FILM REVIEW- A Christmas Carol (2009)

A Christmas Carol (PG)

Where- In the cinema

Bah Humdrum?

Plot-

Scrooge (Carrey) is misanthropic banker in Victorian times, until he is visited by three spirits (Christmases Past, Present and Yet to come) on Christmas night to urge him to change his ways.

Review-

This classic Charles Dickens tale has been adapted for the big screen so many times it’s becoming a test to tell versions apart.

So the big question is what this latest effort from Robert Zemeckis does to stand out from the crowd.

The answer is, from a technical point of view, a lot. 3D, Body motion capture and Jim Carrey are all new. But in terms of memorable performances, witty scriptwriting and real heart it is severely lacking.

It’s hard to mess up a story this timeless completely, but this version is nowhere near as good as it should be.

One of the main problems is the whole body capture technique (real actors play out scenes are then made into cgi characters- see Beowulf or Polar Express). It lacks either the physicality of the best hand drawn toons, or the gritty realism of live action. It’s an interesting animation technique, but it’s stuck between two worlds and is not one thing or the other.

The films tone is also uncertain. Jumping from child-unfriendly shocks to pratfall slapstick in the blink of an eye it is the definition of schizophrenic.

Having a ghost’s jaw coming loose making him unable to talk sounds amusing but the film only treats it as a joke long after it has become disturbing. Also having one of the spirits laughing as he slowly decomposes until he is nothing but bones not only sends a shiver down your spine, but confuses you no end.

Who exactly is this film aimed at? Rated PG it seems to be family orientated but scenes such as the above seem to go beyond simple haunted house scares and into disturbing territory similar to Cronenberg.

If playing for an older audience the films inconsistent humour and poor character design may frustrate. The ghost of Christmas past is strange but ultimately dull, and characters such as Fezziwig and the ghost of Christmas present are simple photocopies from previous adaptations, adding little that is new.

But if you’re looking for an easy Christmas night out at the movies, this could satisfy. But if you want a version of Carol that does things a little differently and manages to pull it off, check out either the Muppets Christmas Carol or Scrooged.

Verdict- A decent enough version of a story that has been told one time too many… (2/5)

The trailer-

VIDEOGAME FEATURE- The Past, Present and Future of Downloadable Games…

I have managed to get an article on downloadable gaming published on the geeks.co.uk website. See it here-

http://www.geeks.co.uk/10483-are-game-cartridges-on-the-way-out-are-downloads-the-future

MUSIC FEATURE- Dual Review of The Blues Band

*I went with my dad to see the Blues Band on Thursday, to see the blues legends (or so I was told), Paul Jones, Dave Kelly, Rod Townsend, Gary Fletcher & Tom McGuinness.

I thought I would post a review as well as what my far more informed blues fan dad made of it…*

Me-

Having never heard really exposed myself for blues music before I wasn’t sure whether this night would either make my ears wave the white flag, or an unexpected lullaby joy.

Luckily it wasn’t two hours of aural pain, but it wasn’t bliss either.

The band, with their hair fading were clearly experienced at this venue (it was their 30^th year together after all), and had no problem in winning over the older crowd. Nobody jumped out of their seats and started grooving but neither was there any animosity, creating a relaxed atmosphere to the whole night.

All of the band played their instruments almost with their eyes shut, and there wasn’t a bum note or an out of key lyric to be found.

I’m not sure that the blues is my type of music though. It tries hard with a lot of noise from all involved but not one song stuck in the memory from the whole night. Once finished the songs go out like a light from your mind, tricking you into thinking whether you heard anything in the first place.

Overall it was fun, but perhaps a more livelier atmosphere and band may have really got my musical heart pumping.

Papa-

Well, what a treat for me, ticket brought for me as a birthday present by my better half, so the tickets have been in a safe place for over 2 months.

So accompanied by wife and son, off we go to our local Venue, the marvellous Tivoli Theatre in Wimborne, good seats too, only 3 rows from the front of stage.

This gig is part of the band’s 30 year celebration tour and by the quality of their performance they definitely seem to be enjoying themselves still.

There was no support band however, but this only gives these talented and accomplished musicians the opportunity to show the mastery of the Blues and R& B genre that they possess, during a near 2 hour set.

Being a guitarist myself (I’m not too bad..?) listening and watching the technique of Dave Kelly’s slide guitar work on his maroon Gibson S.G was a delight.

Paul Jones vocals and rapport with the audience made everyone feel part of something special, ably supported by Tom McGuiness’ excellent guitar work on acoustic (especially on “That’s aright”) and Gary Fletchers bass driving the band along. The band’s drummer was replaced for the night, as Rob Townsend had broken his collar bone, slipping on some leaves apparently.

So all in all, an enjoyable night out, go see this band if they are appearing locally to you, I for one will be getting tickets when they are down here again, recommended.

More details on the band can be found here-

http://www.scarboroughad.com/9/events/2009-11-07/159-The-Blues-Band-30th-Anniversary-Tour.html