A Christmas Carol

Though released just a week shy of Halloween, Robert Zemeckis’ beautifully animated “A Christmas Carol” proves itself the perfect ghost story for any season. With nuanced performances, a strong visual aesthetic, and an expertly pitched pace, Zemeckis’ third experiment in motion capture animation proves to be his best yet. Though the film offers little by way of narrative invention and may frighten much of its intended audience, its truly spectacular 3-D effects and loyalty to Dickens’ novella will likely preserve it as a new Christmas classic.

Though many films in the past decade have explored the depths afforded by recent innovations in 3-D technology, none look quite so spectacular as “A Christmas Carol.” From the snowflakes which seem to hover just inches from the viewer’s face to the eerily protruding nose of the unscrupulous Scrooge (Jim Carrey), Zemeckis’ effects add depth to the film without seeming gimmicky. Certain scenes in particular employ 3-D to unique and immersive effect—most notably Scrooge’s many modes of transportation. One of these involves a mobile room with an invisible floor; as the room zooms in and over London, tables and chairs lurching across the invisible expanse, Scrooge and his surroundings establish separate planes of depth that are utterly convincing.

The animation in the film is also breathtaking in both its realism and beauty. While characters in Zemeckis’ earlier motion capture films—such as the insufferable “The Polar Express”—were crippled by soulless eyes and blank, plastic faces, the figures in “A Christmas Carol” feel fully human while still retaining a measure of animated charm. Though scenes without supernatural entities are sometimes a little too dark to fully appreciate the detailed animation, especially while wearing the polarized 3-D glasses, the majority of the film is rich and vibrant in its depiction of the bustling streets of wintertime London and the surrounding countryside.

The use of motion capture also allows the cast members to dynamically play multiple roles. Carrey is perhaps the most effective in this way, playing not only Ebenezer Scrooge, but also the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. For Carrey to act as all three ghosts is a fitting and clever touch; rather than overwhelm the audience, this choice simply underscores the many ways in which the ghosts represent different facets of Scrooge’s personality. The multiplicity of roles also allows Carrey to stretch his comedic muscles. As the Ghost of Christmas Past—faithfully depicted as a sort of human candle—Carrey bends his face to produce myriad ticks as the flame wavers and crackles, adding a welcome measure of humor.

Not all performances are so strong; Gary Oldman’s turn as Marley’s Ghost, for instance, is wildly over the top, so much so that his wailings and moans are at times incomprehensible. But Oldman’s other roles in the film—Scrooge’s soft-spoken financial partner Bob Cratchit and his son, Tiny Tim—are surprisingly subtle, providing much of the heart of “A Christmas Carol.”

The film’s stylized aesthetic, along with the unfolding of the narrative, is tremendously faithful to Dickens’ tale and sure to please literary purists. In fact, nearly all of illustrator John Leech’s original paintings and woodcuts are closely recreated, making the film truly seem like the novella come to life. There are naturally some drawbacks to this somewhat slavish approach. Many scenes involving the ghosts are likely to frighten small children, and viewers hoping for a few narrative twists—like those in Zemeckis’ 2007 adaptation of “Beowulf”—will surely be disappointed. Nevertheless, for all those whose memories of “A Christmas Carol” center on the original classic rather than the Kermit the Frog or Mickey Mouse versions, Zemeckis’ film is a delightful and nostalgic experience.

Though some of their technical achievements seem dated in retrospect, both of Zemeckis’ previous motion capture films were praised at the time of their releases, wowing audiences with human characters who both looked and moved like live-action actors. And yet “Beowulf” and “The Polar Express” have ultimately proven forgettable because they never managed to connect emotionally with their audiences. “A Christmas Carol” manages to preserve the human heart at the core of Dickens’ tale without sacrificing the awesome powers of the digital technology on display—one early Christmas miracle that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

—Staff writer Bram A. Strochlic can be reached at bstrochl@fas.harvard.edu.