Tuesday, January 2, 2024

I Watched This Movie So You Don't Have To - Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)

 


Scrooge: A Christmas Carol is a Timeless Films production for Netflix that released in 2022. This animated film features the voice talents of:

  • Luke Evans as Scrooge,
  • Fra Fee as Harry, 
  • Johnny Flynn as Bob Cratchit,
  • Rupert Turnbull and Oliver Jenkins as Tiny Tim,
  • Jonathan Pryce as Jacob Marley,
  • Olivia Colman as the Ghost of Christmas Past,
  • Trevor Dion Nicholas as the Ghost of Christmas Present,
and a host of others voicing characters that will likely be familiar to fans of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It tells the story of penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by his deceased partner and three ghosts on Christmas Eve, in the hopes of transforming Scrooge before it's too late. Though I have never seen the 1970 musical retelling of A Christmas Carol titled, Scrooge, starring Albert Finney, this animated version from last year is a remake of that. 

Technology being what it is these days, viewers can expect a supernatural, colorful, and sometimes frightening tale. I couldn't recommend this for young children. Marley's ghost looks more like an angry Flying Dutchman from SpongeBob SquarePants, than a tortured soul seeking to save his business partner from the same fate. The Ghost of Christmas Future and his flying goblins with flame-filled eyes might conjure up a few nightmares. 

One thing I didn't understand is that in the 1970's version starring Finney and in this 2022 Netflix version, Scrooge's nephew's name has been changed from Fred to Harry. Seems like such an odd change. 

While the voice talents of the actors was outstanding, I'll likely never watch Scrooge: A Christmas Carol again. The producers blended parts of the 1970's version with new ideas, but it fell flat. If it were more kid-friendly, like the Disney or Mr. Magoo version of A Christmas Carol, it might have been easier to enjoy. With the addition of Marley's dog, Prudence, who Scrooge takes care of, that is the direction one thought it might go in the beginning. But, those hopes are dashed quickly. 

Release date: December 2, 2022 (United States)
Countries of origin: United Kingdom, United States
Official site: Netflix
Production Companies: Timeless Films
Run time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

I watched this movie on Netflix. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

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