Scrooged Review

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: A TV executive experiences the Dickens treatment while preparing to air a live broadcast of "A Christmas Carol."

Review: Every year at Christmas time Rika and I gather around the fire and pop in some version of "A Christmas Carol." Well...that's how it happens in my fantasies at least! This year it's going to be "Scrooged." Unlike most interpretations of the classic story, this film establishes different characters and situations in an attempt to update the tale. Humorously, the 1988 setting has already dated it more than the original 1843 publication. I mean, there's nothing quite like a scene where a character is discussing "your basic top-of-the-line Pioneer VCR." Psh, that's a good one. Nowaday, someone would open that same gift and be like, "what the fuck is this shit?!" Beyond a mere change to the characters and setting, this film may be one of the first to make "A Christmas Carol" still exist in the universe. Meaning, the characters experience the same fundamental story yet they are fully aware of the events of "A Christmas Carol" and react accordingly. It's surreal in a lot of ways, but it doesn't deter from the timeless themes.

A big part of enjoying this movie is whether or not you're a fan of the comedy style of Bill Murray. As far as this film goes, I think he does a fantastic job with many subtle jokes and, seemingly, improvised lines. There were numerous moments where I picked up on a joke I had never noticed until this viewing, and I've watched this film quite a few times. Not to be outdone, the rest of the cast turn in fun performances along with the assistance of countless cameos. The banter between characters can be especially amusing with Mr. Murray's quick comedic timing. For the most part, the story line remains loyal to the source material except when the changes are necessary. This makes the use of the television environment helpful to add a lot of creative setups like parody commercials. One of the best moments was at the end when Mr. Murray is breaking the fourth wall--asking the movie theater's audience to participate in the ending song; this is done amusingly well too.

The only drawbacks for me would be the annoyance of a few characters; the Ghost of Christmas Present especially needed to be punched. Obviously plenty of jokes fall flat in a film like this, but the gags succeed more often than not. The vision from the Ghost of Christmas Future needed more time as that is supposed to be the darkest, most life-altering moment. I also feel the film went down an overly sentimental route at the end that, somewhat, goes beyond the realm of the original's message. Sure, a happy message of love and all that jazz is great, but, come on, son. Finally, there was a bit of a horror element that would be severely toned down in today's little bitch world. This isn't a negative for me, but I figured I would mention it in case someone is confused that this isn't a kid-friendly version of the story.

While this may not be the truest interpretation of "A Christmas Carol," it is one of the funniest and most enjoyable. Mr. Murray turns Scrooge into more of a sarcastic and egotistical asshole than the typical greedy miser and it works. Although the dry humor can sometimes conflict with the over the top nature of certain scenes, the overall film comes together wonderfully. If you understand what you're getting yourself into, and realize this is an adult version of the story, you should have a good time. I definitely recommend checking this one out this season as it's more than worthy of being a holiday classic or even a traditional viewing.

Notable Moment: There are a lot of great moments, but I want to go with a scene they probably left in on purpose. After Frank throws water on the waiter he imagines is on fire, Frank slips on the water. Given the complete wipe out of Mr. Murray, I get the feeling that was not intended to happen.

Final Rating: 7/10