Zemeckis’ ‘Carol’ blesses us, everyone
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November 12, 2009 • written by Margaret Cross
Filed under Reviews
To those familiar with the many televised versions of Charles Dickens’s classic “A Christmas Carol,” director Robert Zemeckis’ new movie may seem old hat.
According to the International Movie Database (IMDB), almost 40 screenplays have been adapted since the early twentieth century, including versions starring Disney characters, Jim Henson’s Muppets, and Barbie. Even Bill Murray has had a hand in the action as a modern-day Scrooge who works as a TV executive in the 1988 comedy “Scrooged.” So one more “Carol” should be no big deal, right? Well, Zemeckis has broken this preconceived idea and given America a new Scrooge to enjoy.
Zemeckis’ animated version of the beloved classic, while staying truer to the novel than many of its predecessors, tells the tale humorously and colorfully. Actors Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman, along with other voices both well known and unfamiliar, star as a plethora of voices filled with character and personality.
Carrey took on several roles other than Scrooge and invoked varying personalities in each, as well as realistically marking the changes in Scrooge’s character throughout the story. He manages to voice perfectly the quirks of the Ghost of Christmas Past and the joviality of the Ghost of Christmas Present.
Oldman also outdid himself as the ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner Jacob Marley. Marley was appropriately “spirited” and creepy. Oldman also succeeded in capturing the situations of Scrooge’s assistant Bob Cratchit and his son Tiny Tim. The Cratchits whom Oldman played had all the character traits that the viewers expect to see from the poor-in-wealth-but-rich-in-spirit father-son duo.
The visual effects were spectacular and breathtaking, from Scrooge’s travels with the spirits to the sweeping aerial views of London. Zemeckis, who also directed such colorful movies as “The Polar Express,” “Monster House,” and “Cast Away,” brought back his flair for suspenseful, motion-filled scenes that make the watcher tumble, bumble, and fall just as Scrooge does.
Of course, Zemeckis’ film would not have been complete without composer Alan Silvestri’s captivating music. Silvestri, whose other work includes compositions for “The Polar Express,” “Back to the Future,” and “Forrest Gump,” successfully strings the viewers along for Scrooge’s fast-paced treks through the past and present and solemn during Scrooge’s visions of his grim future. His music makes the listeners believe that if they had actually been pulled into the movie, the music would have been there and that that was how it should be.
Magnificent actors, stunning picture quality, and heart-pounding music—these main ingredients make Zemeckis’ “A Christmas Carol” an instant hit that nobody will want to miss this holiday season. Not only can the film captivate small children, but it also keeps the adults who are along for the ride entertained with humor that younger people may not be able to understand. No one should let the precedent of so many former screenplays deter them from viewing this masterpiece of vision and sound.
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