Spirited

I was a little skeptical of it being a musical, but I'm going to say after watching "Spirited" (and I thought that required watching it with spirits, so in full disclosure, I obliged), Will Ferrell is the king of Christmas movies. I dare say I wouldn't need the alcohol to enjoy it, the best thing about the movie is that it knows what it is and actively makes fun of it. Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds are both very charismatic and have the ability to carry a movie on its own, and together their magic is additive. And while I expected this to simply be a retelling of "A Christmas Carol", it's actually much more, more of an extension of the story. Is it perfect or without flaws? Of course not, it could have been half an hour shorter, easily, as most movies these days. But it's an enjoyable watch.

You hope for a Christmas movie to warm your heart like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmellows by the fireplace on a cold December night, but Spirited was more like entering the mall and hearing a Mariah Carey Christmas song for the 20th time of the season, so that's not so bad.

Will Ferrell & Ryan Reynolds' chemistry is what elevates it above average despite the lively & colorful musical numbers this felt slightly overdone & overcooked. At the end of the day, it made me laugh and made me feel happy. A fun modern twist on the classic story.

Another big positive is the music, for fans of musicals there is a lot to unpack here and surprisingly both Ferrell & Reynolds can hold their own singing and dancing. So I'm not going to be a Grinch here and say I didn't like it, because I did. It's just... a bit much at times.

6.5/10.

This is a modern musical take on the Christmas classic Dickensian tale, A Christmas Carol starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.

It is well done with neat effects, lavish song and dance numbers aplenty, fresh comedic takes on love at the holidays and full of heart with all things family.

It is as fun as it is endearing.

There is a fascinating twist involving the origin of Ferrell's character and his actual identity in the film and from whence and where he actually came from.

Ryan Reynolds always does what he does best and does it here as well, and that is, basically being Ryan Reynolds. But here he also sings and dances and does both quite well.

My favorite song in this production is, Good Afternoon! This is an entertaining and funny bit as well as a running gag throughput the remainder of the movie which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Are there better movie versions of A Christmas Carol? Yes. Of course.

I love Disney's A Christmas Carol, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooge, and Scrooged.

Are there better movie musicals? Absolutely.

La La Land. Moulin Rouge for starters.

But this is a nice, comedic Christmas musical very much in the holiday spirit and should be experienced as such.

And it should be seen and heard in the theater.

Maybe go to a matinee. Good Afternoon!

Spirited is one of my favorite Christmas movies. I can watch it multiple times a year and still not get bored of it. I think it would get much more attention if it wasn't on an unpopular streaming service.

The film is a take on The Christmas Carol. There's already many adaptations of this story, but it's not as overdone as the typical Santa Claus movie, and Spirited distinguishes itself by following a new, modern protagonist, in a world where Scrooge's story was just one of many redemptions by the Christmas ghosts.

The story is gripping, and sends a realistic message about what it really means to be a good person. The characters are fleshed out and develop throughout the movie. Some of the jokes are cringy, but the ones that land are often hilarious. The plot manages to be unexpected despite its inspiration, and contains a few twists that help to further the story and don't feel like cheap shock value.

The movie is a musical, and the songs are a highlight. Neither of the leads are skilled singers, and this is noticeable at times (more so with Will), but the movie makes it work, and the rest of the cast does a stellar job. The set design and choreography is what makes the songs really incredible. Each one goes all-out visually, with spectacle rivaling that of stage musicals. At times, the talent of the dancers left me speechless.

If you don't like musicals, you won't like this movie, but if you are a fan of musicals, you'll be sure to love it. I recommend giving it a watch if you're interested and have access to Apple TV+. The cast and crew went to great efforts to make this movie great, and it deserves some recognition.

First things first-it's Will Ferrel and Ryan Reynolds. Why are so many self-proclaimed movie experts (and Ferrel and zReynolds "super fans") expecting an Oscar-winning movie?! The script was uneven, the singing in many cases not great, the songs were cheesy, and-shockingly-the plot was predictable. Jeez...the original story is going on 200 years old. What so many seem to forget is that the story is about redemption and they did a great job making a campy, happy, silly version. It is fun. I'm very glad I watched it. Time well spent for a classic theme, and I'll probably tech it again this week. And yes, Octavia Spencer is awesome.