Ebenezer: The Traveler

Ebenezer the Traveler was so bad that, in all my years of using this site, this is the first time I've ever taken the time to write a review. It was so unwatchable that I thought to myself "I NEED to save others from experiencing this abomination."This film is essentially the exact opposite of Dickens. Everything you've ever loved about the original Christmas Carol (or even any of the countless re-imaginings) is not only lacking from this thin attempt at a sequel, but the legacy of the predecessor(s) would be tarnished by simply having this story considered to be in the same universe. The movie looks like it was created by a middle school theater class and --if that's the case-- everyone who participated deserves to be held back. The dialogue is painful, the acting is awkward, the accents are laughable, the plot is... well, you get the point. There's honestly just nothing redeemable about this movie whatsoever. It tells you everything you need to know that the only positive reviews are coming from people who made the movie. No one else has anything good to say for a reason.

But don't take my word on it: Please please please watch the trailer before wasting 100 minutes of your life or a single penny on enduring this mess.

I wasn't sure what to really expect but I was pleasantly surprised. It looks as good, or better really, than anything on Hallmark or Lifetime, and it definitely had a much better story. Not the same cookie-cutter drivel.

This was a continuation of the original story of Ebenezer Scrooge and A Christmas Carol, which has been redone to death. Instead we get to see what comes next, and it was a little surprising.

There were some nice twists, some clever Easter Eggs to the book, and overall a fun little emotional roller-coaster that reminds us how important it is to keep the faith in ourselves. Without being preachy. If anything, this is how stories used to be. Entertaining first.

There's a great song and a pretty funny end scene that reveals one thing and suggests a whole other, which maybe we can look forward to.

Definitely give a recommendation. Only cropping off one star because you do have to forgive some of the accents.

Overall though, they tried and succeeded with this one.

It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was cute. The story was clever and I really enjoyed some of the new characters, especially Fan, who I think is really the star of the show. What she does to Scrooge's tea is tame compared to what I would have done, but I guess it is a family friendly film. Lol

Some parts really tugged at my heart strings, and some parts ticked me off, and some others I just laughed. And a couple I almost swooned. The guy from Sons of Anarchy whoever he is... oh my. Show me more. Lol

Anyway, this, a glass of wine, and my spot on the couch made for a pretty good after Christmas evening.

We all know the familiar tale of Ebenezer Scrooge from "A Christmas Carol" and how that story ends. However, sometimes an ending is just the place for an all-new beginning.. and this is where the untold twist in the life of Ebenezer Scrooge continues. The day after Christmas finds him suddenly much less merry, and much more unfortunately... dead. Reunited with his old partner Jacob Marley, a no longer quite so tiny Tim, and his beloved sister Fan; together they are tasked with earning their redemption by helping others to find their own. Their first adventure brings them to modern day Oklahoma to a young mother, her family, and a dream that has become a nightmare. Our foursome must work together like their souls depend on it... because they do. This holiday movie is not just another re-telling of "A Christmas Carol". Instead, it continues the story within the Ebenezer Scrooge Universe, diving deeper into the world-renowned characters we have all read about in the classic novel. This film will further explore the world of Scrooge focusing on family, redemption and forgiveness while literally being filled with "Christmas Spirit(s)". Ebenezer the Traveler is the first of many journeys for the Christmas Carol Ensemble.

The idea of this sounds intriguing, so I gave it a bash and was about 2 minutes in when I realised...I'd been had. The acting is some of the worst I've seen. The British accents were absolutely terrible. The dialogue was so fake and literary, delivered by people who clearly had no idea of what they were doing. I fast forwarded a little here and there to see if things were going to improve and it was an obvious and clear no. There was no redeeming factors to this film except some of the sets were ok, so I gave it a 2.

First off, if you're looking for perfection, just stop doing that. Perfect doesn't exist. Story telling exists. Heart exists. People exist. And none of those are perfect.

The truth is though, this is a good little holiday film. It's not huge budget star padded studio offering by any means, but it definitely outpaces a lot of the Hallmark and Lifetime quality independent films.

There's a clever story here told in a sincere way, and that's the heart of it all. You're going to be taken somewhere new on the screen, and along the way in your own heart and mind.

Like I said, it's not perfect. There's shortcomings, particularly with accents and occasionally acting. Some almost get it and some just don't quite make it, but that's about any film, even with big name stars.

The technical side, the visuals and the sound, and the music, are very good for something outside of a studio production.

But the main thing this film has is a heart, and a message, that comes through without beating anyone over the head with it. You have an entertaining story that takes you along for the ride, and along the way maybe leaves a good feeling in your heart and some good thoughts in your head.

Some of these reviews I just don't understand on both sides of the spectrum. My feeling is that a lot of the 1 stars are just personal attacks, and a lot of the 10 stars are typical hype.

The truth lies somewhere between, on the upside of the middle. Personally, I'm giving it an 8. In a world full of knock offs and flashy empty shells made to just fill content, this isn't.

Probably not a holiday classic, but a good little holiday film.