Disney’s A Christmas Carol by Robert Zemeckis’ is one of the most exhilarating visual experiences. It is an exceptionally good movie, but it was scarier than any other Disney movie I have ever watched as a child. There was skeletons, a dead body in a coffin and about 4 ghosts that looked very human like. When I first watched the movie, I got the sense that it was going to be creepy from the cover of the movie and the physical features of Ebenezer Scrooge. Moreover, I instantly got the creeps from the scene with Scrooges, dead business partner Jacob Marley. His eyes rolled around his skull and his jaw unhinged like a snake.
I do not remember the last time I refused to watch a Disney film due to the persistent horror it showed. Scrooge and every other character in “A Christmas Carol” were greatly hideous, which contributed to the unsettling sensation that everything in the room has wandered from “Silent Hill’s” inexplicably wicked domain. This was odd because it appeared to be geared toward children at points with jokes and Polar Express-style action sequences (Scrooge shooting into the sky like a rocket, shrinking to the size of a rat, sliding down drainpipe’s and fleeing from huge horses etc.). The film is bleak, ominous and often terrifying. Families with little children will be better off watching The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Although this was one of the scariest movies I have ever seen as a child, it did have some good messages about the true meaning of the Christmas Spirit. A Christmas Carol’s themes included the potential of redemption, the negative effects of seclusion and the value of love and compassion. Scrooge’s metamorphosis from a miserly, selfish and lonely man to an empathetic and caring human exemplified each of these themes. Furthermore, the chain that binds Marley signified his misdeeds in life and his guilt for neglecting to aid his fellow man Scrooge. He made the chain himself and wears it as a symbol of his lack of concern for others. This message is strongly geared towards Scrooge as a sign that will end up in the same position as Marley if he does not fix change himself.
Consequently, the scary scenes in the film still override the messages and that is why I think the age range was a little too young. The fact that this Disney film simply added terror; no child will be prepared for the nightmare fuel that will be unleashed in the film. However, overall, this movie was much better after watching it as an adult.
Rating as a Child: 2/10
Rating as an Adult: 8/10
Have a Merry Christmas!
– Ayol Deng
Comments