Currently only in theaters
Runtime: 1 Hour and 56 Minutes
Rated PG-13
"Bah humbug!"
Does this story even need a description at this point?
The latest rendition of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale brings together Jack Sparrow, Ron Weasley, Gandalf (or Magneto, if you’re more of a superhero fan), and the last Jedi. Whoops! I mean Johnny Depp, Rupert Grint, Ian McKellen, and Daisy Ridley. Oh, and rounding out this star-studded ensemble is a horror movie director by the name of Ti West. What could possibly go wrong or right?
Complete with classic lines you'll recognize straight from Dickens’ beloved book and mostly new looks for the trio of haunts who drop in on Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve, this adaptation promises a fresh spin on a tale as old as... well, 1843.
Themes:
Christmas, beggars, accounting, business, death, loss, spirits, greed, family, siblings, kindness, love, wealth, chains, worth, Christmas past, Christmas present, and Christmas yet to come.
Language:
B*stard - 1 D*mn - 1 Religious Exclamation - 4 in quick succession under one’s breath.
Minor name-calling such as fool, ninny, and cretin.
Stuff to be aware of: (Some of this is considered spoiler territory, but I try to keep things ambiguous)
Alcohol and Drugs - There are a few brief scenes with alcohol.
A gin bottle pulled from a drawer.
A man drinks from a flask and staggers around yelling.
Gross - Urine, open-mouth eating, and crows!
A character urinates on himself, causing a puddle on the floor.
A man eats in a very gross way with food all over himself. He also spits some food out.
A dead-looking character hacks and coughs until a crow flies out his his mouth.
LGBTQ - None
Scary - There are multiple scenes with zombie-looking ghosts and a few jump scares.
Zombie-looking spirits fly around outside in the streets in multiple scenes.
Jacob Marley
Jacob makes scary noises, and in two scenes his mouth falls open in a creepy way
Past
This ghost has milky white eyes and looks like a very malnourished, pale woman.
In one scene she screams and light comes out of her mouth.
Present
Over the course of this spirit’s scenes, he slowly cracks and appears to be dying.
Creatures move under his clothes.
Like in the book, he has two starving children under his coat, named Ignorance and Want. In this version, they look like zombies and are in his rib cage. They eventually break out and crawl on the ground like the ghost from The Ring.
Yet to Come
This ghost appears much like he does in most iterations, but has wisps of smoke rolling off of him.
His hood comes down, and his face is that of a dead man.
Sexual - Not much
A man and a woman kiss.
Men and women dance at a party.
Violence/Gore - There isn’t much violence or gore, but here are some things to note.
A chicken gets its head chopped off.
A bully punches a kid in the face three times, causing his nose to bleed.
A man is stabbed in the stomach and a little blood is seen.
Religion - God, Heaven, and Hell are all mentioned.
There is a catholic Christmas service two of the characters visit. Jesus being born is discussed.
Other - None
Overall:
Seeing It With Your Family
This rendition of the classic tale leans heavily into its darker elements, emphasizing the “ghost story” aspect of Charles Dickens’ beloved tale. The movie contains only two curse words and very little violence. Instead, it earns its PG-13 rating primarily through frightening imagery and unsettling scenes. While most adults probably won’t find the supernatural elements particularly scary, younger viewers may have a different experience. In my opinion, the ghosts and frightening imagery are a bit scarier than what we’ve seen in the last few Ghostbusters movies, but they don’t reach the intensity of modern horror films. The scare factor falls somewhere in between, making this a version of A Christmas Carol that parents of younger or more sensitive children may want to approach with caution.
What I Thought
In a tale as old as Charles Dickens himself, Hollywood continues to bring back the ghosts haunting Ebenezer Scrooge from the grave for new writers, directors, and actors to try to put a new spin on the grave story. Let’s face it, at this point every one of these that comes out will be haunted by the Ghost of Muppets Christmas Carol past; it is, after all, the best version of this timeless tale.
While this one lights the rat more than the lamp (see what I did there?), it is an entertaining romp into ye old England and Scrooge’s story. The movie does a great job transporting the viewer into 1840 London. The grit, grime, and dark lighting set the stage perfectly for what will be a darker, and for some, scarier journey into Christmas past, present, and yet to come. And the movie doesn’t disappoint. This is the creepiest version of Christmas Past I have ever seen, and even Christmas Present, who starts off more human, eventually rots and dies on screen. Christmas Yet to Come was pretty much what you’ve come to expect, but he does get an interesting metaphorical scene which I’ve not seen done before.
The story itself, like others, takes lines straight from the book, but it also takes some new, fresh liberties that were surprisingly well done. We get more story fleshing out Bob Marley and Belle, Ebenezer’s lost love. There are even some small scenes that do interesting, tragic things with very minor characters that show how terrible the world can be.
As many know, Johnny “back from the” Depp has been out of the big movie scene for a few years. So, was this the right movie to bring him back to the forefront of pop culture? I would say yes. Depp brings his normal quirkiness and humor, and even though he is plopped down in a very real, and scary world, it works the majority of the time. His over-the-top drama gives the movie just enough humor to help it feel different than what has come before. While it feels like a stereotypical Johnny Depp character got stuck in a horror movie, it works!
Even though it won’t take the spot of my favorite take on a Christmas Carol this is a fun rendition and a great way to kick off the Holiday season.
In a tale almost as old as Charles Dickens himself, Hollywood continues to resurrect the ghosts haunting Ebenezer Scrooge, giving new writers, directors, and actors the opportunity to put their own spin on this grave story. Let’s face it, at this point, every new adaptation will forever be haunted by the Ghost of The Muppet Christmas Carol Past. It is, after all, the best version of this timeless tale. While this one lights the rat more than the lamp (see what I did there?), it is still an entertaining romp through ye olde England and Scrooge’s story.
The movie does a fantastic job transporting viewers back to 1840s London. The grit, grime, and dark lighting perfectly set the stage for what becomes a darker and, for some, scarier journey through Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. And the movie certainly delivers on that promise! This is easily the creepiest version of the Ghost of Christmas Past I have ever seen. Even Christmas Present, who starts off looking relatively human, eventually rots and dies right before our eyes. Christmas Yet to Come is pretty much what we’ve come to expect, although he does get an interesting metaphorical scene that I haven't seen attempted in previous adaptations.
Like other versions, the story pulls familiar lines straight from Dickens’ classic book, but it also takes some fresh liberties that are surprisingly well done. We get additional backstory that helps flesh out characters like Marley and Belle, Ebenezer’s lost love. There are even a few smaller scenes involving minor characters that take unexpectedly tragic turns, reminding us just how cruel and unforgiving the world can be.
As many know, Johnny “back from the” Depp has been largely absent from major Hollywood productions for the past few years. So, was this the right movie to bring him back into the pop culture spotlight? I would say yes! Depp brings his signature quirkiness, eccentricity, and humor to the role. Even though he is dropped into a gritty, realistic, and often frightening world, his performance works surprisingly well most of the time. His over-the-top dramatics inject just enough humor into the story to help distinguish this adaptation from those that came before it. At times, it feels like a stereotypical Johnny Depp character accidentally wandered onto the set of a horror movie. But somehow, it works!
While this version won't be dethroning my favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol anytime soon (sorry, Johnny, but it's hard to compete with Michael Caine and the Muppets crew), it is still a fun, entertaining, and occasionally creepy take on the classic story. It's also a great way to kick off the holiday season!