The Bottom Line
Disney’s A Christmas Carol marks the third film from Robert Zemeckis to utilize motion capture (or performance capture) animation – after 2004’s The Polar Express and 2007’s Beowulf – and it’s clear almost immediately that the controversial animation style is the absolute wrong fit for the material. Though it’s difficult not to be blown away by the texture and quality of Scrooge’s appearance – he just looks so life-like – Zemeckis and his team of animators have ignored the rest of the film’s various characters to the extent that they just look creepy. Far more troublesome, however, is the jarring manner by which Zemeckis has introduced over-the-top action sequences into what is otherwise a faithful adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved novel, as the movie boasts a number of larger-than-life interludes – including a chase scene involving a miniaturized Scrooge – that simply feel out of place and needless.
Pros
- Beautiful, breathtaking transfer
- Fascinating look at how the performances were captured
Cons
- Disconcerting and downright unpleasant animation style
- Jim Carrey’s performance is often uncomfortably broad
- Pales in comparison to past adaptations of Dickens' book
Description
- Featuring the voices of Jim Carrey, Robin Wright, Gary Oldman, Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes, Daryl Sabara, and Colin Firth
- Directed by Robert Zemeckis
- Rated PG for scary sequences and images
- Blu-ray Release Date: November 16, 2010
Guide Review – 'Disney's A Christmas Carol' Blu-ray Review
The Story
Based on Charles Dickens 1843 novel, Disney’s A Christmas Carol follows Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) as he attempts to squash out any trace of the holiday spirit amongst the various people in his life (including Gary Oldman’s Bob Cratchit). But on Christmas Eve, Ebenezer is visited by three spirits that take him on a trip through his past, present, and future, and it’s not long before the miserly crank begins to see the error of his ways.
The Bonus Features
Disney’s A Christmas Carol arrives on home video in a package that feels a little light, especially when compared to some of Disney’s other 2010 releases (including the expansive, time-consuming Toy Story 3 package). It’s clear immediately, however, that the most intriguing supplement here is something called “Behind the Carol: The Full Motion Capture Experience,” which allows the viewer to watch as the movie is initially acted out by performers on a soundstage. It’s a fascinating feature that certainly demonstrates the hard work that actors like Jim Carrey and Colin Firth have put into their respective characters, yet it also illustrates just how much emotion is drained out of the performances as part of the motion-capture technology.
The disc also includes commentary over the “Behind the Carol” feature by director Robert Zemeckis, which is actually rather historic in itself, as this marks the first time that the filmmaker has ever recorded an official commentary track for one of his movies. Unfortunately, the track isn’t terribly informative or even interesting, as Zemeckis spends much of the commentary extolling the virtues of motion capture and talking about how it’s the future of filmmaking (which it most certainly isn’t). The set also comes with a 14-minute featurette on the making of the film, 10 minutes worth of deleted scenes, a two-minute tour of the set by child actress Sammi Hanratty, and a silly game that offers little animated treats for each day of December.
The second disc features the movie on standard DVD.