Escape to the Movies: A Christmas Carol

[ProfessorLayton]

Thank you very much for convincing me otherwise, because I was going to go see this.

 

[HeadlessChicken]

Howdy.

I see that the hipster 3D-bashing has reared its ugly head, so to chime in and give my 2 cents- that is misguided.

Marketing gimmick? Sure! Every new thing, the whole of cinema included, was likely to be branded as such. Look yonder, moving pictures!

In and of itself a reason to hate a movie though, nope. Like any tool it can be misused, but the sheer fact that 3D settings have that one extra thing about them may make a movie like Ice Age 3 rewatchable.

PS: if you diss Coraline I will murder you.

 

[Anacortian]

If one's biggest problem with foreign adaptations on one's culture's stories is the accent, one needs to apply some reason. First, foreign adaptation is just about the highest form of praise one can give a culture; parroting accents comes dangerously close to an insult regardless of how well it's done and with what sincerity. Second, Victorian English (Dickens), Middle English (Robin Hood and Shakespeare), and Old or not even English (Arther) sound regressively less like modern, true English (what they speak in London). Nobody is ever going to get the accent right, neither you nor me. Repeat after me: "Thank you for the presumed compliment of my culture."

And Moviebob, Branagh's Hamlet was great because it was unabridged.

I dont consider throwing an american into a lead role of an english story an 'adaptation' Scrooged is an adaptation and it worked becaus the story was applied to modern day new yourk and turned into a half decent black comedy. Setting the film where its meant to be set london/sherwood forest whatever but casting an american to boost the US appeal feels like butchering the Original. I agree that teh language should be somewhat adapted to the modern audience but at least keep it in the same country!

I don't think casting an American in an American rendition of a British story is as much done to appeal to Americans as it is done because Americans are the ones doing it. They can only pay tribute to the story with themselves.

The line of country is very arbitrary. I would argue that the British culture has changed so dramatically over the centuries, that America more common ground than differences with Britain than Britain has with Camelot, Boadica, et cetera. Furthermore, being a Briton does not even put you within the same people as many British legends. Keep going and you will find that Boadica can only be portrayed by a Celt (Welshman), Arther can only be portrayed by a Saxon (maybe an Angle, but not a Norman), anything about the Beatles story would require Liverpoolers, and anything Tolkien would need at least Englishmen (as opposed to Kiwis, Yanks, and Mics).

I'm glad to see one proud of their country; you have much about which to be proud. I beg you, however, to not be so racist as to prejudge that all foreign takes on your nations literature must inherently be bad ones. At the very least realize that America shares a HUGE common cultural stock with Britain and her commonwealth. The lot of us Anglophones really are very much more akin than apart.

 

[Kuchinawa212]

You win this time Bob
It was the Shylock reference. I love that play
I won't see this movie

 

[BenzSmoke]

Heh, The part where Bob said "Elaborate Setpieces" and Michael Bay poped up made me smile.

I also agree that the movie is necessary to be 3D in the same way that it's necessary for a man to spend money on a golden ladder to change a light-bulb.

 

[Starke]

Yay, no bullsh-- Columbo moment at the end. Those thigns were getting on my nerves.

Other than that, finally we're back to the vitrolic Movie Bob, we missed you so much.

 

[d100Productions]

Hmm. To be honest I didn't feel that this movie was that bad. I mean it's the same shit served up a different way for decades now, but it's not a movie that I would call terrible. The CG is impressive enough, good voice cast, and it sticks mostly to the book, which is incredible when Disney has it's hands in the project... Eh. It would get a 7.5 out of 10 from me.

 

[chickenlord]

hmm...that bad,huh? hmm...my fav among the hundreds made is the Muppet version...that ones awesome =)

 

[Gruchul]

Not really surprised by this, there have only been two great Christmas films ever made (The Nightmare Before Christmas and Gremlins), everything else fitting in between passable and dire.

 

[Gruchul]

I don't think casting an American in an American rendition of a British story is as much done to appeal to Americans as it is done because Americans are the ones doing it. They can only pay tribute to the story with themselves.

The line of country is very arbitrary. I would argue that the British culture has changed so dramatically over the centuries, that America more common ground than differences with Britain than Britain has with Camelot, Boadica, et cetera. Furthermore, being a Briton does not even put you within the same people as many British legends. Keep going and you will find that Boadica can only be portrayed by a Celt (Welshman), Arther can only be portrayed by a Saxon (maybe an Angle, but not a Norman), anything about the Beatles story would require Liverpoolers, and anything Tolkien would need at least Englishmen (as opposed to Kiwis, Yanks, and Mics).

I'm glad to see one proud of their country; you have much about which to be proud. I beg you, however, to not be so racist as to prejudge that all foreign takes on your nations literature must inherently be bad ones. At the very least realize that America shares a HUGE common cultural stock with Britain and her commonwealth. The lot of us Anglophones really are very much more akin than apart.

I think you're missing the point. He's suggesting that the lack of authenticity in a film can kill the mood. It's nothing to do with racism or cultural differences, it's to do with the fact an actor with a broad Alabama accent is going to struggle to make a convincing geordie. Flipping this around to a situation with a Brit in America; do you think house would be half the show it is if Hugh Lawrie had not gone to all the trouble of being a convincing American in House?

It sometimes seems like American actors can't be bothered attempting to make their characters actually fit the setting and it is annoying when they attempt to play British characters from British towns without even changing their accent. I assume the opposite way round would at the very least irk you. Obviously a poor accent might be even more offensive, but the audition process really ought to try to find someone who could do a good job of it.

 

[PhiMed]

Not to claim premonition, but I totally called this one. Unfortunately, I think the studios will be rewarded for this astonishingly bad, ridiculously unnecessary, audience-scorning decision. I was sitting in the theaters when I first saw the trailer for this garbage, and I was the only one who wasn't laughing at some of the stupid sight gags.

There's no reason to "re-imagine" (god damn I hate that word) this story. Even if there were, there's very little reason to do it in the creepy, uncanny valley way reminiscent of Polar Express. However, Disney has completely abandoned the business of making good cartoons, and it would be impossible to make a live action movie that utilizes the agressively irritating "new" gimmick of 3D to its fullest.

Also, has Jim Carrey made a legitimately good movie since the Truman Show? I suppose Bruce Almighty was acceptable, but every other movie has either been an attempt at "art" so self-indulgent as to be unenjoyable, or a goofy comedy so frenetic and nonsensical as to cause seizures in every single human being on earth with the lone exception of Jenny McCarthy's autistic son.

I'm glad Bob recommended against seeing this, but I'm confused as to why he felt the need to give it the benefit of the doubt in the first place.

 

[PhiMed]

If one's biggest problem with foreign adaptations on one's culture's stories is the accent, one needs to apply some reason. First, foreign adaptation is just about the highest form of praise one can give a culture; parroting accents comes dangerously close to an insult regardless of how well it's done and with what sincerity. Second, Victorian English (Dickens), Middle English (Robin Hood and Shakespeare), and Old or not even English (Arther) sound regressively less like modern, true English (what they speak in London). Nobody is ever going to get the accent right, neither you nor me. Repeat after me: "Thank you for the presumed compliment of my culture."

And Moviebob, Branagh's Hamlet was great because it was unabridged.

I dont consider throwing an american into a lead role of an english story an 'adaptation' Scrooged is an adaptation and it worked becaus the story was applied to modern day new yourk and turned into a half decent black comedy. Setting the film where its meant to be set london/sherwood forest whatever but casting an american to boost the US appeal feels like butchering the Original. I agree that teh language should be somewhat adapted to the modern audience but at least keep it in the same country!

I don't think casting an American in an American rendition of a British story is as much done to appeal to Americans as it is done because Americans are the ones doing it. They can only pay tribute to the story with themselves.

The line of country is very arbitrary. I would argue that the British culture has changed so dramatically over the centuries, that America more common ground than differences with Britain than Britain has with Camelot, Boadica, et cetera. Furthermore, being a Briton does not even put you within the same people as many British legends. Keep going and you will find that Boadica can only be portrayed by a Celt (Welshman), Arther can only be portrayed by a Saxon (maybe an Angle, but not a Norman), anything about the Beatles story would require Liverpoolers, and anything Tolkien would need at least Englishmen (as opposed to Kiwis, Yanks, and Mics).

I'm glad to see one proud of their country; you have much about which to be proud. I beg you, however, to not be so racist as to prejudge that all foreign takes on your nations literature must inherently be bad ones. At the very least realize that America shares a HUGE common cultural stock with Britain and her commonwealth. The lot of us Anglophones really are very much more akin than apart.

He's Canadian, guys. I know people on this site like getting all pissy and ***** and moan about Americans, but he isn't one.

 

[cocoadog]

i love jim carrey so i'm sure i'll like this movie as well curse not being a movie buff

 

[Flamma Man]

Who the Hell even releases a movie based of A Christmas Carol in NOVEMBER. That's like releasing a movie called Halloween in August.

...

God damn it.

 

[ironlordthemad]

one thing he may have forgotten to mention about dickens
he sucked
seriously i studied two of his novels in my last year at school as an advanced higher english student who loved everything about english and dickens almost killed it for me

i wasnt going to see this movie in the first place (since i saw the disney version as a kid) so now i just feel like my choice has been justified!

 

[maninahat]

I remember seeing the trailer for this. When I saw Scrooge shrunk to the size of a mouse and catapulted through the London skyline, I turned up the sarcasm to full and said "yes, this is exactly what Charles Dickens envisioned when he wrote this story".

I was quite chuffed with my obnoxious remark until I found out some other guy on the internet (the "Amazing Athiest", no less) had said exact same fucking thing on seeing exactly the same scene. I hate how the internet makes you feel like a plagarist, reminding you that you can never come up with something that hasn't already been done.

 

[Anacortian]

I don't think casting an American in an American rendition of a British story is as much done to appeal to Americans as it is done because Americans are the ones doing it. They can only pay tribute to the story with themselves.

The line of country is very arbitrary. I would argue that the British culture has changed so dramatically over the centuries, that America more common ground than differences with Britain than Britain has with Camelot, Boadica, et cetera. Furthermore, being a Briton does not even put you within the same people as many British legends. Keep going and you will find that Boadica can only be portrayed by a Celt (Welshman), Arther can only be portrayed by a Saxon (maybe an Angle, but not a Norman), anything about the Beatles story would require Liverpoolers, and anything Tolkien would need at least Englishmen (as opposed to Kiwis, Yanks, and Mics).

I'm glad to see one proud of their country; you have much about which to be proud. I beg you, however, to not be so racist as to prejudge that all foreign takes on your nations literature must inherently be bad ones. At the very least realize that America shares a HUGE common cultural stock with Britain and her commonwealth. The lot of us Anglophones really are very much more akin than apart.

I think you're missing the point. He's suggesting that the lack of authenticity in a film can kill the mood. It's nothing to do with racism or cultural differences, it's to do with the fact an actor with a broad Alabama accent is going to struggle to make a convincing geordie. Flipping this around to a situation with a Brit in America; do you think house would be half the show it is if Hugh Lawrie had not gone to all the trouble of being a convincing American in House?

It sometimes seems like American actors can't be bothered attempting to make their characters actually fit the setting and it is annoying when they attempt to play British characters from British towns without even changing their accent. I assume the opposite way round would at the very least irk you. Obviously a poor accent might be even more offensive, but the audition process really ought to try to find someone who could do a good job of it.

Granted.

He's Canadian, guys. I know people on this site like getting all pissy and ***** and moan about Americans, but he isn't one.

I am really surprised I did not, myself, catch this one. So yeah. Dude's a born subject of the Queen. One just cannot complain in this case about his Americanism. One could only complain about his being an alien if one is willing to say that the Commonwealth has no part in British culture by virtue of the fact that Jimmy was not born on a particular island within a larger realm.

 

[J-Alfred]

MovieBob, I am sad to say you are mistaken in your opinions of best Scrooge. Scrooge McDuck is the best by far. Although that may just be nostalgia talking.

Anyways, I have to go collect 10 bucks from my friend. I was convinced the movie would blow, he thought it would be good. Ha ha.

 

[malestrithe]

As a point of interest, what do people think the -best- adaptation of the Christmas Carol story is?

I like Bill Murray's version Scrooged. The movie is fun.

Anyway, I feel that this book is timeless because it can be easily adapted into modern language and themes. I am probably the only English major that does not want my literature to remain pure. I want to see adaptations because it tells me what the script writers thought were important. I like British literature and I've written scholarly papers on Dickens, but I am the first to admit right time and place.