to some of you. But, as for me, there are other ways to get my Christmas Carol fix.
Plot Synopsis:
”Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.”
Going into A Christmas Carol, I was both excited, yet apprehensive. As much I’m a fan of Robert Zemeckis’ work (my favorite of which, unabashedly, being ‘07’s Beowulf), I couldn’t help but feel worried that this would be just another retelling of the story in the exact same manner. Fortunately, this Christmas Carol takes a very different approach, focusing primarily on the horror aspect of the classic story.
While I was already somewhat worried upon hearing that this movie was even going to get made, knowing that Jim Carrey would star in the lead role didn’t help much. Now, I personally appreciate Carrey’s brand of humor, and have enjoyed most of his comedic performances. However, he’s usually hit (with The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) or miss (with The Number 23) when it comes to his dramatic roles. So, I initially didn’t know what to think about him being put in the role, and didn’t hold out much hope after watching the trailers. To my surprise, however, Carrey actually ended being phenomenal as the old miser. Every aspect of his performance, right down to the way he moves, nails the character perfectly, and the unnaturally thin body of Scrooge sure is one monstrous creation.
Speaking of the CGI in this film, A Christmas Carol has never looked so beautiful, yet so frightening, than in this version. For those of you who are planning on seeing this film, definitely try to check it out in IMAX 3-D, as it just adds so much depth to the experience. Occasionally throughout the film, the 3-D is used in gimmicky ways, but for the most part, I thought it was handled pretty appropriately.
As I said before, this movie feels more like a horror story, as opposed to the joyous, feel-good tale of previous adaptations. There are some truly nightmarish images here, especially throughout the middle portion of the film, when the Ghost of Christmas Present arrives. As a result, though, Zemeckis strays away from the heart of the story, which I think is really going to disconnect a lot of viewers. I walked out of the movie split, honestly, and had to analyze it quite a bit more afterward.
Overall, Robert Zemeckis’ take on A Christmas Carol is a darker, more terrifying version of the tale, and one that – if seen at all – should definitely be viewed on the big screen. The imagery is dazzling, yet disturbing, and the performances are brilliant all across the board. Just don’t expect to be in a very “Christmasey” mood afterward.
8/10
I would agree with you that certain critical scenes seemed rushed. Again, emphasizing that the important role of Tiny Tim was dreadfully shorted. And I didn’t feel much for Bob Cratchit. He seemed nice, perhaps too nice, there should have been a wince or two under the cruelty of Scrooge to make him more human. So yeah, I just didn’t feel for the characters as well as I have in the very best versions of this story.
Rare Addict - Yeah, my guess is since they knew that the story would be 85% straight from Dickens, line by line, they had to beef up the animation to the limits of 2009 technology. But I agree with both of you that the story did take a turn with the coming of the Ghost of Christmas Present. [spoil]His laughter became often mocking, he would force Scrooge to look at the events, he just wasn’t as nice as we remember him[/spoil]. And with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, I just don’t remember the cemetery scene being so scary. I don’t mind a mixture of Halloween and Christmas; something different was welcome.
Saw it a week or so ago. I like several live versions better, and my main complaints were already voiced by others here, so I won’t belabor them.
Positives:
- Loyal to the book and text
- Scenery of London was great
Negatives:
- Seemed rushed
- Character CGI was completely unnecessary. Live-action would have served just as well, and the characters would have been more interesting. I’d have rather seen Jim Carrey simply do Scrooge in age makeup.
- Just didn’t like the look or ‘feel’ of the characters or ghosts. It was pretty lifeless.
Overall: C+
The film will be released on DVD/Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack on November 16.
jimcarreyonline.com/recent/news.php?id=1478
I’m definitely purchasing the 4-disc combo pack - $49.99 is more than good enough of an investment. We get a 3-D Blu-ray disc (Disney’s first film to be released in this format), a regular Blu-ray disc, a digital copy, and a DVD.
I loved the film so much; I reviewed it for my high school’s newspaper when it came out. Historically, I believe all Christmas films release of DVD/Blu-ray one year after their release in theaters. I cannot wait to own this. Actually, it is probably bittersweet in a way, due to the suspected closure of ImageMovers Digital.
I still need to see this. My main motivation is that it stars Jim Carrey.
Saw this the night before last, consider it the best of the three motion-capture features Robert Zemeckis directed (liked it a bit more than The Polar Express and a lot more than Beowulf).
I liked it about the same as Beowulf, a lot less than Polar Express. I basically hated it.