Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is a coldhearted, dejected old man living in 19th century London. With a swipe of his bony fingers and a solid “Humbug,” he manages to not only pinch the coins off of his best friend Marley’s lifeless face, but also manages to snub his nephew Fred’s (Colin Firth) dinner invitation and almost refuses his clerk Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman) a day off for Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is haunted by an ethereal Marley, who appears with ghostly chains and boxes weighing him down. He informs Scrooge that he will receive a visit from three ghosts that night: Past, Present and Yet to Come.

As the wintry evening progresses and the otherworldly events unfold, is Scrooge’s epiphany too little too late?

This contemporary adaptation, created by Director Robert Zemeckis, is a much darker, sinister film than the child-friendly, lovable Brian Henson Muppets version. A young girl in the seat next to me shrieked and jumped throughout the whole film; I have to admit I shared her reactions quite a few times, especially when those glaring blood red eyes of the black horses owned by the Ghost of Yet to Come whipped by.

However, the 3-D animation does deserve recognition for its liveliness and vibrancy. Soft snow clumps in the dark London sky gently tumbled downwards and seemed to land all around me causing goose bumps on my arms. When Scrooge zoomed across the shadowy sky with a candle-like Ghost of Christmas Past, I felt my heart clench as if I were riding on a rollercoaster. 3-D animation has come a long way since those red and blue paper glasses and rough-edged graphics.

Carrey’s performance is spectacular; he plays not only the role of Scrooge but also the roles of the 3 Ghosts. Zemeckis character transformation of Scrooge is quite atypical compared to other adaptations. The transformation seemed very sudden and not genuine; it almost seemed like a sarcastic joke. Scrooge’s character has a cold-hearted personality thus we do not believe his teary-eyed hopeful wish that the life of Tiny Tim will be spared so quickly.

The roles of the Ghosts were performed marvelously by Carrey; the thunderous, jolly laughter of the Ghost of Christmas Present sent tingles through my spine and put a chuckle to my lips as well.

Overall, Disney’s A Christmas Carol is a modern must-see of a touching classic. Though Zemeckis offers viewers the chance to experience a technological adventure, children may be much more content with a more friendly version such as Henson’s A Muppet Christmas Carol.
Slide those 3-D glasses on with caution; you are in for a high –speed thrill ride.


BIO: Emily Inzerillo is a junior at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia majoring in Pharmacology and Toxicology with a minor in Writing. She is a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and is employed by Riddle Memorial Hospital as the weekend IV technician. She also is employed by JYI, an undergraduate online research journal as a biological and biomedical associate editor. Her future career goals are to obtain a job in the environmental science field such as the EPA or quality control work such as the FDA.











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