Karroll's Christmas

When my wife saw the advertisement for this and asked me to record it, I first found the Tori Spelling wreck, A Carrol's Christmas. I am glad I clarified with her, and with TiVo's search tools found the right one.

This is a great spoof of the classic story remade countless times. The execution was good but probably not good enough to be rerun every Christmas. The bits are mostly great but occasionally fall short, primarily by being slightly predictable. It has good mix of comedy and seasonal tugs at the heartstrings, but rings just a bit as an after school special. Still I look forward to seeing it next year.

If you liked this at all, especially the occasional tendency to stray toward innuendo, I would highly recommend another Christmas film, Bernard and the Genie (1991) (TV) with Lenny Henry, Alan Cumming and Rowan Atkinson.

I got a real kick out of this funny and touching treatment of Charles Dickens immortal classic. I even liked Wallace Shawn in it whom I usually cringe to watch with that awful big-tongued lisp of his, but here, everyone is used to their best advantage. (I must admit I liked him as an old Ferenghi Yoda-type on "Deep Space Nine" but I digress several light years.)

Tom Everett Scott whom I only knew from Tom Hanks film "That Thing You Do" prior to this is a lovable wholesome schlub who mistakenly gets visited by the three ghosts instead of his Scooge-y next door neighbor. Larry Miller is always fun to watch and here, he truly shines with some excellent one-liners

The love interest is also charming and the other two ghosts are a scream, especially Verne Troyer's Christmas future in a delightfully twisted version of the original. There is also Marley's ghost, but to tell you the delicious take they did on HIM would ruin a sweet surprise that should make you laugh long and hard unless you are already dead yourself.

There are some extremely emotional scenes that may make you reach for the Kleenex and they are not at all heavy handed nor do they hurt the overall effect of this "Carol." Slapstick, pathos, one-liners and fun characterizations mixed well and blended thoroughly make this worthwhile viewing to be sure.

Check this one out and avoid at all costs the Tori Spelling version from Hallmark. Director (and sometimes actor) Dennis Dugan balanced Karroll's Chrismas" all so well and adroitly. You may remember him as "Richie Brockelman, Private Eye" from the old "Rockford Files" series or one of his other quirky TV performances in the 1970's or 80's. Anyway, the man sure knows how to direct a great, fun holiday movie. And some great rocking music to boot.

And after all the

Tom Everett Scott and a strong supporting cast spice up what could have been just another made for TV three ghost visit movie.

This movie pokes fun at all those Christmas Carol rip-offs and finally points out that sometimes we humans have to take responsibility and solve our own problems.

This one is a true feel good film.

Larry Miller, Alanna Ubach and Verne Troyer are outstanding as the bumbling ghostly trio! I loved the twist on Jacob Marley as well.

Just a fun tongue in cheek look at Charles Dickens' classic!

This one is worth seeing! I just hope it shows up with the Ghost of Christmas future during the next Yule Time Season!

Karroll's Christmas is one of 2004's Christmas TV gems amid an onslaught of holiday specials this year. Tom Everett Scott (ER) is engaging as the lead in this modern and extremely funny retell of Dicken's Christmas Carol, and Wallace Shawn (Princess Bride) is both charming and funny as Scrooge.

The twist this time around is that the ghosts have gotten the wrong address and they take the wrong guy (Allen Karrol, played by Scott) through his crotchety neighbor's life (Wally Shawn).

Along the way, Karrol learns how his neighbor got so crotchety and becomes sympathetic to a man whom he abhorred, prior. Well directed (Dennis Dugan) and cleverly written, (Drew Daywalt & David Schneider), this one is bound to become a perennial. Five stars out of five.

I'm usually up for seeing films that use A Christmas Carol as their source material, in particular the ones that go for a different interpretation of it(the BlackAdder version takes the cake, I'd have to say). Thus, when this aired, it wasn't a hard sell. It's pretty much worth it, if the tone that they set isn't maintained entirely(though almost) throughout, and it does contain at least its share, possibly more than, of sap. The acting is usually good, the children in this are by far worse than the grown-ups in it, but that is usually the case. The production value is reasonable, with some nice effects. The script plays around with the original story and characters the appropriate amount. The humor is probably the best thing about this, because in the positive end of the spectrum, there are great jokes and gags, including one or two memorable and even quote-deserving ones. There are, however, also times where they try far too hard, where it's juvenile, that it is downright stupid and/or where they fall flat. There is dark comedy herein, albeit relatively mild. Little tip? If you watch through the opening credits to this and find what occurs to be harsh and not funny, you're not likely to be in the target audience. I recommend this to those who can stand the holiday being taken a tad less seriously(for a stronger "anti" movie, look elsewhere). 6/10