Animated Movie Review: ***^Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)

 A made for Netflix movie.  This is a new animated retelling of the beloved story "A Christmas Carol."  In this movie not only did Marley die at Christmas, but also Scrooge's sister, at the birth of his nephew.  He has for ever since hated Christmas, and his nephew.  However he had developed his miserly ways before this.  

The story hits on the theme that we cannot change the past, but we can improve the future by focusing on what we can do today.  Netflix did a good job with the animation.  However there are parts--especially Christmas yet-to-be that would be a bit too much for children.  Scrooge is voiced by Luke Evans,

Movie Review: Oliver Twist (2005)

This movie was directed by Roman Polanski.  This is not the musical, but an Oliver Twist (Barney Clark) with a very different ending than from the musical.  This movie is also more strait forward, without speculation as to Oliver's parentage, but he is taken in all the same by Mr. Brownow (Edward Hardwicke, when Oliver is falsely accused of pick pocketing).  However, Fagin (Ben Kingsley), and Bill Sykes (Jamie Foreman) are determined to have Oliver back, based on what he might say; and Sykes uses him to rob his benefactor's home.  However the robbery goes awry.    Nancy (Leanne Rowe) the girlfriend of Bill Sykes has a heart, and feels they should leave the boy alone.  She decides to take things into her own hand.  However this only leads to her own murder.  She and Sykes had a strange relationship based on abuse.  The group take to the country, with the police following them trying to get Sykes.  Again Oliver is chosen as the hostage of Sykes, but still things do not go in Sykes' favor.  In this version Fagin does not get away.

Movie Review: ** Ms. Scrooge (1997)

This is a twist on the Christmas Carol story.  It is set with an African American woman, who lost her father to fire, and her mother to heart ache, and her brother to the Viet Nam War.  Ebenita Scrooge's (Cicely Tyson) only surviving relative is her nephew (Michael Beach), who is a preacher at a local church.  She treats her employees with contempt, and hoards her money in  vault in her room.  This is not my favorite.  The first three ghosts, seem to have little effect on her.  Her former partner, Maude Marley (Katherine Helmond) as well as Christmas past or present, scarcely have any effect, rather than to make her feel bad.  She doesn't seem effected until she sees some of her future decisions, if she doesn't change.  The change from the next morning, seems false.  They go through the story and the motions, but something is missing for me.

Christmas Movie Review: **^Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)

This is a 1962 made for TV animated feature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Xhl0M0eXs This is the Christmas Carol, as portrayed by Mr. Magoo (Jim Backus (of Gilligan's Island)).  It starts with a silly piece of Mr. Magoo arriving late for his Broadway performance.  He says he never misses an entrance, even though he is half an hour late.  Mr. Magoo is miserly, not sharing coal with Bob Cratchit.  He makes several jokes about his sight, and then the ghost jokes about his sight as well.  Mr. Magoo is too cheap to purchase glasses.  The ghosts come in a different order, Marley, then Christmas present before Christmas past and then Christmas yet-to-be.  The music is entertaining, but not that memorable.  Antics about his sight is what makes Mr. Magoo.  He shakes the turkey's hand, talks to the horse and the snowmen, thinks a statue is his reflection,  No nephew in this show, and I missed him.

Movie Review: ****The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Michael Caine stars as Scrooge in this version of Muppet Christmas Carol in which most of the characters are Muppets, and even the vegetables sing.  This is a very enjoyable version.  Rizzo and Gonzo (as Charles Dickens) narrate, Piggy and Kermit are the Cratchits, and the grouchy old men are Marley and Marley.  There are several enjoyable songs, but the song on the theme of "God Bless Us Everyone" is my favorite:
Bless Us All

Life is full of sweet surprises, every day's a gift
The sun comes up and I can feel it lift my sprit
It fills me up with laughter, it fills me up with song
I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong
Bless us all, who gather here
The loving family I hold dear
No place on Earth, compares with home
And every path will bring me back from where I roam
Bless us all, that as we live
We always comfort and forgive
We have so much that we can share
With those in need we see around us everywhere
Let us always love each other
Lead us toward the light
Let us hear the voice of reason
Singing in the night
Let us run from anger
And catch when we fall
Teach us in our dreams and please, yes, please
Bless us one and all

Bless us all with playful years
With noisy games and joyous tears
We reach for you, and we stand tall
And in our prayers and dreams we ask you bless us all
We reach for you, and we stand tall
And in our prayers and dreams we ask you bless us all
I enjoyed this movie and it is one of my favorite.  Of course the best scene is the next morning, and they do a very good job with this.  James Caan is very good as Scrooge.

Movie Review: ***Oliver Twist (2005)

This is a Roman Polanski version of Oliver Twist.  It is much darker than any of the other versions I have seen.  How Nancy could hook up with him is beyond me.  However, Oliver is just reaching out after having run away.  Runaways are too often the victims of those who would set out to protect them.  That is what we see here, a boy whose life has no value, and he is headed for a watery grave at the bottom of the river, if there is no one to save him. This version has some likeable scenes, but over all too dark for my taste.

Christmas Movie Musical Review: **Scrooge 1970

  This is a musical version featuring Albert Finney and Alec Guinness.  When I realized it was a musical, I had my doubts, and those doubts were confirmed.  How could Scrooge be a singer?  Although I enjoyed hi "I hate people."  I did not like the songs at the end, "I love Christmas" which turned into a big production numbers, just to have one it seemed.  Scrooge played Santa to the Crachetts, which didn't work for me as it was too drastic a change.  The anonymous Scrooge is more to my liking.  Alec Guinness lived up to his being a master of disguise, but his character seemed like a robot rather than a ghost.

Movie Review: *^A Christmas Carol (2008)

*^A Christmas Carol 2008, animated.  This movie is shorter, and just misses the feeling of the story.  It had animated animals portraying the parts, and was two immature for my taste. 

A Christmas Carol: Summary (23 reviews)

My take on 21 versions of "A Christmas Carol"

***** A Christmas Carol: A New Musical (2011)

****^ A Christmas Carol: The Musical (2004 Kelsey Grammer)

**** Spirited (2022)

**** A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart, 1999)

**** A Christmas Carol: Scrooge (1951 Alastair Sim)

**** A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

 
****An American Christmas Carol (1979) Henry Winkler

***^ Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) A made for Netflix animated version which mostly hits the mark

***^ A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott, 1984) 

***^ A Christmas Carol (1938)

***^ A Christmas Carol (Central Washington U)

*** Christmas Carol (Jim Carrey, 2009, Disney)

*** A Christmas Carol (1971) animated short

***  Scrooge (1935)  Seymoour Hicks as Scrooge

**^ Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962) animated
http://mmboebillywardle.blogspot.com/2014/03/christmas-movie-review-mr-magoos.html

**^ A Micky Christmas Carol (1983). Scrooge McDuck as Scrooge

** A Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001) 

** Scrooge, (1970 Albert Finney, Alec Guiness)

** A Christmas Carol (1969) animated

** A Christmas Carol (animated 1994)

**Ms Scrooge (1997)

*^ A Christmas Carol, (animated, 2008)

* Scrooged (1988, Bill Murray)

Audio Book: A Christmas Carol
http://mmboebillywardle.blogspot.com/2013/12/audio-book-christmas-carol-from-ldsorg.html

Christmas Movie Review: ***^A Christmas Carol (1938)

This version of "A Christmas Carol" stars Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge.  This telling has a bit of a different twist, presenting the nephew first, and his sliding on the ice.  In this story, the nephew is engaged rather than married, waiting for better financial prospects before he marries.  Interesting June Lockhart (Lost in Space) is one of the Cratchit children.  Her parents play her parents is this film, Gene and Kathleen Lockhart as Bob and Mrs. Cratchit.  Scrooge converts to liking Christmas earlier in this presentation, as he is reminded he once liked Christmas before turning to ingratitude and greed.  Part of his repentance he offers his nephew a partnership, and Bob a raise.  This paves the way for his nephew to marry, and his employee to provide for his family.  It again ends with the famous line for Tiny Tim, God bless us everyone.

Audio Book A Christmas Carol from lds.org

There is a free audio book presentation of "A Christmas Carol" available from lds.org.  It is very enjoyable and produced by the church.  Sometimes the background noises interfere with hearing the book, but other than that it is very good.  The noise and music is to give some flavor to the reading.   I don't know for how long it be available but it is there now.
http://www.lds.org/media-library/audio

Theatrical Review: ***^ A Christmas Carol: Central Washington U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOqrnHCsPwE
I enjoyed this theatrical version of "The Christmas Carol."  The reaction of Scrooge the next morning are especially delightful and stand out in my mind.  "I am lighter than air, I am flying, I am a baby, what do I do?"  It is worth watching this version just for the next morning.
The only thing I didn't care for in this version is that the old Scrooge took a role in the ghostly shadows, dancing at Fezziwig's party.  Other than that, a delightful presentation.

Movie Review: A Christmas Carol (1994) animated

This is an animated version of "A Christmas Carol" which really doesn't have much to make it stand out than the other animated versions.  It tells the story adequately, but just so.

Christmas Movie Review: ***^A Chrstmas Carol 2009: Jim Carrey

This is the Disney version of "A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey.  The characters are so real with their animation, which is their strength and down fall.  It is just too much over done with the new animations.  It makes the characters scary, much to scary for children, and sometimes for me.  I cannot watch this with Tony.  Gary Oldman plays Bob Cratchit and Colin Firth the nephew, Fred. 

Christmas Movie Review: ***^A Christmas Carol (1984)

***^ A Christmas Carol 1984 with George C. Scott of Patton fame.  Scott is a better Patton than a Scrooge.  This version entertained but did not inspire.

Christmas Movie Review: *Scrooged (1988)

"Scrooged" 1988 is the worse version of "A Christmas Carol" I have seen.  Bill Murry plays Frank Cross a t.v. executive.  He is the Scrooge character.  This movie is a comedy, but misses with its lame jokes, comparing the story to "Ghost Busters."  This I give my lowest marks.  This movie was just too irreverent.  The only thing I found funny was Mary Lou Retton as Tiny Tim and her doing a tumbling run after being healed.

Christmas Movie Review: ****A Christmas Carol (1999)

Made for T.V. "A Christmas Carol" 1999 with  Patrick Stewart is one of the better versions and one of my favorite.  In all the viewing I have done, this is the one that takes first place for me.  Patrick Stewart is superb.  In the first he goes to strike a child with his walking stick, which was very harsh.  The movie is choppy at places with stops made for commercial breaks, but the characters come through.  The first ghost was not a woman and I thought this fit perfectly with the character.  The change from miserly to charitable Scrooge was done in a believable fashion.

Christmas Movie Review: ** Christmas Carol, The Movie (2001)

 I must admit, this is not my favorite version.  It does have Kate Winslett as a love interest to Scrooge and she sings beautifully, but it doesn't have much else to recommend it.  It has a non animated section, which I enjoyed.  It showed Charles Dickens traveling to America, and reading the story with some changes. This part was well done.  When he tells the story it is animated.  The movie adds two mice, with the motivation of attracting children to see the show.  The mice just seem obnoxious to me and don't add anything.  In fact they change the tempo of the action.  The animation seems poorly done, although there is a long list of animators.  This is not the version I would pick to see.

Christmas Movie Review: ***A Christmas Carol (1971)

This is the shortest version of “The Christmas Carol” that I have seen.  It is only 27 minutes, but still it tells the complete story, and does a very good job of it as well. Alastair Sim provides voice for Scrooge.

Christmas Movie Review: A Christmas Carol (1951)

This movie stars Alistair Sim as Scrooge.  It is really the penultimate Christmas Carol in terms of telling the complete story.  Other versions cut short Christmas Past, but this does not.  It gives much more breadth to the story as a result.  The other ghosts also show more scenes than other versions.  Hermione Baddeley of Disney fame stars Mrs. Cratchit.  This movie is available through Netflix DVD and YouTube.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XNKe1cGucY