User Reviews

Review Date 3/26/2018

I Have Reviewed OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. On all Christmas movies BEWARE OF FAKE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. Many reviewers have only have ONE REVIEW. When it's a POSITIVE REVIEW chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. If its a negative review then they may have a huge grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

I review them is to keep track of what "I have seen".

This adaptation of A Christmas Carol has a distinctive look, created by multiple pans and zooms and by innovative, unexpected scene transitions. The visual style, which is unusually powerful, is inspired by 19th century engraved illustrations of the original story by John Leech and the pen and ink renderings by illustrator Milo Winter that graced 1930s editions of the book. The intended audience does not include young children, and the film's bleak mood and emphasis on darkness and shadows lead some to consider it the most frightening of the many dramatizations of the Dickens classic

This is a well made cartoon version of the story. Small children will be afraid. This one of the animated adaptations of the Dickens Story. Worth seeking out!

I just saw Richard Williams' Oscar-winning but made-for-TV version of A Christmas Carol on Google Video. Having seen and heard so many versions over the years, I find this the most beautifully animated version with its illustration-style renderings of London and its people in the 19th century. As compelling as the drawings are though, I find the story at 24 minutes a little too short for my tastes so the transformation of Scrooge at the end is not as complete as I would like it to be. That said, it was nice to hear Alastair Sim once again portray the lead character as he had done in the 1951 version. As the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim have said over and over again, "God bless us everyone."

This animated version of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" was directed by the legendary Chuck Jones, though the film doesn't at all appear like any of his typical work. This is NOT the Chuck Jones of Looney Tunes or Tom & Jerry!! For this nice rendition of the classic story, the film received the Oscar for Best Animated Short.

In many ways the film seems a bit ordinary today, though for 1971 it was a rather extraordinary film. In other words, at that time, low frame rates and cheap animation was the norm and compared to the rest of the animated films it was lovely--particularly the painstakingly drawn backgrounds. While the characters lack some smoothness in animation, it isn't that bad--especially for the day.

The only real problems I see with the film aren't really the animation but the story itself and its presentation--it is a bit on the dull side. That's because much of the film is word-for-word Dickens and is like so many, many other versions. Plus, a few places where it could have been more dramatic or warm, it wasn't. But, this is a minor quibble and some of the scenes in the film were very, very good--such as the old ladies talking about the haul they got off the corpse--the voice work was excellent here. And, speaking of voice talent, some of the voices were weak--with too little energy--especially Scrooge himself. Marley and the old ladies, however, were very good.

Overall, I'd give this film a 7--though it's almost good enough to get an 8. It's well worth seeing--just don't expect anything particularly better (or worse) than most of the other 247392 versions of the tale. However, if you are looking to see perhaps the best version of the story, the George C. Scott version is terrific--and really emphasizes the social commentary aspects of the story. In other words, the film makers realized it's less a film about Christmas and more a tale of greed and concern for your fellow man.

I wish someone would release this lost gem on DVD or even video. So much garbage is shown at Christmas I just don't know what goes on in the minds of television programming staff that they won't show this masterpiece. It looks beautiful and the writing, directing and acting are superb. I last remember seeing it on regular old commercial television when I was a child back in 1977. I also remember that during a commercial break they showed a 7-UP commercial starring Jeffrey Holder. I have never forgotten it. Truthfully, this version is better than any of the live action versions that I have seen except perhaps the 1951 production entitled "Scrooge" starring Alastair Simm who reprises the role of Scrooge in this version. Simm is the best Scrooge ever. If you like "A Christmas Carol" email the programming people at Turner Classic Movies, American Movie Classics and Cartoon Network and beg them and harass them to show this wonderful film.

This short, which won an Academy Award, is the best animated adaptation that I've yet seen and is better than a couple of the live-action versions. Everything is top-notch-animation, voice-casting (particularly Sim reprising his performance as Scrooge), production values. The adaptation is quite true to the tone and spirit of the original work, even with the necessary truncation imposed by the brief length. Good to have it in print. Most recommended.

This little gem is something I saw on ABC, waaaaay back around '71 or '72. I know it aired several times in those days,around Christmases('71-'74)in prime time, and on their experimental but short-lived "Wide World of Entertainment".(At the time, there were two animated versions of this story. One was the CBS version which was an hour and, had traditional open-line art for the animation, including a skull-faced Jacob Marley.) This version miraculously managed to squeeze the entire story into 30 minutes and was out and out scary. The animation looked like an old etching, come to life with lines moving everywhere to indicate shadow and form. London became a creepy, Gormenghast-like city with spires, and arches, all sort of in this weird forced perspective. I remember the gap-mouthed Marley with his jaw dropping down to the middle of his chest as he screamed at Scrooge, and the eerie candle-headed Ghost of Christmas Past whom he forced back into a large cone that one would put candles out with in those days(but smaller). Creepy stuff even for it's time. Worth finding.

This is by far the best animated version of the Dickens classic. The renderings and animation are dark and mysteriously sketch-like, with none of the shiny flatness that mars most commercial animation. And the script is amazingly faithful in tone to the original.

It's sometimes difficult to find on videotape, but it is well worth the effort.

Before watching this production of Dickens's classic story, I was of the opinion that it would not be possible to successfully condense A Christmas Carol into a runtime of less than 45 minutes. After watching this, I'm perhaps still of this opinion...yet relatively satisfied by the efforts here.

A Christmas Carol 1971 manages to cover almost every major aspect of the novella (even the oft-forgotten "Want and Ignorance" sequence) but does so in breathless fashion so there's little time for elaboration of finer details. The biggest casualty is Scrooge's sister Fan, who does not merit a mention and his unhappy childhood is merely hinted at.

The major asset is having Sim reprise his Scrooge, although I found his performance perhaps a little inferior in comparison to his live-action one from twenty years earlier. His Scrooge here is lacking a little in the sharpness and, to no great surprise, seems older and perhaps more harmless.

I would not recommend this to newcomers to the story, but for those who need a (very) quick fix of Scrooge, it doesn't really put a foot wrong. In terms of animated versions, it's far superior to either the 2001 monstrosity or the overblown 2009 Disney effort. I just wish it was maybe 15 minutes longer so it could expand on some elements.

This is the best animated version of the hoary old Dickens tale ever brought to the screen. This is no assembly-line cartoon; this is a Victorian lithograph brought to life. Splendid artwork, dizzying camera angles, magnificent and painstaking animation at its best. There are master craftsmen at work here; no shortcuts or sloppy work. The only criticism I could make of it is that it's too short. I sure wish that Santa had given them an unlimited budget to work with. Probably not suitable for younger children, as some of the images are a little terrifying (the children under the robe of the second spirit send chills up my spine every time I see it). I first saw it on PBS back in 1972, I think, and it has haunted me ever since. I was fortunate enough to find a copy on eBay, and it was as good as I had remembered from 30 years back. It's a rotten shame that it's been neglected by the networks ("A Christmas Story" and "Miracle on 34th Street" are great films, but they flog them to death every Christmas). If you want to get in the Christmas spirit, do yourself a favor and beg, borrow or steal a copy of this film.

There are some astonishingly good time-lapse animations in this very heavily abridged version of the famous Charles Dickens Christmas story. It helps that Alastair Sim reprises his characterful role from 1951 and what now ensues is an engaging and quickly paced version of the tale of the miser who has four visitations early one Christmas morning. One from his erstwhile, now late, business partner then three that reflect his childhood, his present and the potential for his future - and it's that last part that makes him realise that, well we know the rest. The script retains much of the salient points from the story (though I don't know I've ever seen the miners or lighthouse keepers before) and we whizz along without losing too much of the powerfully touching sentiment of the narrative. I thought the "Scrooge" character looked quite like Maurice Denham and I did enjoy this.

How can someone buy this film. My husband and I have been trying for two years but we can't find it. Is there a copy out there available, if so what is the price? It is not at all a cartoon but an excellent piece of Victorian art. The drawings evoke the sketches used in Dickens own time. There are moments that are intense, certainly frightening for young children.

The pacing causes one to feel as though Scooge has very little time left to mend his ways. The ghost of Christmas Present is much darker than in other versions. Ignorance and Want are included in a very effective and horrific manner. Marley's ghost is not to be missed.

This is anything but Mr Magoo or Mickey Mouse Dickens. Please post info as to where it can be found.

But does a tremendous job of condensing the classic story into 20 minutes. The animation is beautifully of that era, the narration and voice acting is good. You could probably watch an iteration of A Christmas Carol on every one of the 24 days leading up to Christmas and this is a decent addition to that canon.

This wonderful Dickens tale cannot be properly presented in 28 minutes. Neither Sir Michael Redgrave's narration nor even Alastair Sim's portrayal of Scrooge can save this sorry attempt; Sim is the gold standard for the portrayal of Scrooge, but not here. His performance is best appreciated in the UK film A Christmas Carol released in 1951.

If you need a brief animated version, try Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (twice the length) or The Muppet Christmas Carol (feature length) which stars the marvelous Michael Caine as Scrooge.

This one simply ain't it. Too many cuts leave a bare-bones, rushed story with hardly a hint of terror nor a bit of comic relief.

Grade: C-

This "movie" WAS Christmas at our house when I was a child! I would love to see it again. My children have never seen this version which is the greatest ever! I have watched every version of A Christmas Carol I have ever come across and have always been disappointed. We even went to see it performed live in the theater and, although it was good, it lacked the emotional qualities of this version. I realize that by it being animated, the producers were able to add special effects and stick closer to the dreamlike quality of the original Dickens tale. This movie has been one of my favorites all my life and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Dickens or just a lover of Christmas.

...of Dickens' famous classic tale. I love this version of 'A Christmas Carol.' The animation, or rather artwork, looks like Victorian woodblock prints of the era. The redux of Alastair Sim as the-most-famous-Scrooge-in-history, is an added bonus. I rediscovered this on Youtube (almost 40 years after I saw this on network TV in the early 1970's). The scenes that remained the most vivid for me were, the Ghost of Christmas Present's journey to the Welsh miner's cottage/the waveswept lighthouse/and the squarerigger plowing the Channel played to the hymn, 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen'; the second unforgettable segment was the haunting scene showing Ingorance and Want beneath the ghost's robes. While watching this, I almost felt transported back to the mid-19th century. This is a holiday classic that deserves a wider audience!

I do concur with those who say this 1971 film is the best animated version. Not only that, alongside the 1951 Alastair Sim film, the 1984 George C.Scott film and 1992's Muppet Christmas Carol this is one of my favourite versions of the timeless story.

Including this film which is outstanding, I have seen four animated versions. The others are the 1969 version which is excellent, the 1997 one which is decent and the 2001 one which is pretty bad and my least ever favourite of the story thus far. There's also one from 1994 I think that I haven't seen in years, but I remember not being that fond or impressed.

The story itself is timeless, not just in the characters but also in its evocation of the period it's set and the magical feel you get when reading or talking about it. This does exactly that. The story sticks faithfully in spirit to the timeless story we know and love today, with an enchanting atmosphere, some very well done scenes including the touching scenes with the Cratchits, the intense sequence with Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come and the marvellous ending and a literate script.

The animation is lovely, with the backgrounds especially impressive while the colours are easy on the eyes and the characters apart from the occasional entirely excusable stiff movement are drawn well. The music is wonderful as well, not just in how its composed but also in how effective it is in putting us into the Christmas spirit, while all the characters are very memorable and the voice acting particularly from Alastair Sim and Michael Hordern, both men splendid, is very good.

Overall, outstanding and for me it is by far the best of the animated versions. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I was not aware of this 24-minute animated version of the Charles Dickens classic/Yuletide perennial but was obviously drawn to the film given Williams' stature in the field. Its biggest coup – that is, apart from the rigorous yet effective compression of the source material (thanks to extremely fast transitions between one scene and the next, characterized by admirably mobile tracking shots!), while maintaining the essence of the tale (abetted by the narration of Sir Michael Redgrave) – is to have Alastair Sim and Michael Hordern reprise their roles of Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley respectively from the definitive screen adaptation of 20 years previously!! Indeed, the whole seems to draw upon the 1951 SCROOGE above all: from the script, which it sometimes quotes verbatim, to the style of animation, deliberately evoking the remarkable detail of Dickensian London – not forgetting the superbly-realized fantasy sequences – which was that particular production's trump card! And, herein, lies perhaps this film's ultimate dilemma: while certainly not a perfunctory or redundant effort, one is not likely to forsake the earlier cinematic rendition because of it

This is my second favorite Christmas Carol. My first being Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. I loved Alastair Sims as Scrooge. I know it's on alot at Christmas but I only got a chance to see it once this year so I just ordered it online. I was not able to find it in any of my local stores. My sister-in-law loves the George C. Scott version better so we always argue about which one is best. Her version doesn't hold a candle to this one as far as I'm concerned! I loved the ghosts and the whole thing and especially his housekeeper!!

... with beautiful animation, thought the style is probably not in every ones taste. But every frame is worth an artistic analysis, so much details are present. The timing and pacing could be a bit more rounded down, but it is very quick and only has 25 minutes where other version need at least an hour or two to present the whole story.

But sadly the dub isn't too good I fear, the acting is a bit wooden at times and I wish it had some bigger names behind it to give Scrooge and the spirits their voices. It is fine for the most part, but it could be much better.

Anyway, it it worth your time, and at least to watch it once, if not multiple times.

Alistair Sim reprises his Scrooge twenty years after the best version of the classic. Here we have ghostly figures, atmosphere, and a decent representation of the story. My criticism is that 25 minutes is not adequate to tell that story. While it is a novella, by picking and choosing events, it just clips along, not allowing the central figure to absorb the lesson being offered him.

This scared the bejabbers out of me as kid in the '70's. If it wasn't listed on the imdb I'd think was just a bad dream. No other version has ever compared since. You ever notice there is no surer endorsement of a movie than "it scared the bejabbaers out of me when I was a kid"?

Moving, frightening and beautifully drawn throughout. The story is adapted as well as could be done in the time allotted to it. Voices are particularly well cast.

I must have been completely creeped out by Ignorance and Want when I saw this as a kid as they seem terrifying even now.

True I love the 2001 animated movie version of Charles Dickens's holiday story. But I love this short film, or special, if you will. I had come across pictures for this short and was curious about it. Then I watched a high-def version of it on YouTube. This short is another favourite Christmas special or featurette. I should also mention that this is the only Christmas short film to receive the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject in 1971.

I love that they reprise the roles of Alastair Sim and Michael Hordern as Scrooge and Marley from the 1951 live-action movie version, which is a version that my dad loves. I also love that Chuck Jones was the executive producer on this short; Ken Harris and Abe Levitow, who had worked with Chuck, are also credited. Mind you, there are scenes that are serious nightmare fuel. But anyway, I think this special is fantastic and deserving of an Academy Award. I wish it was on DVD.