‘A Christmas Carol’ a classic tale with a modern twist

Putting a new spin on an old classic seems to be a reoccurring theme in holiday movies. Disney's "A Christmas Carol" is one of the many remakes of the original film but is the best remake yet.

"A Christmas Carol," directed by Robert Zemeckis, retells the classic tale of a grumpy, rude old man, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by three ghosts to teach him the true meaning of Christmas.

With Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge, I expected this film to be more comedic than the original, sticking to Carrey's style of crude humor, but Zemeckis sticks to the plot of the tale, not making comedy a priority of the film.

Zemeckis used Carrey's face with dramatic aging and over-the-top expressions to help tell the story. Carrey did a great job capturing the voice of Scrooge better than anyone in the past.

Zemeckis uses many of Scrooge's memorable phrases, such as "Bah, humbug" and "If I could have my way, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled in his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart" that made "A Christmas Carol" a classic tale for generations.

Zemeckis balances traditionalism and modernism using modern technology. Rather than using technology to provide a different take on the film, he uses it to further the understanding of the film and tell the story like it has never been told before.

This was the only remake of "A Christmas Carol" that is better animated. The animation and technology of the film allows children to enjoy it more than the original film without losing the story behind the effects.

While watching this movie, I found myself both crying and laughing, which is hard to do in an animated film. The realistic feel of many of the characters and scenes make you forget that you are watching a cartoon, while other scenes, for example, the shrinking of Scrooge, provide the animated aspect that is fun for both adults and children.

The movie offered a little something for everyone, no matter their age. The audience at my showing had a wide variety of generations. The theater, which was mostly full, contained grandparents, parents and children.

This film, classic with a spin, is a must-see. It is a holiday film for everyone to enjoy.

If you've seen "The Polar Express," you will know both what to expect and enjoy this film.

Grade: B+