The Star (2017)

As I've said a couple of times in the past, there isn't a lot to choose from when it comes to animated Christmas/holiday movies. The limited choice isn't the only reason I watched The Star though as the film has a stellar cast and I was intrigued in seeing how they would present the nativity story to kids. 

As I just said, the film is yet another retelling of the first Christmas, but it's different than your typical story as it follows Bo (voiced by Steven Yeun), a small but brave donkey who finds the courage to break free and go on the adventure of his dreams. When Mary (voiced by Gina Rodriguez) gets pregnant with God's baby, word spreads out, and the king's henchman hunts them down, Bo, with the help of a sheep (voiced by Aidy Bryant) and a dove (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), tries to save them.

The Return of Jafar (1994)

When I was a kid, I hated my mother because she never let me watch the sequels to Disney classic movies. She always said that sequels are usually terrible and it's not worth wasting money on them. Now that I've seen The Return of Jafar, I totally get her. 

After the events of the first film, Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) and Abu (voiced by Frank Welker) have settled in the palace with Princess Jasmine (voiced by Linda Larkin) and her father, the Sultan (Val Bettin). But he still goes around stealing, his victim this time being a thief named Abis Mal (voiced by Jason Alexander) who eventually retreats to the desert and accidentally releases genie Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman), who seeks revenge on Aladdin and, with the help of the thief, plots his revenge. 

Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

As if Gnomeo & Juliet wasn't terrible enough, and the trailer wasn't enough of a warning to the horrible movie this would be, I decided to entertain myself with Sherlock Gnomes, the sequel of the above-mentioned. 

The formerly star-crossed lover Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) are now married and live in London. But it's not all roses so when their gnome friends start disappearing from homes all over London, they team up with Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and his partner Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as Moriarty is believed to be behind the disappearings to save their friends. 

Lou (2017)

While Coco got the apparently obnoxious (I haven't seen it yet) Olaf's Frozen Adventure, the apparently obnoxious Cars 3 (yes, you guessed it right, I haven't seen this one either. And I'll probably never watch it) got Lou. Now, I don't usually watch shorts but I made an exception for this one because of the Oscar nomination (I watched this while I was waiting for the ceremony to start). 

Lou is a "monster" made from the unclaimed items in the lost-and-found box in a kindergarten playground. Every day, Lou picks up the toys the kids left behind and sets them out on the playground for their owners to find. Then one day a bully starts taking other kids' toys and puts them in his backpack so Lou peacefully battles him to return the stolen toys.

Ferdinand (2017)

I saw the trailer for Ferdinand (too) many times and I wasn't particularly excited or interested in seeing it. Actually, I couldn't care less. But then someone thought it deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Picture so I checked it out. Now I wonder whether those people have seen or not the movies they nominate, especially this year. Between The Boss Baby --which I enjoyed, but come on! An Oscar nomination?!-- and this, I'm speechless. 

In a ranch that trains bulls for bullfighting, Ferdinand (Colin H. Murphy) is a sweet and gentle calf with a tendency to smell and protect flowers for which he is ridiculed by his fellow calves. When his father (Jeremy Sisto) is killed, he runs away. Juan (Juanes) and his daughter Nina (Lily Day) finds him and they bring him home. Needless to say, Ferdinand (John Cena) grows into a huge but harmless bull. Eventually, he's mistaken for a dangerous beast, he is captured, taken away from his family and brought back to the ranch.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017)

I grew up playing with LEGO (and I probably still would if I wasn't busy all the time and their stuff wasn't so expensive -- a thing is having your parents paying it, a thing is paying it yourself) and, on my teen years, I occasionally stumbled upon the series Ninjago on TV. I didn't love it but it was okay when there wasn't anything else interesting on TV. I guess I watched The LEGO Ninjago Movie for the same reason, I didn't have anything better to watch and although I had very little expectations, the film managed to disappoint me. 

It's a hard knock life for Lloyd (Dave Franco), the 16-year-old estranged son of Garmadon (Justin Theroux), the evil warlord who keeps trying to take control of Ninjago City and keeps failing because of a secret gang of ninjas. Turns out Lloyd is the leader of those ninjas but this time the battle against his father will be much harder as the ultimate weapon is unleashed.

Happy Feet Two (2011)

Happy Feet was an okay film but enjoyable enough for me to watch it whenever it was on TV. I never cared for Happy Feet Two because what could it possibly have that the original movie didn't? Nothing, that's what.

Mumbo (Elijah Wood), the dancing penguin, has a new problem: his tiny reluctant-to-dance son Erik (Ava Acres) runs away because he doesn't seem to be able to find his talent and encounters The Mighty Sven (Hank Azaria), a penguin who can fly. As if having to compete with this charismatic role model wasn't enough, the world is shaken by powerful forces and Mumbo must save the penguin nation.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Remeber when I told you there aren't many animated Christmas movies around? Turns out it's true and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is pretty much all there's left for me to watch and since it looks like quite charming, I decided to give it a try.

Through Sam the Snowman (Burl Ives), the film tells the story of Rudolph (Billy Richards) before he became Santa Clause's (Stan Francis) most iconic reindeer. Born with a shining red nose, Rudolph was actually ostracized by the other reindeer and looked down upon by his own father (Paul Kligman). So he runs away and that's when he meets another misfit, Hermey (Paul Soles), the elf who wants to be a dentist, and together they leave the North Pole. On their journey, they meet up with Yukon Cornelius (Larry Mann), a prospector obsessed with silver and gold. Together they discover the island of Misfit toys and they must face the Abominable Snowman.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

While searching for Christmas movies to feel the Christmas spirit, I stumbled upon Tokyo Godfathers (東京ゴッドファーザーズ Tōkyō goddofāzāzu) and, after reading the plot (yes, I did such thing), I decided to give it a chance. I didn't know what to expect because I haven't seen anything from Satoshi Kon, but now I know what to expect if I ever watch one of his movies again, a charming film. 

Tokyo, Christmas Eve. Three homeless friends, Hana (Yoshiaki Umegaki), a transvestite, Gin (Tōru Emori), a middle-aged bum, and Miyuki (Aya Okamoto), a young girl, find an abandoned newborn in the trash. Since Hana grew up without a family and refuses to bring the child to the authorities, they set on a journey to find the baby's parents, starting with a key they found with the baby.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

It's Sunday and the last day of Girl Week 2017 which means I could only write about an animated film with a strong female character, and I picked Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke. 

While protecting his village, a young warrior, Ashitaka (Yoji Matsuda in Japanese, Billy Crudup in English), is stricken by a deadly curse and his only hope is to travel to the far east. He eventually finds himself in the middle of a battle between Iron Town, led by the ambitious Lady Eboshi (Yuko Tanaka in Japanese, Minnie Driver in English), and the animal inhabitants of the forest, led by a Princess Mononoke (Yuriko Ishida in Japanese, Claire Danes in English), a human raised by wolves. 

Frankenweenie (2012)

Genre

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

Director

Tim Burton

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Charlie Tahan, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Frank Welker, Dee Bradley Baker, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell, James Hiroyuki, Tom Kenny, Christopher Lee

Storyline

Young Victor (Charlie Tahan) conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

Opinion

I am a Tim Burton fan, I really am, but I fail to see why others claim this to be one of his best - if not the best - works. Actually I don't really see anything special about it. Why is that? Because "Frankenweenie" essentially is just an average Tim Burton movie that doesn't have that something to stand out from the others.

Even if you haven't seen Burton's 1984 short on which the film is based on, I'm positive the story will sound familiar to anyone because it is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic "Frankenstein", only having a boy resurrecting his dog instead of a scientist resurrecting a dead body. And it's a great way to go if you want to introduce a classic to kids. But then Disney stepped in, and ruined everything.

I am not saying Disney can't make good films, but I just don't think Disney and horror make a great pair. They are more family comedy oriented that horror oriented, and the story - especially the ending - suffered from that. Who is to be blamed? Tim Burton, of course. He should have never signed with Disney in the first place.

The film also suffers from the lack of character development, not to mention that it is supposed to be a comedy but there is little to laugh at as the humour is quite mild.

However, despite everything, I have to admit that the story is quite well paced and has some genuine suspense that keeps you watching the film. Some other positive notes are the use of black and white instead of colours, the stop-motion animation, obviously, and the voice cast who overall does a good job.

The Nut Job (2014)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Director

Peter Lepeniotis

Country

Canada | South Korea | USA

Voice Cast

Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Gabriel Iglesias, Jeff Dunham, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Maya Rudolph, Sarah Gadon, James Rankin, Scott Yaphe, Joe Pingue, Annick Obonsawin, Julie Lemieux, Robert Tinkler, James Kee, Scott McCord, Katie Griffin

Storyline

A self serving exiled squirrel (Will Arnett) finds himself helping his former park brethren raid a nut store to survive, that is also the front for a human gang's bank robbery.

Opinion

I love heist films, and  since this one is listed as a heist film on Wikipedia I decided to give it a try, even though people weren't exactly enthusiastic about it. I guess there was a reason for that because "The Nut Job" is a horrible animation flick that will bore you to death.

I wasn't expecting Disney-Pixar or DreamWorks quality, but I can hardly imagine kids enjoying this one. The plot is a confused mess, definitely not complex but extremely hard to follow. The pacing of the story is bloody awful, and leaves you constantly expecting some kind of climax that never really happen.

Other than the tedious, dreadful, unengaging plot, the film also features terrible characters. Utterly unlikable, they are extremely clichéd. There is the cute love interest. The narcissist macho. The sidekick. Oh, and the bad rats. How original.

To add more nonsense, there are completely out of place scenes with the characters dancing to PSY's "Gangnam Style" for no reason whatsoever.

At least the animation is quite good. Sure it isn't spectacular, nor very realistic but is the best part of the film. Even though, to be honest, one would expect a lot better from a 2014 film. It is two-year-old but it looks way older.

What a way to waste money. 

Norm of the North (2016)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Director

Trevor Wall

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Rob Schneider, Heather Graham, Maya Kay, Ken Jeong, Colm Meaney, Loretta Devine, Gabriel Iglesias, Michael McElhatton, Bill Nighy, Salome Jens, Charlie Adler, G.K. Bowes, Debi Derryberry, Ben Diskin

Storyline

When a real estate (Ken Jeong) development invades his Arctic home, Norm (Rob Schneider) and his three lemming friends head to New York City, where Norm becomes the mascot of the corporation in an attempt to bring it down from the inside and protect his homeland.

Opinion

I am speechless. I've had my fair share of animated films in my 22 years, but never, and I repeat, never before I saw an atrocity like this one.

Easily one of the worst animated films ever made, "Norm of the North" is an embarrassing, horrendous film in every possible way, and while some believes it should have been released straight to DVD, I believe it shouldn't have been released at all.

The story, just another fish-out-of-water kind of story, is utterly boring and unengaging, and it's dragged on and on to fit in 93 minutes of life I'll never get back. The bear can speak human, so he is the one supposed to save the north from humans, but the character is so lame - a twerking bear, seriously? - you don't even care about him, and you are most likely to root for the bad guys.

Okay, this film targets a young audience so you may say it doesn't need to have a good story. What about the message that it is supposed to send to kids then? The film fails completely. It indeed takes for granted the severity of the environmental impact that a human settlement at the North Pole would cause, and even though the adults will understand that, I highly doubt kids will.

"Norm of the North" is also supposed to be a comedy. But is it fair to call a comedy a film that is so unfunny that the only person who would have a smile on his face while watching it would be the Joker? Or maybe not, because the jokes are so atrocious, maybe the Joker will find a way to erase that smile from his face.

And now the most important thing when talking about animated flicks. The animation. Guess what, it's atrocious, so atrocious if this was the first animated film ever made, it would have also been the only one. The early episodes of "The Simpsons" are better animated, and we all know how they looked.

Bottom line, unless you like polar bears twerking and/or you have the IQ of a peanut, don't watch it.

Song of the Sea (2014)

Genre

Animation | Fantasy

Director

Tomm Moore

Country

Ireland | Denmark | Belgium | Luxembourg | France

Voice Cast

David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Fionnula Flanagan, Lisa Hannigan, Lucy O'Connell, Jon Kenny, Pat Shortt, Colm Ó Snodaigh, Liam Hourican, Kevin Swieszcz, Will Collins, Paul Young

Storyline

Ben (David Rawle), a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse (Lucy O'Connell), a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the faeries and save the spirit world.

Opinion

If the animation of this film was enough to draw my attention, the content was enough to amaze me and keep me engaged.

"Song of the Sea" is an amazing, moving animated film that brings to life the Irish folklore balancing fantasy and real life to perfection.

The story can be a little confusing without a little knowledge on Irish myths, but the film does a great job in explaining everything one needs to know. It basically is about overcoming sorrow, and at the same time manages to be a nice addition to the coming of age genre that shows a genuine relationship between brother and sister. In movies, brothers and sisters usually either fight or are very close. This film manages to be closer to reality as it shows a relationship that is a bit of both.

Through a magical story, Irish director Tomm Moore invites everyone, both an adult and young audience, to think about the importance of memories and emotions. The two kids teach the witch, and everyone watching, that one should never deprive himself of memories and emotions, whether positive or negative, because life is shaped by experiences, and whether good or bad, they are necessary to grow.

This beautiful message is delivered with beautiful, enchanting animations uniquely drawn, and a spectacular musical score that fits the plot so perfectly, it would be impossible to imagine the film without it. 

At last, it features great voice work, especially from Lucy O'Connell who is particularly strong as Saoirse, David Rawle who manages to portray Ben's emotions very well and Brendan Gleeson who is just perfect for the father.

The Book of Life (2014)

Genre

Animation | Romance

Director

Jorge R. Gutierrez

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Ron Perlman, Kate del Castillo, Hector Elizondo, Danny Trejo, Carlos Alazraqui, Ana de la Reguera, Plácido Domingo, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Eugenio Derbez, Gabriel Iglesias, Anjelah Johnson, Sandra Equihua, Dan Navarro, Michael Sandoval, Grey DeLisle, Guillermo del Toro

Storyline

Manolo (Diego Luna), a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart, embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

Opinion

I am not Mexican, but I learned about their culture during Spanish class, and I immediately had a thing for el día de muertos (Day of the Dead), a day where people gather to pray for and remember their loved ones who have died. We have something similiar in Italy too, but it's lifeless, less colorful and a way more depressing kind of day. Calm down, I'm getting there, this was just to let you know how much I love this Mexican holiday.

Having said that, I can happily say that "The Book of Life" is a refreshing, visually stunning, and captivating animated tale that manages to capture the beauty of the Mexican folklore.

Under the wing of Guillermo del Toro, Jorge R. Gutierrez tells us a fantastic tale that centers on the typical complications of a love triangle, but unlike many other times, the film provides a backstory on each character and the individual struggles they each have to face. Then it adds a wager between two spirits; La Muerte, the ruler of the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba, the ruler of the Land of the Forgotten. The result is a romance that is emotional, and more realistic than the majority of the dramas or rom-coms we get these days.

To join the interesting story, there is the aesthetic of the film. Like I kinda mentioned before, el día de muertos is a feast for the eyes. Remembering the dead doesn't indeed mean grieving, but celebrating them with dances, banquets, carnival-like costumes and a lot of candles lighting the way. And del Toro gives us exactly what one would have expected from him. Not only the characters are wonderful, and the colours vibrant, but the backgrounds are extraordinarily captivating as well.

Another wonderful feature of the film is the musical score and soundtrack. The first has been written by Argentine composer Gustavo Santaolalla, a two times Academy Award winner, and the second features famous pop songs, sung in a Mexican style that are a delight for the ears.

As for the voice cast, Diego Luna's singing is so beautiful he would make a Justin Bieber song sounds great. Zoe Saldana was the perfect cast for Maria; her voice is suave and full of passion, and who better than her could have voiced a woman that shows everyone girls don't need men to save them. Among the others, Ron Perlman as Xibalba, and Ice Cube as the Candle Maker give great performances.

The Little Prince (2015)

Original Title

Le Petit Prince

Genre

Animation | Fantasy

Director

Mark Osborne

Country

France

English Voice Cast

Mackenzie Foy, Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Riley Osborne, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Benicio del Toro, Paul Giamatti, Bud Cort, Albert Brooks, Ricky Gervais, Jacquie Barnbrook, Marcel Bridges, Jeffy Branion

Storyline

A little girl (Mackenzie Foy) lives in a very grown-up world with her mother (Rachel McAdams), who tries to make sure she is prepared for it, only to be interrupted by her eccentric, kind-hearted neighbor, The Aviator (Jeff Bridges), who introduces her to an extraordinary world where anything is possible.

Opinion

I wasn't much of a reader when I was a kid, so I never read the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's "The Little Prince". I've heard of it though. It's a well-known classic literature, after all. I've also heard a lot of positive things about this film that opened in my country about a week ago, and I told myself this should have been my first approach to the story. Well, after seeing this heartwarming, emotional and inspiring film, I do not regret it at all. It actually made me want to read the book.

There are a lot of animation films with a message aimed at children. The Little Prince is one of the few that addresses issues such as detachment, life and death through a stunning animation, a great story and characters depth.

The great ability of Mark Osborne, director of "Kung Fu Panda", is turning this commercial film supposedly for kids into a stunning motion picture capable of making also a grown-up audience think. 

Even though I did not read the book, it's pretty obvious the screenwriters added a small parallel contemporary story. The girl protagonist of this modern tale lives in a cold, schematic and competitive world, headed by her super-efficient mother that leaves no room to affection and imagination. Then, of course, there is the most important story, that of the same little girl and an old man who will teach her to enjoy life, and to let go. 

The pace of narration is a bit rushed in the beginning, but then it is just perfect after the character of The Aviator is introduced, and the 108 minutes just fly by - including the closing credits that must be seen.

The animation is stunning, and the combination of CGI and stop-motion works perfectly, placing some sort of barrier between reality and fantasy.

The voice acting is quite well done. Mackenzie Foy does a good job in the leading role of The Little Girl. Jeff Bridges gives a brilliant performance as The Aviator. Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, James Franco, Ricky Gervais, Bud Cort and Albert Brooks also do a good job.

It is only with heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. - The Little Prince

The Peanuts Movie (2015)

Genre

Animation | Comedy

Director

Steve Martino

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Troy Andrews, Rebecca Bloom, Anastasia Bredikhina, Francesca Angelucci Capaldi, Kristin Chenoweth, Alex Garfin, Noah Johnston, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller, Noah Schnapp, Micah Revelli, Venus Omega, Mariel Sheets, Madisyn Shipman, A.J. Teece, Marelik Walker, William Wunsch

Storyline

Snoopy (Bill Melendez) embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp) begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life.

Opinion

Whether you are or not a fan of the Peanuts, the names Charlie Brown and Snoopy are enough to evoke an image of the kid with only a small curl of hair, and his loyal beagle. Not being a fan myself, I was reluctant to watch this film. Yet the trailer made a quite good impression on me, so I just went for it, and I was pleasingly surprised.

The Peanuts Movie is a fun, adorable computer animated film that manages to entertain all: kids, adults, and, as far as I've read, nostalgic adults. 

The story is pretty simple and a bit clichéd, but the way it is executed makes it a sweet story that engages. However, although most have liked this part the most, I've found the Snoopy sub-plot a little granted, cloying and boring. The screenplay intertwines irony, imagination, torments of childhood, and absence of adults quite well, but some gags seems a little forced.

Also, even though the film is fun to watch and delivers some simple and positive messages, the overall impression is that the film does not reach very high peaks and is more suitable for children. 

On the other hand, there is the stunning animation. The characters and the background look like they were taken straight out of the comics. The animation of the characters isn't too exaggerated, and they still move a little cartoonish, especially Snoopy. Sound words are also threw in and they are great to give the film that comic feeling. 

The characters are portrayed in their essence so that even the little ones and those who have not grown up with the Peanuts can relate to them: you will root for Charlie Brown, hate Lucy, and fall in love with cool and rebel Patty instead of the Little Red-Haired Girl.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Genre

Animation | Fantasy | Musical

Director

Henry Selick

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Ken Page, Ed Ivory, Paul Reubens, Kerry Katz, June Foray, Randy Crenshaw, Debi Durst, Rob Paulsen, Sherwood Ball, Greg Proops, Patrick Stewart

Storyline

Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) is in a dark Halloweentown all of the time and wants something a little more cheery to balance his life experience. He stumbles upon Christmas town and this is just what the doctor ordered. He is so elated with his new feelings that he tries to share them with his Halloweentown citizens. But the atmosphere is not conducive to Jack's newfound sensibility.

Opinion

Like I said yesterday I'm no big fan of Christmas. Same goes with Christmas movies that tend to be too sugary or filled with slapstick comedy: they usually go to one side or the other. But this is Tim Burton's, needles to say it is not your typical Christmas flick.

Visually spectacular, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a delightful musical that tells a children's tale in a Gothic style.

Twenty-two years later, the film, created by creative genius Tim Burton and directed to perfection by Henry Sellick, still has that charm that has assured it a special place among the Christmas classics.

Seemingly quite simple, the story turns out to be very complex and deals with themes such as identity crisis, and, most important, the value of your background. It makes us realize that the things we have are far better than we think, and that sometimes we think something is better than what we have just because it's different.

The characters are extraordinary rich in characteristics - after all Tim Burton created them - and, despite the look, there are no evil monsters in the film - maybe Oogie Boogie man is an exception -, but only "people" with feelings, capable of helping other and loving.

The stop-motion animation is both captivating and sinister: the background landscape seems one of a fairy tale, and the character are horrifically stunning; the original soundtrack is spectacular: animated films can rarely claim such beautiful and captivating songs; and the vocal cast is excellent.

Definitely worth watching. If you have kids, just make sure they are not too young or they may be disturbed by some scenes like Santa Claus being tortured by the Oogie Boogie Man. Or children having a frightening experience with Christmas presents. 

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Genre

Animation | Drama | Fantasy

Director

Robert Zemeckis

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Steve Valentine, Julene Renee-Preciado, Fionnula Flanagan, Kerry Hoyt, Molly C. Quinn, Ryan Ochoa, Daryl Sabara, Sammi Hanratty, Lesley Manville, Fay Masterson, Ron Bottita, Jacquie Barnbrook, Paul Blackthorne, Julian Holloway, Michael Hyland, Leslie Zemeckis

Storyline

Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

Opinion

Over the past decades, many have made their own version of Charles Dickens's famous tale, A Christmas Carol. Disney tried before, and succeeded with 1983 'Mickey's Christmas Carol'. They tried again, this time with 3D animation, but bah humbug.

A Christmas Carol is yet another adaptation of Dickens's classic tale that has no real reason to exist.

After the awful 'Polar Express' and the decent 'Beowulf', Zemeckis's interest and love for fully motion captured CGI films got the better of him, and offers a new take on the novel. But, frankly, it doesn't add much to the tale, besides the rich in details, still creepy and horrible animation that would have been hundred times better with with regular CGI animation.

The director, who also wrote the script, captured the moral behind Dickens's tale, but, since he did not soften it a bit, the film doesn't feel very suitable for children: they are more likely to be frightened to death than entertained. 

Despite his efforts, Jim Carrey never captures the spirit of the character of Scrooge as Michael Caine in 'The Muppet Christmas Carol', or Bill Murray in 'Scrooged'. Overall Carrey's performance is fine, but his youthful voice just doesn't match with the age of his character. The supporting voices, especially Gary Oldman and Bob Hoskins, are fine.