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A Dickens of a MESS?!?
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HeadRAZZBerry View Drop Down
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Posts: 4482 		Post Options Post Options   Quote HeadRAZZBerry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: A Dickens of a MESS?!?
    Posted: November 01 2009 at 6:33am

IN the SWEEPSTAKES for the TITLE of "2009's LEAST  ORIGINAL MOVIE," a 62nd REMAKE of A CHRISTMAS CAROL DEFINITELY HAS a LEG UP on the COMPETITION.

ADD in 2007 WORST ACTOR NOMINEE JIM CARREY as the VOICE of NOT ONLY EBENEZER SCROOGE BUT ALL THREE GHOSTS of CHRISTMAS WHO HAUNT the OLD MISER...and the FACT THAT THIS FILM's DIRECTOR HAS GONE from CAREER HIGHS THAT INCLUDE WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, the BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY and the OSCAR® WINNING BEST PICTURE FORREST GUMP to HIS RECENT RUN of POLAR EXPRESS, BEOWULF and THIS, and YOU CAN CERTAINLY SEE WHY THIS VERSION of CAROL MIGHT LOOK to US LIKE a RAZZIE® CONTENDER...

TWO MINOR POINTS in the FILM's FAVOR:

1)  ITS RUNNING TIME APPEARS to be UNDER 80 MINUTES, MEANING DICKENS' ORIGINAL STORY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN as BLATANTLY DICKED WITH and "UP-DATED" as THAT AWFUL GRINCH MOVIE CARREY ALSO STARRED IN... 

2)  PERHAPS "HONORING" the ORIGINAL AUTHOR -- OR MAYBE HOPING to SPREAD the BLAME AROUND IF IT BOMBS -- THE PRINT ADS for CAROL ACTUALLY DO INCLUDE the PHRASE "BASED on the CLASSIC STORY by CHARLES DICKENS."  SO, IF OL' CHARLIE DOES END UP SPINNING in HIS GRAVE at WHAT THEY'VE DONE with HIS NOVELLA, HE'LL BE ROTATING with a MOVIE CREDIT to HIS NAME!

OKAY, BELOW IS YOUR CHANCE to ADD YOUR OWN "BAH! HUMBUG!!" to the CHORUS of NEGATIVITY WE EXPECT WILL GREET EBENEZER's LATEST EXHUMATION...OR DEFEND the FILM.

EITHER WAY: READY, SET...GO!

MARLEY: "Ebenezer Carrey, your career will forever be haunted by the ghosts of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, LEMONY SNICKET and THE NUMBER 23..."

Ye Olde Head RAZZberry
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Movie Man View Drop Down
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Posts: 214 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Movie Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2009 at 7:43am

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! This is where I draw the line. This actually looks good!

And so was "The Polar Express".

Geez, all of a sudden HeadRazz is becoming Mr. Scrooge with the Christmas classics bashing. "Christmas movies of new and 'ole. Bah! Humbug." 

RESPONSE from Head RAZZberry: I am not Christmas Classic "Bashing," I am objecting to this particular version of the best known story by my Berry Favorite Author, Charles Dickens. If you had read the brilliant books on which the LEMONY SNICKET movie was based -- and realized the utter contempt shown them by Jim Carrey's movie adaptation -- you might undertand my trepidation about this Carrey version of a beloved book.

And if you actually liked POLAR EXPRESS, with its creepy zombie-eyed CGI kids, its obnoxiously over-bearing Santa and its diabetic-shock-inducing treacly sappiness, then you and I have completely different opinions as to what consititutes worthwhile holiday entertainment.

As for my supposedly being Mr. Scrooge, I annually watch several holiday favorites, among them the 1951 British version of CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1984's A CHRISTMAS STORY and the original 1945 version of CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT ...


 
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Posts: 2136 		Post Options Post Options   Quote moviewizguy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2009 at 8:24am

I think this movie looks good.

RESPONSE from Head RAZZberry: I think this posting has just made my point...

 
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Berrynoia View Drop Down
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Posts: 200 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Berrynoia Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2009 at 9:00am
Polar Express: never watched it and have no intention to.

Grinch: I liked it, but I think Carrey saved it from being a disaster.  Maybe if they had it in CGI, they could have done more...

Lemony Snicket: I never saw it, but reception from RT crix and IMDB voters is that it is a decent movie.  Why is this "haunting" him?

The Number 23: never watched it, but THAT bombed!  Wasn't Carrey playing a serious role?

------------------

As for the new Scrooge (Turds-mas Present), I think it is going to lean towards The Number 23 (Turds-mas Past) in terms of reviews.  I don't see it pulling off another surprise like Horton did.  As for the Ghost of Turds-mas future...I don't know.
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Posts: 2136 		Post Options Post Options   Quote moviewizguy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2009 at 9:59am

You should watch The Polar Express. It's a breathtaking film. I was very shocked that it wasn't nominated for Best Animated film and Shark Tale did. That made me furious! 

RESPONSE from Head RAZZberry: I agree with you about SHARK TALE not being a worthy Best Animated Film Oscar® nominee...but obviously, I don't agree that POLAR EXPRESS deserved its slot instead. By the way, I totally agreed with the final choice for the 2004 Animated Film Oscar®: THE INCREDIBLES... 

 
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Posts: 133 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JoBloMovieGoer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2009 at 12:04pm

I gotta disagree with all those Forum members defending this film. Its ads on TV are wall-to-wall with stuff obviously conceived to promote that the film is in 3-D, rather than staying true to Dickens' original text.

And after his recent track record with both critics and at the box office (he hasn't had a genuine runaway box office hit since 2003's BRUCE ALMIGHTY) Jim Carrey is more desperate than ever to make a comeback. Having seen how out-of-control/in-your-face "manic" Carrey was when his  career was going well (I, too, loathed LEMONY SNICKET) I can only cringe in anicipation at how much "more so" he's likely be in this -- possibly his last chance at redeeming his film career before being reduced to doing a sitcom on the CW...

 
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Posts: 492 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JoeBacon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 01 2009 at 4:30pm

61 times is more than enough for anything to be remade. Why not just reissue either the MGM, Alastair Sim or George C Scott versions, all of which which were wonderful?   

As for this remake, the casting could have been worse--they could have cast Mike Myers, Adam Sandler and Mr. T as the ghosts, Chris Elliot as Bob Cratchit and Spencer Breslin as Tiny Tim...

 
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Posts: 2024 		Post Options Post Options   Quote dEd Grimley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 1:23am

If you think this movie looks good, fine, but I hope to Jebus you don't think this movie needed to be made. I'm pretty sure there's a rule that if the Muppets have done a cover of something, it doesn't ever need to be made again. That goes for the eventual remake of Treasure Island, too. (There isn't one in production that I'm aware of, but I have noticed that mentioning stuff like this on this forum
tends to get them made. So perhaps I should stop talking now...and end this parenthesized sidebar)...

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Posts: 2848 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Michaels Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 2:01am
Overall, this movie is listed here for two reasons: Jim Carrey is in it, and his career has been in a rut as of late, and because it's the the millionth adaptation of "The Christmas Carol". Come on, H-Wood, let this tired story die!
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Posts: 74 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Julianstark Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 2:35am
I don't want Dickens story to die. But what I would want to die is the idea that we need a new adaptation of this nearly every year, whether it's a theatrical film or television special.

That being said, I saw a stage production of it last year, and it was quite nice.

But I agree with whoever said that they really didn't need to do this remake. Though it'll make tons of money, I'm pretty sure of that. Expect it to top this weekend's box office...
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Posts: 2577 		Post Options Post Options   Quote saturnwatcher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 10:22am

Did this movie need to be made? No..there are way too many adaptations already and Mr. Magoo already set the standard for an animated Scrooge several decades ago. Nonetheless, new adapations of this movie will continue to come out through at least a couple of sitcoms per year and a new full length feature at least every couple of years.

I was among this movies strongest critics when discussion of it first began here, but after seeing the trailers, I'm willing to give it a chance. I'm sure the regulars here are well aware that I'm no fan of Jim Carrey and I restate that the world doesn't necessarily need another adaptation of this story, but it is just barely possible that this could end up being worthwhile. After I see it, I'll either offer it whatever praise it deserves or burn it to a cinder. I am, however, a bit worried after seeing MWG's endorsement.  

And....just for whatever it is worth...I kinda liked The Polar Express.

Allow me to note, however, that A Christmas Carol doesn't come close to being the movie I am most looking forward to in the coming weeks. That would be a toss-up between Invictus and The Blind Side, both of which I believe will be strong Oscar contenders.
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Posts: 2848 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Michaels Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 12:36pm

Okay, I'll reword ... I want this tired story to die, as in no more adaptations ... ever again! There's nothing more that can be done with it, and nothing new that can be added to it...    

Originally posted by Julianstark

I don't want Dickens story to die. But what I would want to die is the idea that we need a new adaptation of this nearly every year, whether it's a theatrical film or television
special.
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Posts: 492 		Post Options Post Options   Quote JoeBacon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 1:50pm
Right wing web sites now have another new version--with President Obama as Scrooge   
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Posts: 2848 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Michaels Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 2:35pm

Ah, right-wingers, such morons! First they bury their heads up the ass of one of the worst Presidents of all time, who's sending the country into a downwards spiral. Then they have nothing positive to say about our new President, who hasn't done anything seriously wrong yet. Simply because he's of the opposite party than the right wingers, he has to be their punching bag.

Politics is so retarded like that.

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Posts: 2577 		Post Options Post Options   Quote saturnwatcher Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 02 2009 at 3:22pm

If there was ever a human being that sorely needed to be visited by three ghosts, permit me to introduce you to Dick Cheney. Even Ebenezer Scrooge never shot a guy!

I used to pity the political right for being sadly misinformed. More and more I am realizing that they are just dangerously (and willingly) ignorant.

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Posts: 200 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Berrynoia Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 03 2009 at 11:45am
OK, it's time to cut out the politics and focus on the current Jim Carrey and Jim Carrey and Jim Carrey and Jim Carrey movie.  And JoeBacon, you forgot to include Rob Schneider in the list of horrible cast members...but that's for the Risible Remake category.
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