Can You Objectively Watch Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’?

[ElfBot]

The world wide media clamoring for Disney’s new release of “A Christmas Carol” is marketing for a movie like few of us have ever seen. Not only has the train been criss-crossing North America for six months but now they have hijacked the flip switching of London’s Christmas lights as well. Seriously, Disney has a [...]ShareThis (http://sharethis.com/item?&wp=2.8.4&publisher=&title=Can+You+Objectivel y+Watch+Disney%26%238217%3Bs+%26%238216%3BA+Christ mas+Carol%26%238217%3B%3F&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rea lchristmas.com%2F2009%2F11%2F03%2Fcan-you-objectively-watch-disneys-a-christmas-carol%2F)


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[MerryCarey]

I guess I'm one of the few who aren't excited about the release of this film. I saw the trailer on television, and it looked awfully slapsticky to me. I'm happy that "A Christmas Carol" is still popular enough to inspire new adaptations, but I'm sticking with Alastair Sim and Seymour Hicks---and the season never passes without my revisiting the all-time best version: the one by Charles Dickens.

[Sabine]

I have read the Book and have seen so many Movie Versions.. From The Muppets, with Patrick Stuart, Bill Murrey....

Love every one..

I hope I have time to see the new one.. Right now to much work...

[dvdelf]

they cant make the movie a joke, but it looks like they are

[lauriebear777]

As a former employee of the Disney corp, I may be a bit bias, I love Disney, I love all that they bring, the songs, the charaters, I love the messeges. I will go with an open mind and open heart, for really this story is true and pure. I hope they do right by it, but in the end, is it really a Disney movie we should fear??? Or something else alltogether?

[joyful]

I probably will not go to the theater to see it, I'm not a Jim Carrey fan. I gather from the trailer it can be pretty intense for young children but it may be geared more for grown-ups like many of the animated movies.

[Undrtakr]

I will be seeing this. Reminds me of the cgi from Polar Express

[pkcrafty]

I won't mind seeing it. I am always open to a new Christmas movie. It'll be something fun to do with the family. :rudolph:

[JanaBanana]

I won't mind seeing it. I am always open to a new Christmas movie. It'll be something fun to do with the family. :rudolph:

Same here

[MerryBells]

I guess I'm one of the few who aren't excited about the release of this film. I saw the trailer on television, and it looked awfully slapsticky to me. I'm happy that "A Christmas Carol" is still popular enough to inspire new adaptations, but I'm sticking with Alastair Sim and Seymour Hicks---and the season never passes without my revisiting the all-time best version: the one by Charles Dickens.

I have to say that I agree with you. I guess I like the traditional interpretations of "A Christmas Carol" better.

[Ladybugkisses]

We were one of the many, many families that lined up at the Baltimore B&O Railroad museum to see the Disney train promotion for this verison of a Christmas Carol and I must tell you it got us very excited. Even our 4yr (who is scarded of many things at Walt Disney World) walked away excited and every time she sees the commercial she can't wait to see the movie. More than likely we'll wait to see the movie over the Thanks Giving holiday - feels more holidayish to me than seeing it so early in November. We're a Disney lovin family - I've been 26 times so one would be right in thinking I'm looking forward to seeing it.

T.

[Sunshine73]

I saw the 3-D preview and I'm not particularly enthused about seeing this adaptation of A Christmas Carol. It's not because it's Disney but mostly because it's Jim Carrey. I've never seen him in anything that he didn't make my skin crawl. Blah.

[HouseElf]

I must live under a rock - actually not having 'tv' helps cheesy because I am unaware of the hype.

I have seen the trailer, and it does not really look like something I will go to the theatre to see.

The Christmas Carol is a classic, the trailer made it look like improv. jmho

Will wait to see it till next year when I can borrow the dvd from the library.

[Wenceslaus]

We're a Disney lovin family - I've been 26 times so one would be right in thinking I'm looking forward to seeing it.:? You have been what 26 times?

[Ladybugkisses]

^^^ To Walt Disney World.

T.

[ILuvChristmas]

I love A Christmas Carol! And I am so looking forward to seeing this movie. I am really hoping to do so this weekend!

Yeah Jim Carey gets on my nerves with some of his other stuff..so what? Doesn't mean he can't be great in this one! From what I have seen in previews, I think this movie will be fantastic!!!:thumbsup:

[ILuvChristmas]

I saw the movie today and thought it was great! Not for preschoolers or kids that scare easily. It's not all cutesy and cheerful( though there is cheerfulness in it) a little on the dark side. But Jim Carrey was fantastic in all of his parts! Animation was excellent. Beautiful scenery. Very worthy of seeing it on the big screen and not waiting to view it on smaller screen. Will definitely buy this on dvd when it comes out!

[trackrebel]

I will prob go

[MrsH]

We went to see the movie on Friday and I thought it was well done. There, of course, were things that I didn't really like, but not enough to hate the movie. It was very intense and I wouldn't take a small child to see it.

[melindasue]

I am 19 years old and it was probably the scariest movie i've seen all year. I guess I just wasn't expecting the scary parts considering it was Disney and all? Maybe I was just excited about the first Christmas movie to come out and forgot that A Christmas Carol is a ghost story. I saw it on Friday night in Imax (amazing effects, made the scary parts even scarier!) and then Saturday night in a regular movie theatre without 3D (made things less scary!). Really enjoyed both times though :)

[Storeytime]

I'm a Christmas Carol addict and am looking forward to seeing this version this weekend.

[digbugsgirl]

I can't wait to see it. I've heard, for the most part, it keeps true the book. I understand that there are some parts, though, that are a little off.

[JayIsh]

I saw it and liked it...I'm afraid I did what I always do when I see a version of "A Christmas Carol"...Compare it too the George C. Scott version which is my ultimate favorite...Some of it was a little creepy...Like the candle...and the children under the Ghost of Christmas Present's robes...Sort of looked like Gollum...

[dvdelf]

thats funny I compared it to the muppets

I kept expecting them to do the same lines

[melindasue]

same! i compared it the muppets expecting them to breakout in song and whatnot...i was mistaken :(

[Storeytime]

I saw it this weekend. Loved it. I could have done without the hearse "chase scene" but overall I loved it.

Jim Carrey did a good job. I was wondering if he would be too over the top, but he wasn't. He even did a good English accent.

I agree with some other comments though, not for the real young children.

[JanaBanana]

Half the people I talk to really liked it... the other half didnt.. ho-hum

[jimmyolsen]

Hmm. I get where you're going with this, and I don't disagree. The commercial aspect of Christmas can be a spoiler--especially for those who are going without, or doing with much less.

That said, two things to keep in mind.

One: Disney is a for-profit company. Any product they produce is designed to make money. Been that way since Snow White. I guess I'm just grateful that the niche they're mining is family entertainment. Otherwise, I'd be missing some pretty nifty memories.

Two: Dickens wrote for money. He was flat broke when he penned A Christmas Carol and scribbling furiously to keep the wolf away from the door. He wasn't shooting for great literature, who was hoping for a good tale well told--and well sold. Just so happens that his timing and talent produced a classic. He also wrote stories similar to A Christmas Carol, which for the most part have been forgotten.

Looking back at this post, it sounds like I'm scolding folks for being down on the new Disney flick. Not so. Truthfully, I'm in agreement with most of the criticism I've read. But I don't think we can hold Disney to a higher standard, or expect more pure motives from them, than Dickens himself.

*self-consciously stands down off his soap box and slips into the shadows*

[jimmyolsen]

And the line in point two should have read, "He wasn't shooting for great literature, he was hoping..."

That's what happens when you type and eat, rather than type and edit.

[joyful]

I have not seen the movie but a friend of mine took her grandson and she found it very boring. It's interesting to read the different reviews. But like most movies, I will wait until the DVD comes out to see it.

[usafvet]

Ironically, aside from a few themepark-esque elements, the movie basically quotes the Charles Dickens story word for word. There are a few artistic licenses and liberties here and there, but over all the film is very true to the book.

Not recommended for young children, but worth seeing it at least once. If you read the book prior to seeing it, you'll see that the movie and book are very similar. Probably the closest out of all Scrooge movies ever made.

[glennmohrchorale]

I can't watch any version of the Christmas Carol objectively, the one with Alastair Sim is perfection in every way, all the others seem to ring hollow somehow.

[Bradmac]

We saw it over the weekend. It was pretty scary to my 9 year old daughter. She gripped my arm through most of the movie. We won't be seeing that again for a while.