A Christmas Carol. Who doesn't know Charles Dickens' classic tale that was first published 180 years ago? No doubt it stays fresh in the minds of many at this time of year. Mostly because throughout history, this story has been adapted hundreds of times for the screen both large and small. Everyone from Mickey Mouse to The Flinstones have their version. Ebenezer Scrooge has been portrayed by dozens of actors, from Albert Finney to Jim Carrey.
I don't think there's many bad adaptations of A Christmas Carol, but some adaptations do things stronger or weaker than others. You know it's like momma always said, life's like a box of Christmas Carol adaptations. You never know what you're going to get. That's the line from Forrest Gump, right?
(Hey while we're on this Robert Zemeckis-directed tangent let me just put it on record that there's only one motion captured holiday film of his you should give attention to, and it's not The Polar Express. I said what I said.)
Two new adaptations of Dickens' most famous work were released to audiences via streaming last year. One a more modern adaptation, and the other more traditional. The former in live-action, and the latter animated BUT, both are musicals! They already have that working for them in my book. Let's dive in. First up...
Spirited
Directed by Sean Anders
Starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer
Spirited shows us that for nearly two centuries (OH I GET IT. Because A Christmas Carol is almost 200 years-) Jacob Marley (Patrick Page) and The Ghosts of Christmas have haunted one person every year on Christmas Eve in the hopes of making them go through real change like Scrooge did. One particular year, The Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) pitches the idea of controversial media consultant Clint Briggs (Reynolds) for their target, but Marley is hesitant as he deems Clint "unredeemable".
Eventually, Present convinces Marley and when Christmas Eve comes they begin the haunt. But Clint proves to not be your typical haunt, questioning Marley, seducing the Ghost of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani), and forcing Present to turn the lense back on his own life. As the night goes on both Present and Clint get the chance to look at their lives differently, and understand what it really means to change.
Right off the bat, I like the premise of Jacob Marley & The Ghosts of Christmas turning their original plight into an annual routine/business. Initially the film comes off like a modern adaptation in the vein of Billy Murray's Scrooged (Which I admit I haven't seen yet. Get off my back, I'll get to it.) but halfway through there's a revelation about Will Ferrell's character, and that's where things really start to click.
*Editor's Note: Friends that have watched the film have said they caught on to the twist of The Ghost of Christmas Present early on. Upon further rewatches, I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention.*
Ferrell really is the star here, while Reynolds is just playing his usual shtick. That's not to say his usual shtick is bad by any means. It's effective here. However both deserve huge praise for neither being trained singers or dancers, yet still bringing their A-game to this. Speaking of music, the songs are composed by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same team behind the infectious soundtracks of La La Land and The Greatest Showman. The songs really are great, particularly the opening number and Will Ferrell's "Unredeemable", which again, is a true showing of his talent and commitment to the film. Octavia Spencer also deserves some recognition for her supporting role Kimberly. However, she becomes a romantic interest for Ferrell and I just thought they lacked the chemistry.
Spirited is a fun, light-hearted update on the classic tale, with some great music and surprise performances from its two leads. It's now streaming on Apple TV+
And now let's take a look at...
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Directed by Stephen Donnelly
Starring Luke Evans, Olivia Colman, and Jessie Buckley
Scrooge takes the more traditional route in bringing the story to life. It is also allegedly an animated remake of the 1970 version starring Albert Finney, but the only real connections are its use of most of the same songs, with a mix of some original tunes, and Scrooge's nephew is named Harry here instead of Fred.
This version always leaves me feeling conflicted. There are plenty of highs, but a fair amount of lows. The animation is gorgeous, but at the same time also feels cheap? The use of color in certain scenes and sequences is dazzling, but many of the character designs, with the exception of a few, feel very "direct-to-streaming" generic. I do like how with the animation they play up the spectacle of the supernatural, and tap into the science-fiction and time-travel aspects of Scrooge's journey.
The covers of the songs from the 1970 version are all spectacular, particularly "Thank You Very Much" and "I Like Life" and Luke Evans's rendition of "Begin Again" brings a tear to my eye. The new songs are equally good. The opening song "I Love Christmas" has been an ear worm that has yet to escape my ears (Expect a lip-dub in the future), and if you've been on TikTok at all you've heard everyone and their mother swoon over "Later Never Comes". Back on the animation, and this is very personal criticism, I found the choreography in the musical numbers to be very wooden, from how they are shot, to how the characters move. I know it's weird to criticize the dance moves of animated characters, but when the visuals and colors are so flashy, they go to waste on these lifeless dance routines.
I find it hard to put into words this specific criticism, but at times the script just feels "too modern". Some of the dialogue lacks subtlety. Characters just spill out exposition in drawn out monologues. Scrooge (Evans) has a dog that goes on his journey with him, and The Ghost of Christmas Present has his own army of holiday-like Minions. Those two definitely feel like a product of the times, and an attempt to appeal to younger audiences more.
Speaking of Scrooge, he's definitely less grumpy, and more smug, cynical, and at times an over-the-top cartoon villain. He tells Bob Cratchit (Johnny Flynn) that Tiny Tim's (Rupert Turnbull) health is not his concern (which feels like something he shouldn't learn about until later) and he verbally berates his nephew (Fra Fee) for "taking the place" of his late sister, who died during childbirth. On Christmas...it's like getting slapped in the face with a 2x4 that has the word "Subtlety" written on it.
(Side note: I know Scrooge's sister died in the past, but I'm not sure if in the original book it was during childbirth (and on Christmas). I'm seeing conflicting reports.)
Also, not to get into spoilers but there's a reveal connecting Scrooge and Cratchit's past, and while it definitely feels like something a Once Upon A Time version of A Christmas Carol would do, I would appreciate it more if it played more into the story. But it's forgotten about rather quickly.
How are the performances? Well Luke Evans is an absolutely perfect Scrooge, and his singing talent is unmatched. Almost makes you think the Beauty & The Beast remake wasted him. Rightfully so, he is the true standout of the film. Everyone else is fine. Nothing special. But Olivia Colman as The Ghost of Christmas Past is absolutely unbearable. Every single joke of hers falls flat, and it comes off like they're trying to do a Dickensian version of Robin Williams in Aladdin. I'm sure the kids found her funny, though.
So Scrooge is definitely a mixed bag but as you can see, there's plenty to enjoy here. At the end of the day it is still a very faithful adaptation, with wonderful music, (mostly) stunning visuals, and a remarkable lead performance. I haven't seen many people (outside of TikTok thirsting over Luke Evans' singing in "Later Never Comes") comment on this one but if you've seen it let me know. Let's chat. It's now streaming on Netflix.
Also what's your favorite adaptation(s) of A Christmas Carol? There's plenty to pick from, and if you'd like in my latest episode of my podcast Movies That Matter, local author and historian Alan Foulds and I discuss on a bunch of our favorite versions. Give a listen, and God Bless Us Everyone.
