Jim Carrey looks mad!
I went to see "A Christmas Carol" in 3D today and I am shocked to report it is not the worst movie ever. My son does mini-reviews for the local paper so I went in with him, my other son and their friend, who all were excited, with as much enthusiasm as I usually approach root canals and mammograms.
This movie had a lot going against it. First, is it based on a beloved tale which has already had several - not one but SEVERAL - distinctive definitive movie versions made of it already. It also features director Robert Zemeckis' latest attempt to force that creepy "realistic" animation on everyone, which manages to make people look like dead-eyed robots.
Why anyone has embraced these films is beyond me, but his previous movies featuring this technique, "The Polar Express" and "Beowulf," did well enough I guess. "Polar" was a big hit anyway. When "Beowulf" did not connect, I guess they decided, stick with Christmas. People like Christmas.
The movie is too dull for too long, but it takes a sudden and bizarre turn while Scrooge is talking to the Ghost of Christmas Present. It starts to get kind of weird, and this is where it becomes an interesting adaptation. Even the grotesqueness of the animation is useful here, as things we have seen and read again and again, like the servants picking over Scrooge's clothes, take on a new life.
Sadly, it doesn't last long, and then it's back to boredom. The Cratchits in particular suffer from from the terrible animation, which takes all the heart out of the exchanges between the parents (some of the best dialogue in the story).
It's sad when the very best thing about the moviegoing experience is the trailer to Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," which will also be in 3D. Now, THAT made me gasp.
2 comments:
People do like Christmas. Thanks for taking the hit on this one.
Glad to see a new post!
Post a Comment