Il Natale di Carol

Modernizing and slightly rewriting the Charles Dickens classic Christmas Carol is an oft used formula, and this Hallmark offering is one of the more awkward in attempting it.

First, the idea of merging all four ghosts (Marley, Past, Present, and Future) into one character doesn't seem to work as well as the movie makers hoped. This latter day Scrooge is a toxic publishing exec named Carol (get it?), who is visited by her deceased predecessor, who also has a Christmas reference name: Eve (Carrie Fisher). Fisher plays it well, but an immediate problem develops as we see little if any change in Carol's demeanor. Faced with only ghost visitor throughout the story, someone she knew personally, their banter becomes a stalemate where Carol persistently demands to go home to bed; Eve talks down to her with sarcastic tolerance like she would talk to a child. Scrooge had different reactions as the various ghosts got through to him--each in their own way, and this story misses that.

The life story of Carol really has none of the human interest of her 1840's counterpart, either. She just stepped on people's faces her whole life, and doesn't seem to be touched emotionally when confronted with this. It's difficult to identify with someone this deep into denial and lacking in empathy, and the character does not change in a logical or believable manner.

The acting of the cast in general rises above the script, although some of them are stuck with tiresome and annoying stereotypes.

There are many versions of the Scrooge story out there. Among the best are George C. Scott's and Alistair Sim's. Catch one of those if you can this Christmas season. Carol is OK only if you have nothing else to do.

Yet another Made-for-TV movie from the Hallmark Channel and this one is 2012's take on A Christmas Carol. Carrie Fisher has the role as all three ghosts showing Emmanuelle Vaugier her life in three different ways. I knew I'd seen her somewhere before -- ah yes, Mia in Two and a Half Men and she was also in many eps of CSI: NY.

One scene in particular was kind of interesting when in a library, a Star Wars book was seen on a nearby shelf in the background. There was also a Star Wars mention. Those were kind of the highlights, it's sad to say. Other than that this tele-film lacks charm. Many versions of a Christmas Carol do... not very Christmasy. Ah well. Still, for some twisted reason, I'd actually maybe watch it again someday.

5.4 / 10 stars

--Zoooma, a Kat Pirate Screener

Last year I sat down for a Christmas movie marathon with my family, and "It's Christmas, Carol!" happened to be one of the movies that we got around to watching. None of us had heard about the movie, much less had any familiarity with it in any way.

It turned out that "It's Christmas, Carol!" actually was quite a nice surprise of a movie, and it actually was rather entertaining for everyone in the family. So yes, this is indeed a Christmas movie that is quite suitable for a family viewing during the holidays.

"It's Christmas, Carol!" is actually a different approach to the Charles Dickens "Christmas Carol" story. So one might ponder if meddling around with a classic is a particularly good idea. It turned out that writers William Penick and Chris Sey actually managed to pull it off quite nicely.

Carol Huffman is a busy publishing executive, whom is visited by her former boss on Christmas Eve, as Carol has lost track of what is important and lost perspective on what truly matters. Initially Carol was supposed to have a visit from three ghosts, but because of budget cutbacks Eve, Carol's former boss, is in charge of the visit to the past, present and future.

Sure, this is a predictable movie, and you know exactly how it will turn out from very early on in the storyline. And you are already more than well familiar with the Dickens tale, be it from the book or from one of the many movie adaptations available.

But at the same time, it is the familiarity in the story that makes it a good story, and the rewriting just adds a new twist on the classic. So on that account director Michael Scott pulled it off quite well.

The cast in the movie was fairly good and people did good jobs with their given roles and characters. It was, for me at least, Carrie Fisher who stole the screen with her role as Eve. And Olivia Cheng also did a good job, just a shame that her role was only a minor supporting one.

All in all, then "It's Christmas, Carol!" was actually a wholehearted and entertaining movie, and definitely a movie that is worth sitting down to watch during the Christmas season. However, it is not likely that this is a movie that you will watch more than just once.

We all know the story once we figure out where all the new players fit. Carol is obviously Scrooge. But one of the first new things is there is only one Christmas ghost, and it is Carol's late partner, Eve. The real treat though is that it is Carrie Fisher. She even makes a Star Wars joke.

There is some good humor here and there. The story follows the general lines of the original so we won't be terribly surprised by much. The acting is good, especially Fisher.

The movie has a great theme, even if it is yet another 'reimagining' of A Christmas Carol, this time with a female Scrooge and a coma.

Emmanuelle Vaugier plays a detestile boss. It's ridiculously unbelievable that she doesn't give her employees Christmas off? I didn't buy that. They could have scripted something unlikeable but believable. Even the original Scrooge gave Bob Cratchett Christmas Day off.

However, Carrie Fisher comes in and saves this movie. She personality makes up for the lack of personality Vaugier produces. Frankly. Fisher makes an otherwise unwatchable film watchable to the point my gut said 7 Stars when I went to click the rating.