The Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992

A Christmas Carol - 2009

This new animated version of the Dickens classic Christmas tale definitely falls far short of its potential. The story itself struggles to come together while on one hand keeping close to the original dialog, and on the other hand completely skipping crucial emotional changes in Scrooge. In fact, the film has an underlying feeling of “callousness” that even surpasses earlier “Scrooge” films. The animation is pretty incredible but is completely overdone! The special effects “fly-bys” were an interesting concept but it was almost as if they included as many as possible just because they could; resulting in far too many scenes that defied the laws of physics. Plus, many of the scenes were very disturbing for kids. And, yes, I know “Scrooge” isn’t exactly a children’s story but the animation logically encourages us to assume otherwise this time around. The characters were pretty creepy (more than usual) especially Christmas Present, who rots, turns into a disgusting skeleton, and then disintegrates and blows away! (sigh) As a fan of “Christmas Carol” in all its varieties (including the cheesy ones), I’m usually pretty tolerant but this is one I won’t be watching again.

Scrooged - 1988

“Irreverent” comedy based on the classic “A Christmas Carol.” Although all the basic elements of the story are there, this is definitely a different version of the classic tale. The acting is over the top by both Murray as well as some of the supporting cast but its not too surprising for this type of film. As only a so-so fan of Murray, he was just a little TOO cynical at the beginning and TOO gooey at the end to bring across the comic aspect of this film for me, so not a lot of laughs here. The changes to the “ghosts” were lots of fun, however, and definitely added some comic elements. Enjoyed the creativity in the updated story! Though not a personal favorite, this is a great movie if you like (a) irreverent comedies (b) you’re fond of Bill Murray and (c) you like “A Christmas Carol” in ALL its numerous forms so don’t be afraid to give it a try. (If you’re a Dickens purist, skip this one!) For me, possibly 2 1/2 stars.

Scrooge - 1970

Enjoyable musical of Dickens famous story. If you want a change of pace with this classic tale, this is a good choice but be prepared, there are quite a few creative changes to the basic story to accommodate both the humor and the music. Ok performances but with the back and forth of drama to humor, some seemed a little over the top, especially that of Scrooge (Finney) and Marley (Guinness). Still, the music was enjoyable and this version is a great addition to anyone’s “Christmas Carol” viewing.

Scrooge - 1935

Excellent early adaptation of this classic story, although very abridged. Unfamiliar with this version, this film came as a wonderful surprise. The movie does cut some very important aspects of the book but at only a little more than an hour that is not too surprising and they do a good job of merging the gaps. Wonderful performances by all especially Sir Seymour Hicks as Scrooge. Interesting interpretation of the Christmas spirits. Excellent B&W filming that succeeded in enhancing the various emotions of this story and included some wonderful detail in both sets and costumes. The disc includes both the B&W and the colorized version but you must go to the special features to get the B&W version. This will definitely be a “Christmas Carol” favorite!

A Christmas Carol - 1938

Ok version of this classic Dickens story. With a somewhat choppy storyline, this version struggles a little. Very abridged, this film skips a great deal of Scrooge’s early life including the portions with his fiancé. Other events are included but are altered drastically. They also skip the grimmer aspects of the ghostly visits, altering the impact of the changes in Scrooge and making them less believable. At the end his change of attitude seems almost too abrupt. The filming and costuming are well done, although the bald rubber cap on Scrooge is pretty obvious. The ending is also not my favorite of the “Carol” endings. Even so, the performances themselves are excellent and this version has one of my favorite portrayals of Bob Cratchit. Even with its weaknesses this is still an enjoyable part of the “Christmas Carol” family of films.