A Christmas Carol

This is a surprisingly faithful, sometimes dark and creepy, adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, with a little “motion capture” 3-D whiz-bang thrown in for good measure. The core story about miserly, miserable Ebenezer Scrooge (voiced by Jim Carrey) experiencing a spiritual awakening is told exquisitely, making the movie a true winner. Gary Oldman lends his voice and likeness to Bob Cratchit, as well as Marley’s Ghost, and even Tiny Tim. His performances in the film are perhaps the movie’s most heartwarming. Well, except for his turn as Marley’s Ghost. He’s scary as all heck in that role. I was not a fan of Zemeckis’ first motion capture release, the unintentionally spooky The Polar Express. However, by the time Beowulf hit screens a couple of years ago, I’d warmed to the format. The technology is catching up to the idea, and Carol looks great. Carrey plays Scrooge and also takes on the roles of the three ghosts. He’s perfect for the parts.