The Freak's Rating: C- : My favorite rendition of the classic Dickens tale was most definitely Mickey's Christmas Carol. How could you not love Scrooge McDuck and Mickey as Bob Cratchit? The film held true to bringing to light the true meaning of Christmas, showcasing how being hurtful to others can result in hardships later in life, even in death. Throughout the message we were reminded of family values and the cartoon culminated in a feel-good message. Why wouldn't it? It was Disney.
The Polar Express was Robert Zemeckis' first forey into animation, more specificially into motion captured animation. He dumped millions of dollars into the film, even more into this one and has still yet to accomplish what James Cameron has recently done with Avatar. The animated creations in the film are soul-less. There is an old saying in photography, that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Though all elements of the animation are solid on 99% of the body, the eyes of the characters are still empty and therefore lack the substance required to envelop you in the story.
There is something sad about the way that animation has leaned this direction over the one-dimensional animation of the not to distant past. We have concentrated more on the technology of achieving realistic looking characters than the feel-good nature of animation.
Never has this point been driven home as well as with A Christmas Carol. This is NOT a family film, though it will land in that category on this and many other movie websites. Many families will head out to see this expecting the tale they knew growing up. For those who read the Dickens story and expect a word-for-word interpretation, you will love it. For those who want a true feel-good tale, you'd best stay home. The film is frightening in many parts, FAR too intense for children under the age of 8 or so. It may cause nightmares for those youngsters that do venture into the theater.
A Christmas Carol shouldn't have a Disney stamp on it. Zemeckis has done an injustice to the classic, at times having his actors plunder through their dialogue so quickly that those across the pond may be searching for their remote control to backup and hear again, if only to interpret. Jolly, funny and holiday-spirit inducing this isn't.
