Disney's A Christmas Carol

‘Tis the season to be psychologically scarring your children. What with Monster House and Coraline in recent cine-years, it seems the family horror movie has made a comeback.

Coming together in unholy matrimony for extra discomfort are the added comeback of 3D goggles, director Robert Zemeckis’ performance-capture CGI and Charles Dickens’ ghoulish Christmas tale, in which miserly old Scrooge (Jim Carrey) learns the true meaning of appreciating children in crutches while they’re still alive. Thanks to the combination of these groundbreaking cinematic techniques, a much-loved and much-adapted classic is given the chance to dazzle anew - but does it?

Zemeckis certainly goes for broke. His ‘camera’ glides and spins and swoops around a Victorian London with great panache. After about five times, however, the effect wears off. It seems that since Aladdin, no animated film is complete without a fun-slide chase sequence.

To their credit, the team don't totally forget that this is Dickens; maximizing 3D’s potential, the film relishes its grisly Victorian detail. First it confronts the audience with a dead Jacob Marley, tuppence over eyelids in a darkly funny example of Scrooge’s stinginess. A few minutes later, Marley is back from the dead and more real than ever, floating towards us with dislocated jaw swinging. Add to this a truly disturbing segue between the Ghosts of Christmases Present and Yet To Come, and the result is a film hell-bent on keeping the night-light industry going.

Unfortunately, it also uses humour to alleviate its own effect after the damage has already been done, resulting in kiddie silliness that sits awkwardly with the scares. Monster House managed to be a seamless blend of comedy and horror; Disney’s A Christmas Carol doesn’t know quite who it’s aiming for. Children will be distanced by the complex Victorian language (which, let’s face it, will go beyond a lot of adults’ heads), while adults will be put off by the Cartoon Network antics.

Thankfully, Jim Carrey is a consummate professional, and helps to temper the blunt comedy with his subtler charms (yes, it’s been that long since Ace Ventura). His Scrooge is a welcome addition to the pantheon of Scrooges and, thanks to Zemeckis’ CG/3D trickery, is brilliantly real. Funnily enough, only Colin Firth’s Fred appears afflicted by the ‘eye problem’ that stuck out in previous similar features The Polar Express and Beowulf.

Ultimately, for all its visual pizzazz, Disney’s A Christmal Carol lacks the fundamental heart needed for the audience to invest in the surrounding characters. What good is it seeing every hair on Tiny Tim’s head when we don’t care whether he gets to see another turkey? There’s a moment in the film where an invisible Scrooge comes face-to-face with a grief-ridden Bob Cratchit. These few seconds make far more of an impact than any amount of ‘realistic’ foreground candles. This is a lesson we’ve learned from Pixar time and again.

Overindulgent but still frightening despite its unnecessary silly moments, Disney’s A Christmas Carol will keep the little ‘uns quiet this season. It may not be as loveable as the Muppets' version, but it sure will cause some nightmares.



Released in cinemas on 6th November 2009 by Walt Disney Pictures.

Written by Polis Loizou.