A Christmas Carol

Name: A Christmas Carol
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Animation, Family
Released: November 6, 2009
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 55
Cast: Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Jim Carrey

2009

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 217 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 217 Ratings

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Disney's A Christmas Carol

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Movie Details & Credits

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: November 6, 2009 | PG

Starring: Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Jim Carrey

Summary: Disney's A Christmas Carol, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk and his cheery nephew. But when theDisney's A Christmas Carol, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk and his cheery nephew. But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late. (Walt Disney Pictures)… Expand

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Genre(s): Drama, Fantasy, Animation, Family

Rating: PG

Runtime: 98 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Owen Gleiberman

A marvelous and touching yuletide toy of a movie. Read full review

Richard Corliss

A ghost story, a bustling action-adventure and an example of the comedy tour-de-farce, in which the star validates his virtuosity by appearing in a plethora of funny disguises. Read full review

Rick Groen

This time, though, Zemeckis has another technical trick up his sleeve – 3-D – and for once the gimmick succeeds. Read full review

Claudia Puig

This Christmas Carol seems like a pale ghost of Dickens' magical Christmas classic. Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

Zemeckis' A Christmas Carol is, in its essence, a product reel, a showy, exuberant demonstration of the glories of motion capture, computer animation and 3D technology. On that level, it's a wow. On any emotional level, it's as cold as Marley's Ghost. Read full review

J.R. Jones

Zemeckis captures all the story’s terror, but its pathos has always been the real challenge, and it mostly eludes him. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

This sad excuse for family entertainment tries to enshrine a classic while defacing it. Read full review

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User Reviews

RayR.

Nov 9, 2009

This is the BEST 3D/animated film that I have ever seen. The animation is amazing because they're doing things in this film that could never be done in a live movie. The long action sequence could have been shortened and it wouldn't have taken anything away from the rest of the This is the BEST 3D/animated film that I have ever seen. The animation is amazing because they're doing things in this film that could never be done in a live movie. The long action sequence could have been shortened and it wouldn't have taken anything away from the rest of the film. I was completely spellbound and captivated by what was on the screen. Before half the film was over, I had decided to see it again. Great job!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

DBreez

Jun 14, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In 3D version it looks very truthfully. Ebenezer Scrooge was egotist and after visit of ghost is very nice and friendly man. One of the best remakes of this book.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Zilcell

Nov 27, 2011

I have heard the story of A Christmas Carol numerous times, but this adaption of the story is the greatest by far. It is darker than you would expect.

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

FilipeNeto

Aug 29, 2018

"A Christmas Carol", by Charles Dickens, has been regularly adapted to film or television, so even those who haven't read the book know the whole story, and its difficult to bring something substantially different from what already exists. This is bad? I don't think so. Literature classics"A Christmas Carol", by Charles Dickens, has been regularly adapted to film or television, so even those who haven't read the book know the whole story, and its difficult to bring something substantially different from what already exists. This is bad? I don't think so. Literature classics have always been (and will continue to be) available to be adapted for the movies. We can change perspective, tell things differently or simply be faithful to the book. It's all a matter of taste. Personally, I really like a story that is faithful to the book that gives rise to it, I think its meritorious when adaptation manages to put on screen the magic of words. And, to my delight, I can say that this film has captured the magic of Dickens. So I will not waste time telling the script or commenting on it because its famous enough.

Being a film with Disney seal, we're expecting some quality standard, especially concerning to the animations and the whole visual and sound part of the film. I think it's technically perfect or very close to it. My only negative criticism is the somewhat gloomy and Gothic atmosphere that I notice sometimes. Some scenes are, in fact, scary, and this will surely scare some children, to whom parents are going to show this movie for being a Disney movie. I believe, therefore, that some scenes may not be advisable to very young or impressionable children. A very nice point of the film is the cast of voice actors. The most noteworthy name is, of course, Jim Carrey, an actor who has always stood out for his extraordinary use of voice. Soundtrack is good and discreet but does not have the usual songs, which Disney movies have used us to.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

WriteFilmLive21

Dec 17, 2012

Considering it's probably the most cinematically-adapted story in history, any new treatment of "A Christmas Carol" might easily be overlooked due to sheer exhaustion. By now, we've all got our favorite versions, and most of them really are pretty much the same. Still, Robert Zemeckis'sConsidering it's probably the most cinematically-adapted story in history, any new treatment of "A Christmas Carol" might easily be overlooked due to sheer exhaustion. By now, we've all got our favorite versions, and most of them really are pretty much the same. Still, Robert Zemeckis's high-flying rendition of Dickens' immortal tale is easily one to add to the list of seasonal viewings - it's colorful, it's wild, it's fun, it's heartfelt. There's several small things in this version - such as Scrooge walking in on the simile game at the end - that give it some strong marks in my book, and just the amount of fun Zemeckis has with the animation and story while still staying faithful gives it plenty of its own identity. Carrey's performance as the penny-pinching humbug is actually quite convincing, and is likely my second-favorite treatment of the character to date, and the design of the ghost of Christmas future is really cool and unique. It's just a lot of fun to watch, and a very solid treatment. What else can I say? God bless the Christmas Carols, every one.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MovieLonely94

Oct 26, 2010

its way too dark and scary for kids, but to be fair, its not a bad movie. Jim Carrey and the other actors were decent and the visuals were good.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

AlexB.

Nov 12, 2009

I would have walked after the film revealed the hoorible ghost of christmas past if my sister had not treated us. It had such a light voice and a lisp that you couldn't hear a word it said. The animation was redundent and with so few actors playing so many different characters, kids I would have walked after the film revealed the hoorible ghost of christmas past if my sister had not treated us. It had such a light voice and a lisp that you couldn't hear a word it said. The animation was redundent and with so few actors playing so many different characters, kids where getting confused whether they were the same person in different suits. Jim Carey and Gary Oldman have fun but i'm afraid thats all who will. Robert Zemekis needs to give up on this medium of film making because it's getting a bit old. I only hope that Peter Jackson and Steven Speilberg don't screw up Tin Tin with the same technology.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful

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82	#82 Most Discussed Movie of 2009
77	#77 Most Shared Movie of 2009