At the Movies with Fatwayne

Sure, almost everyone has seen at least one version of this movie adapted from the Charles Dickens’ novel written in 1843. This enduring story has been captured on film many times but never like this! I saw it in IMAX 3-D and was blown away! Don’t be fooled when you learn that this is an animated movie. This 3-D film was produced using a process called performance capture which uses digital images built around live performers. You’ve seen versions of this in 2004′s “The Polar Express” and 2007′s “Beowulf”. This is the best effort to evolve from this process to date, giving us remarkable facial features and scenery that would defy you to distinguish it from the real thing.

I especially enjoyed the snow effect which gave me the feeling that it was actually snowing inside the theater on and off throughout the movie. It was truly beautiful to see the large snow flakes gently falling from the sky. The movie is set in Victorian England and that in itself proved to be delightful as we were zipped along through the streets of London past all of those familiar sights and then some. This was courtesy of  Ebenezer Scrooge and the spirits that were haunting him.

The story line remains true to Dickens’ novel and tells the tale of one Ebenezer Scrooge whose character rightfully personifies the derogatory term “old scrooge”. It starts out with Scrooge attending the funeral of his business partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge, being the proverbial tightwad, is reluctant to pay the funeral’s cost and has to be coerced by the undertaker to pay a fair price. As was the custom in those days, coins were placed over the closed eyelids of the deceased. To the utter horror of the undertaker and his assistant, Scrooge removes the coins from the corpse and mutters “tuppence is tuppence!”.

Ebenezer Scrooge has no regard for the joyous feelings of Christmas frequently uttering “bah humbug” to those who do. He even expected his clerk, Bob Cratchit, to give up his family time on  Christmas Day. One night as he is sitting in his study he receives a frightening visit from the ghost of Bob Marley who died seven years earlier. This ghost tells Scrooge to mend his ways or wind up like him, unhappy and constantly wandering. He tells him to expect visits from three spirits who will lead him to view his past, present and future. We learn from his past how he came to be like he is, putting the accumulation of wealth above all else. The present shows him how no one really cares for him because of his rude and miserly ways. The ghostly spectre of the future brings him to the end of his life and what waits for him beyond, a truly terrifying visage.

Our story does have a happy ending as Mr. Scrooge is given a final chance to mend his ways and that he does! We see him embody the spirit of the season and develop a sense of generosity.

If you want to see a visiually stunning film with a facinating cast of characters and an inspiring soundtrack then this just might be your “cup of tea”! I positively loved it and in the words of the immortal Tiny Tim  – “God bless us every one!” .

Quotes from this movie are posted at   http://www.tvmoviequotes.com/achristmascarol.htm

Rated  – PG -

Fatwayne’s Rating  -    -