Jason KingA Chirstmas Carol ($8-)
November 7th 2009 06:49
:
JIM CARREY IS BACK AGAIN
Category: No Category
Jim Carrey is back playing Ebenezer Scrooge in Robert Zemeckis's take on Charles Dickens's famous novel A Christmas Carol. Carrey is not only Scrooge, but also the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
A Christmas Carol also stars Gary Oldman as Bob Cratchit, Marley, and Tiny Tim; Colin Firth as Fred; and Robin Wright Penn as Fan and Belle.
This film is made using neither live action nor digital animation, but a combination of the two called performance capture technology. This technology has been used before. Audiences might remember Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks as perhaps the most recent parallel example to A Christmas Carol. Like Carol, that film was also directed by Robert Zemeckis. It was the same tech used for Beowulf.
Using this technology, an actor performs a scene on a plain sound stage wearing a bodysuit that has dozens of sensors attached to it. The sensors allow digital cameras to film the movements and facial expressions of the actor in 360-degree detail. The movie is screening in 35mm (non 3D), 3D and also in IMAX 3D.
Firstly, this film presents some of the best visuals I have ever seen. The 3D is sensational and the attention to detail in the image is beautiful. The scenes flying through the air are amazing - I felt as though my stomach lurched from side to side and felt "in" the film. It is so pretty to watch. But unfortunately, like 2012, this is where the greatness of this film ends.
The story is massacred and is all given to watching Jim Carrey's many characters, Scrooge is great but I felt the time was too quick seeing him suffer, he is an ass for about 15min and then he is witnessing and feeling bad, there is no conflict in it, Carrey plays him well. The ghost of Xmas past is just Jim Carrey being a funny guy and I thought the whole scene of this was for us to have the visuals of flying. The Ghost of Christmas Present is basically Jesus Christ and I found the whole film a bit too cheesy and religious but Present was my least favourite - he spends about five minutes just laughing and I did not get it at all.
The Ghost of Christmas Future or death is way too scary for kids. The film will suffer here because it never chose an audience, it was just a piece of film art being made with no concept of who would like it, surely Disney is smarter than this. With it's messages of being nice and being charitable a bit too religious for me, with it's very dark and sometimes creepy visual kids are out and with it being a bit too cheesy adults may find it bland.
And while I love the stylised visuals I find these characters soulless, I can cry like a baby in animations and find animated characters full of life and emotion and the same for regular filmed characters but for some reason these blended characters of the two disciplines lack depth and emotion and this is quite annoying and can feel labored and boring to watch. The music is also quite boring and dated, for Disney the entire film lacks the magic their films are known for.
Also, from what I have read Tiny Tim has a major part in the story and is the heart of the story, in this film he has one or two lines only and his part is too tiny to allow Scrooge to reach the emotional climax required for his life change to be plausible. My heart never ached for him nor did I ever get a tear in my eye or have a good old belly laugh. Most of you that know me know that it is highly possible for me to cry in a trailer - Sam will look at me when watching trailers in a cinema as he loves to point it out to me "Are You Crying?", Where the Wild Things Are, Avatar and The Boys Are Back are good examples of recent trailers having effect but this entire film never once raised my emotional levels - this is bad for a film telling of this story.
If you really want to see this watch it for the amazing visuals but if taking the kids be warned it may be too scary. Soulless and out now. Worth $8-
A Christmas Carol also stars Gary Oldman as Bob Cratchit, Marley, and Tiny Tim; Colin Firth as Fred; and Robin Wright Penn as Fan and Belle.
This film is made using neither live action nor digital animation, but a combination of the two called performance capture technology. This technology has been used before. Audiences might remember Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks as perhaps the most recent parallel example to A Christmas Carol. Like Carol, that film was also directed by Robert Zemeckis. It was the same tech used for Beowulf.
Using this technology, an actor performs a scene on a plain sound stage wearing a bodysuit that has dozens of sensors attached to it. The sensors allow digital cameras to film the movements and facial expressions of the actor in 360-degree detail. The movie is screening in 35mm (non 3D), 3D and also in IMAX 3D.
Firstly, this film presents some of the best visuals I have ever seen. The 3D is sensational and the attention to detail in the image is beautiful. The scenes flying through the air are amazing - I felt as though my stomach lurched from side to side and felt "in" the film. It is so pretty to watch. But unfortunately, like 2012, this is where the greatness of this film ends.
The story is massacred and is all given to watching Jim Carrey's many characters, Scrooge is great but I felt the time was too quick seeing him suffer, he is an ass for about 15min and then he is witnessing and feeling bad, there is no conflict in it, Carrey plays him well. The ghost of Xmas past is just Jim Carrey being a funny guy and I thought the whole scene of this was for us to have the visuals of flying. The Ghost of Christmas Present is basically Jesus Christ and I found the whole film a bit too cheesy and religious but Present was my least favourite - he spends about five minutes just laughing and I did not get it at all.
The Ghost of Christmas Future or death is way too scary for kids. The film will suffer here because it never chose an audience, it was just a piece of film art being made with no concept of who would like it, surely Disney is smarter than this. With it's messages of being nice and being charitable a bit too religious for me, with it's very dark and sometimes creepy visual kids are out and with it being a bit too cheesy adults may find it bland.
And while I love the stylised visuals I find these characters soulless, I can cry like a baby in animations and find animated characters full of life and emotion and the same for regular filmed characters but for some reason these blended characters of the two disciplines lack depth and emotion and this is quite annoying and can feel labored and boring to watch. The music is also quite boring and dated, for Disney the entire film lacks the magic their films are known for.
Also, from what I have read Tiny Tim has a major part in the story and is the heart of the story, in this film he has one or two lines only and his part is too tiny to allow Scrooge to reach the emotional climax required for his life change to be plausible. My heart never ached for him nor did I ever get a tear in my eye or have a good old belly laugh. Most of you that know me know that it is highly possible for me to cry in a trailer - Sam will look at me when watching trailers in a cinema as he loves to point it out to me "Are You Crying?", Where the Wild Things Are, Avatar and The Boys Are Back are good examples of recent trailers having effect but this entire film never once raised my emotional levels - this is bad for a film telling of this story.
If you really want to see this watch it for the amazing visuals but if taking the kids be warned it may be too scary. Soulless and out now. Worth $8-
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Comment by Lara M
Love Speaks
Food Slate
...or as good as 'Polar Express' -- which I really enjoyed.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
I also enjoyed Polar Express - it had "the magic".
Comment by rix
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Comment by IandMe
BTW There was a great film of this story, TV movie actually, starring George C. Scott. Totally wonderful and stuck to the story in many ways that other versions didn't. I don't remember when it was aired but probably in the 70's since I remember seeing it with my mom and I'd changed states in the 80's.
Janice
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Also strange they would release it so early considering it's a xmas film!
I will look for your suggestion of the good version as I have never seen one. Thanks and have a great day!