Have you hit double digits on Home Alone reruns? Do you know the Elf script better than the back of your hand? Even though many Christmas movie classics have lost the vibrant aura they once had, Spirited’s modern, musical twist on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” offers a flamboyant film that will get your foot tapping. This big and boisterous musical comedy offers an exciting holiday movie option worth checking out for its punchlines and emotional quality.
It’s the first time “A Christmas Carol” is told from the perspective of the ghosts of Christmas, and this interpretation stars Will Ferrel as the protagonist: the Ghost of Christmas Present, addressed as Present. Present stumbles upon Clint Briggs, played by Ryan Reynolds, an oily businessman who specializes in crafting controversy. Present identifies Clint as the perfect candidate for the ghosts’ next “perp”. Each year’s “perp”, a Scrooge-like individual to be haunted every Christmas, is offered a shot at redemption.
While the film has a playful overlying tone and a Broadway feel, the abundance of times characters burst into song took away from the storyline during the first third. Additionally, the plot is messy at times and confusing. Yet Ferrel and Reynolds have stellar chemistry, and the emotions Spirited spills out are one of its best traits. Reynolds embodies Clint’s smart-aleck personality like we’ve seen before in Deadpool. Spirited may not be an instant Christmas classic, but it’s more than a soon-to-be-forgotten streaming stocking stuffer. It’s well worth a watch to pass your time this winter break, and it can be found on Apple TV+ rated PG-13.
Movie Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3.5 stars