A Flintstones Christmas Carol

When I first caught this movie on cable a few years ago, I expected it to be of the "Flintstones Meet The Jetsons" fare, or something equally par for the standard TV course. But I was happily surprised, and went out the next day to buy the videotape. True, the sub-plot of Fred ignoring work, friends, and family to rehearse his upcoming role as Scrooge for the Bedrock Community Players (and to give in to grandiose dreams of Broadrock Way) are of the typical fare we've been used to for a couple of decades now. But once the actual production gets underway, try to forget the rest because you will be as happily surprised as I. The voice talent seems to take their roles in "A Christmas Carol" very seriously, and most do a formidable job, handling the script with reverence and affection. Well, let's face it--what actor doesn't want to be in "A Christmas Carol" just once for the sheer fun of it? But Henry Corden is the surprising stand-out in this, proving that he can do more than just play straight man to Barney and Wilma's cutting one-liners. He treats this role as if he's been studying to play Scrooge

for years. You get a hint of what's to come in the Ebonezer/Fanny/Ghost of Christmas Past scene, mixing a balance of fragile loss and forced bitterness very well indeed. By the time the Ghost of the Future shows up, Henry really sports his acting chops, and by the last few scenes he pulls off a terrific and moving performance, showing the delicate sadness, guilt, and the pivotal dichotomy of the fear of living and fear of dying that the character of Scrooge is really made of. OK, so it's not Albert Finney in "Scrooge"; but it's certainly not the kind of acting one expects of a Flintstones cartoon--well, not since the passing of Alan Reed, and the mass-production of Saturday morning Flinstones cookie-cutter shows. It's refreshing to see Henry Corden pull out all the stops and remind us that he is an actor, not just a Fred substitute. Although one wonders and mourns what Mel Blanc could have brought to this tour-de-force as Barney/Cragit...(sad sigh). During the curtain call, all pull back and fall into typical Hanna-Barbara "filler humor", but what has just happened should more than make up for those last 4 minutes. Overall, this is a wonderful addition to anyone's Scrooge collection, and should be picked up to enjoy while decking the Bedrock halls for years to come!

I like this movie, it's super cute and a good remake of the classic!

A Flintstone Christmas Carol was very good. I loved the twist on one of the all-time great Christmas stories A Christmas Carol especially, however it doesn't quite make classic status for me. Is it as good as the TV show? No it isn't, but as well as putting the twist to Christmas Carol, it does make an effort to stick to the show's spirit. If anything, I wish this cartoon was a little longer, and one or two parts are a little uneven in pace, but that's all I have to say that's negative really. The animation is good, it has a colourful and charming feel to it. The music was also very nice, quite heart-warming and melodious, and the story is of course great. I loved the writing overall too, while there are some funny lines there are also some touching parts without feeling mawkish. The characters are still likable, and step into the Dickens characters' shoes with aplomb. It was a delight in itself seeing who was who. And the voice acting is fine, and like the special itself all the voice actors do make some effort to stick to the original voices which is no easy feat(especially in Mel Blanc's case). Overall though, it was a nice special and definitely worth re-visiting. 8/10 Bethany Cox

A VERY FINE FEATURE FILM/CARTOON/ANIMATION/PLAY. I Love it. It is recommeded highly by me! Very funny rendition, even though I think it is just a bit to overdone. But, nonetheless, it is very great, and, if it were real people, Fred Flintstone would be the best Scrooge!!

10 OUT OF 10

Bart Simpson once put it best when he said that TV writers have been milking the 'Christmas Carol' goat for years. Nearly every established animated franchise (as well as some sitcoms and soaps) have cut and pasted Charles Dickens' novel over the years, from Mickey Mouse to Mr. Magoo.

The Flintstones manage to do it a little bit better though, by giving the story a meta-fictional edge, much like Scrooged. Fred is busy preparing for his role as Ebenezer Scrooge for the Bedrock Community Theatre, so much so that he's been neglecting his own friends and family in order to boost his performance. The line between fantasy and reality blurs as Fred/Scrooge is scared straight by the three ghosts,

A very good Xmas Special, though I'm still not sure how the holiday is exists in the prehistoric era, or how a 19th century novel manages to exist either. Either way, it certainly worth watching.