gardeniapalms

The 1991 mini-series version is fine for it's time, the 2002 version is pretty good. So when I saw that Matthew Goode and Michael Caine were involved in this one, how can you miss? I mean the basic story is a fantasy and is just plain fun for kids and adults.

This version lost be about a quarter of the way through, but the problem is not with the actors...it's the script. They made one the oldest daughters so hateful we sat here wishing her father WOULD take her. The other of the elder daughters is not as hateful but she has her moments of being very trying and tiring.. Sadly the writers created these characters so poorly any turnaround they had becomes too late and doesn't flow. And what director allows a dinner scene to be filmed where shadows are so prevalent one of the daughters looks like she's got a bloody nose that goes down to her lip and looks like it has stabbed really bad.

Then there's the premise of a man & woman who have been seeing each other (without their kids knowing) take these damaged kids to a secluded seaside rental to not only met each other but to spend the weekend together. Having your kids meet the person you are dating should be a separate event. IInteoducing the kids to each other should be another separate event. But to do it all at one time plus testing the waters of everyone to see if living together is possible is just insane and shows a lack of understanding when it comes to blending families.

I gave the movie that high of a rating just because of Matthew Goode and Michael Caine. As usual, Russell Brand just called in his performance with his typical 2D performance not adding any depth or humanity to his character.

The animation of Muchael Caine's character, Psammead (the Sand Fairy), is very good and believable. As with each version, that character has a different look to it with this one being the best (the 2002 animation was also very goid).

So far, the better version to watch is the 2002 version with Freddy Highmore and Jonathan Bailey.

On average, the writers create an episode I consider to be a "one-off" or "off-beat" type of episodes. Sure, there is still at least one murder to be solved and the CSIs approach the situation in their normal serious approach. Helps break things up a bit.

However, this episode stands out for plenty of reasons. The boxer named "Morales" is not the biggest guy involved, but as a boxer, he never gives up and continues to train hoping to someday win one of his bouts. Morales is also a bit crude and not the most likable guy.

Adding to the situation is Coroner/M. E. Doc Robinson. Each time a CSI team says they're pretty sure they've figured out who and what killed Morales, the Doctor may initially agree with their hypothesis, but his next line would be "that isn't what killed him". Once they're finally able to put all the pieces together and see the big picture, it's clear that while what Doc Robinson told each CSI was correct, so were they!? Catherine makes an observation part way through the episode that turned out to be pretty accurate.. and funny.

So who hasn't watched st least 1 or 2 versions of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" each year? And don't get me wrong, there are some excellent versions out there with actors like George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart, Simon Callow, Luke Evans, or even Alistair Sim taking on the role of "Scrooge". Musical or non-musical.

Don't let tbe fact that this version is a Disney film give you the wrong impression. Where this film differs from probably 98% of Disney films is it uses motion capture to capture performances. The animators put a lot of work into the details, there were times we questioned whether a scene was animated or live.

Robert Zemekis has directed so many great films, but this one stands out among them all. He employed a number of actors to portray multiple characters, and Jim Carrey did an excellent job as "Scrooge" without falling back on the actions & vocal performances we see over & over again in so many of his films. No disrespect to him but I can inky take so much of what I call "Carrey-isms" where so much gets exaggerated. Instead, he was very focused and paid a lot of respect to the original novella.

Others in the cast are Gary Oldham, Colin Furth, Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, and Bob Hoskins. The opening credits scene alone is wonderful long single-camera shot giving you a bird's eye view in one continuous segment that made the first impression on us when we first watched it.

Our suggestion is though the film stands on it's own, if you are able to watch it in 3D, it's worth the price of the 3D blu-ray. Zemekis knew how to use 3D technology as a tool and not as a replacement.