Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist of Netflix’s 2022 musical film, “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol,” poses in a poster. Several characters in the movie showed Scrooge the mistakes of his past in order to help him change, but the moral is too old to be interesting. “It’s good to learn from your mistakes, but this theme has been done before. The movie doesn’t offer anything unique,” Journalism I student Cooper Jones said. Photo fair use of Netflix
“Scrooge: A Christmas Carol,” a musical take on Charles Dickens’s classic novel, teaches the trite lesson that the holiday season is a time of generosity and goodwill.
The story of Ebenezer Scrooge has been told and retold time and time again. Be it in Charles Dickens’s novel, countless live-action movies, with animation, or with puppets, they all teach the same lesson of kindness and giving during the holidays. “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” is no different.
The animated musical adaptation of the classic story, released Dec. 2 on Netflix, follows Ebenezer Scrooge, voiced by Luke Evans, through his past, present, and future as he learns and sings about the errors of his greedy ways.
The movie is animated in a classic 3D style, but the movements of characters feel stiff and unnatural, along with some of the elements of the ghosts and supernatural elements being unnecessary. For example, the Ghost of Christmas Past can shapeshift into anything, but this fact doesn’t add to the film’s plot or appeal at all.
The movie’s soundtrack is a mixed bag. Some tracks stand out, like “Later Never Comes,” in which Scrooge sings about Christmas and how the season is just a reminder of everything he’s lost. Its moody, brassy tone makes it the best of the songs.
Other songs, such as the opener, “I Love Christmas,” are disappointing, with obvious lyrics and shrill singing. However, any song is often an effective way to teach kids a lesson.
Other songs, such as the opener, ‘I Love Christmas,’ are disappointing, with obvious lyrics and shrill singing. However, any song is often an effective way to teach kids a lesson.
The film is geared towards a younger audience of children aged about 4-11 years old, and could potentially be suitable for older kids, though it may even be too cliché for them.
And the message is just that—cliché. It seeks to teach only kindness, especially during the holidays, which is an overused and over-present trope in Christmas movies.
Overall, “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” is a pleasant enough watch that entertains and teaches, but falls flat when it overpreaches a redundant message.
“Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” was released to Netflix on Dec. 2, offering a new edition to the “Scrooge” movies. The director, Stephen Donelly, did exceptionally regarding how the movie was displayed on the screen. “This animation choice makes the movie easy to understand and follow because it directly shows you how different parts of Scrooge’s life connect,” Journalism I student Abigail Holloway wrote. Photo fair use of Netflix
Released on Netflix on Dec. 2, “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” offers a new and fun perspective on the classic Christmas movie “Scrooge”.
“Scrooge: A Christmas Carol,” directed by Stephen Donelly, follows the infamous character Ebenezer Scrooge in an animated style as he learns the meaning of Christmas through captivating interactions with his past, present, and future.
Scrooge shows a clear disdain for Christmas, rarely having a Christmas he enjoys. After rejecting his nephew’s invitation to a Christmas Eve party, Scrooge learns the meaning of Christmas by looking at his past, present, and future.
The movie takes a lot of time to show the way Scrooge’s actions affected the past and will affect the future. This is represented by the memories and glimpses into the future showing up around him. This animation choice makes the movie easy to understand and follow, making the movie viewable for all ages.
While this movie is clearly geared toward a younger audience, the storyline and animation work to engage all ages. An abundance of colors and different music styles are used in a way that adds to the film rather than taking away from the plot.
An abundance of colors and different music styles are used in a way that adds to the film rather than taking away from the plot.
On the opposing side, there are definitely some more extreme scenes that may make it scary or intense for younger viewers. However, the happier scenes definitely overshadow this in the long run.
Part of what makes the original Scrooge so lovable is the simplicity, but this movie takes a very different approach. Whether it’s the cinematography, the music, or the overall story, the production team clearly understood how to use the competing elements to complement each other rather than fight for attention.
An over-the-top production style definitely works well for children’s movies and the production team clearly understood this. The colorful elements really added to the feel of the movie.
Overall, “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” is a great and captivating movie for all audiences.
