Now they have reached their third adaptation, Disney seems to think Dickens’s classic story about the spirit of the festive season is well and truly theirs. Billed as “Disney’s A Christmas Carol”, you’d think that Charles Dickens bloke was just part of the initial conception process, with the Hollywood guys taking it off his hands out of kindness.
This is actually a surprisingly faithful and warm spirited adaptation of the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s night of ghostly haunting. Jim Carrey, supplying multiple voices to Robert Zemeckis’s performance capture animation (including Scrooge), is a convincing and inspired choice to head the film. Although it is unfortunate the talents of Colin Firth, Gary Oldman and Robin Right are a little sidelined, their presence gives off a rich and familiar feel to the Christmassy spectacle.The rather scary chase sequence towards the end feels a little shoehorned-in to show off the gorgeous visuals, but as a festive spectacle of fun and goodwill, this will certainly get you into the Christmas spirit.
Disney’s A Christmas Carol (2009), directed by Robert Zemeckis, is available on Blu-ray disc, 3D Blu-ray and DVD from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Certificate PG.
