Christmas, being one of the world’s favorite holiday seasons, is a time for family and friends to get together and to enjoy the few remaining days of the year In joy. No matter how many times they were told, classic Christmas stories never fail to add a certain charm to such fun times you spend with your family. A Christmas Carol (2009) is a cinematic retelling of one of those classical Christmas stories that have been passed down across many generations.
The movie, a Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemicks, the same mastermind behind another classic; back to the future, retells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts of Christmas. The movie is primarily motion capture based, which perfectly captures the wonderful performances of some of the best actors in the field such as Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. Having quite a Grimm outlook and discussing certain adult themes, many would not assume that this hidden gem is actually a Disney movie.
The plot of the movie is adapted from Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” according to the director Zemicks. Set in Victorian era London, a lonely moneylender by the name of Ebenezer Scrooge, who lacks the “Christmas spirit “, lives greedily without a bit of empathy towards others. But he is led to question his ways, during one bizarre Christmas eve, where he is visited by three ghosts of Christmas; the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas future. The three ghosts show Scrooge different perspectives of Christmas which gives birth to an internal struggle within him about his current ways. But it is entirely up to him to decide whether to repent and change his attitude or to remain the same.
The movie very delicately uses the technology of motion capture, to create a rather Grimm but a fantastical image of 19th century London, with specialized character designs that exhibit their nature from their appearance. At first it may not be the wholesome Christmas movie that everyone expects to see, but gradually a more warmer mood of Christmas is created parallel to the character development of the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge. This movie carries some of the most stunning digitally created visuals along with powerful physical and vocal performances of the actors. Considering the fact that this movie was released during the early 2000s, the use of digital technology is quite astonishing when compared to modern day mainstream CGI movies. Even with 3D animation, the animators have been able to intricately capture the deep emotions of the characters in a very realistic way. Even Though some may find the visuals rather unpleasant, it is definitely worth one’s time to pay attention to the detailed characterization and the accurate world building.
Having a favorable rating by some of the top critics in the industry, the movie grossed over 325 million US dollars worldwide. The movie has also been nominated for multiple awards, including Jim Carrey winning the 2010 Kids choice awards.
To add not only the essence of Christmas, but also a sense of thrilling adventure and fantasy to this year’s Christmas celebration A Christmas Carol (2009) is a qualified movie, as it can be enjoyed by anyone alike.
