A Christmas Carol

Charles dickens classic tale is ultimately the greatest Christmas story ever told but this is absolute dross

I give it 2 stars purely on the premise as it's a good idea in principle but it just doesn't work. Characters with no dialogue, a switching between animation and real time actors. There's also a bizarre dance thing happening which I have no explanation of and nothing new in that department. It just ruins the classic tale. For a better version see Albert finney, Patrick Stewart, alistair sim or George c Scott's version. All much better takes and far closer to the story. As for this just avoid at all costs.

There are many versions of this story, because there are many ways it can be portrayed. This is the most natural version of scrooge, a real believable person not a characture. The story highlights the horror of the era as Dickens intended, not sweep them under the carpet. The dance carrys you through the story with a mixture of strength and ethereal beauty. It's a true Christmas delight and one that I shall add to my watch list for Christmas's to come.

Some rough reviews on here, and if you are looking for Jim Carrey's version, this will assuredly not check the boxes for you. This is the most faithful adaptation, dialogue wise, that I've seen, and I've seen most film and tv versions. True to the book almost entirely, it is more demanding in that respect.

Creatively, the dance paired with overlayed dialogue is an extremely compelling way to keep the story fresh. There have been many similar versions over the years, and a few wildly divisive ones (the 2019 FX version, for example), so a reset that stays true to the source material is a nice change of pace.

Lastly, Andy Serkis version of Marley is the creepiest I've seen. The fluid movements of the dancer and his vocal representation really nailed the horrific nature of the role in a way that I imagine Dickens wanted to convey.

Dance, animation and a pretty accurate usage of the words from the book.

The dance is elegant, delicate, wonderfully lit and excellently filmed....like watching a ballet on stage.

The narration and voices of the characters is thoughtful and engaging.

Set on an imaginary stage in a family house with the matriarch narrating the story, the performance takes the audience into the house/set built by the children in the opening scene. And from there, the detailing begins.

It's not a busy production. For that, watch the Disney one or The Muppets...But if you want a more authentic feeling production, as if enjoying a production in a musty Victorian theatre, then this is simply gorgeous.

Personally, I forced myself to watch, or should I say, experience this retelling of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. None of the actors speak. They just dance. In opera, the story is sung by the players. Here, the players are mute, their roles conveyed through their very expressive movements - via contemporary dance - their "voices" coming from "behind the curtain" when needed, together with that of the narrator who controls this retelling.

Actually, this production would have been better on a stage. It would have made more sense, and would have had a more appreciative audience. As a movie, it soon became boring. One already knows the story so no need to hang on to find out what happens in the end.

I do like contemporary dance. I love the way it can convey emotion. However, those who want to experience this at its best, should look elsewhere. And choose one or more of the other A Christmas Carol movies to soothe that seasonal itch.