Unfortunately, the characters were not so well done. They were very hit and miss. I liked Scrooge although he moved a bit oddly under that nightgown, and I believed his nephew – but I had now emotion whatsoever for Cratchett and other characters in town or in his past were done so stiffly or with so much exaggeration that I could not connect with them. Tiny Tim was a huge dissapointment, as I could not even feel sad for him – I had a lot more sympathy for the more likeable daughter Martha and the other sister whose name I never caught than I did the empty Tim who had a crutch but nothing to recommend him to my heart. And the ghost of Christmas Past? Creepy!!! I liked the twitching head, but that was certainly a bad character design. Present was annoying, but I went with it, because it was interesting, and future was very well done (although definately not for little kids. I was actually scared, even while I was pretty good about guessing what would happen next during those scenes)

The biggest failure for me though was in the heart of the film. I never once got misty eyed or felt true connection with the story – yet I usually feel a bit involved even with the most low-budget play I’ve gone to see. Scrooge’s motivations were so convoluted and unclear, the scenes he saw haphazard rather than compelling, and it felt like he changed in the end simply because he was supposed to change. I had no idea why he suddenly felt sorry for Tiny Tim when he saw him. The few moments in his past or present that I would have liked to stay or explore were moved on from before I could feel for Scrooge in order to reach another sweeping CG movement scene or have a talk with a spirit.

So while I might give Christmas Carol great points in graphics, I would say it missed the whole point of the story – or even of making a movie. If you can’t get your point across, if the audience can’t -feel- the story, then it’s a waste of money on a pretty package.

(I would probably watch the ‘making of’ several times if it came out though.)

AS for the “too scary for kids” part, I have to say I agree. When I saw it, I screamed and laughed when the horse just kinda…BAM! IT’S RIGHT THERE! OMG! RUN ,OLD GUY, RUN! if I were a kid, I would have been crying. Espeacila with Marley. Gary Oldman did that part very well in my opinion! It was pretty funny, but I did think to myself…did Dickens have help from Edgar Allen Poe when writing this?!?! lol! I thought it was very good, but not very…Disney

Comparing this film to Pinnochio, Bambi, etc. is ridiculous. And “nobody said it was for kids”? You can’t honestly believe that statement. It’s A Christmas Carol, it’s Disney, who were they marketing it too? Like i said my daughter didn’t really have a problem with it but I am sure some youngin’s would and/or did. This was a more frightening movie than “Where the Wild Things Are”.

BTW we saw it in 2D so I imagine the 3D version may have even been a little more disturbing to kids. I’ll ask anyone who saw the 3D, how was it? We didn’t see it in 3D because I refuse to pay $2.00 more per ticket for 3D then be asked to “recycle” the glasses so they can charge people to rent the same glasses again. I would rather take the glasses over to the trash can and throw them away as they watch me.

I recall being a tiny little thing and being scared to death by the whale scene in Pinocchio. Parts of Dumbo made me cry, and so did Bambi. Christmas Carol was no worse. Stop blaming the industry and take responsibility for what your kids are viewing. And yes, I have children.

I think you are thinking of the ghost of christmas future. That is the one that doesn’t speak. But Christmas past in this movie was just disturbing.

Saw it with the wife and daughter (8) today. I thought it was OK. My daughter covered her eyes in a couple parts but wasn’t outwardly frightened.

I have one question: Zemeckis tries for all of this CGI realism but he has characters in his movies (Polar Express and Christmas Carol) do these ridiculous dances that have people defying gravity. It really takes the viewer, me at least, out of the “realism” of the movie.

BTW the CGI character that played Scrooges girlfriend looked the most real of ANY character on screen ever. She looked like a “live” actress was in the movie.

Yes the sputty, fizzy, gay candle with Carrey’s face and voice was annoying enough, but this was nothing compared to the queer furry-bear bare-chested Ghost of Christmas Present – who laughed WAY too much (Santa Claus?), and light of this I thought his crown of thorns was pretty sacrilegious.

Also too much CGI sliding along icy streets, chimneys, icicles, etc. etc.

By the way, silly American writers, ‘clerk’ is pronounced ‘clark’ in Yorkshire, not ‘clirk’. Also, at the dinner where the guessing game is played to guess what kind of animal Scrooge is, the word that should have been used was indeed ‘Ass’ (a donkey), not what the Americans thought the English would say!

I don’t go and see blood-and-gore movies, but this one scared the living daylights out of me. And I’m 50 years old. Way too dark. Wrongly rated PG. It should have been rated ‘M’.