Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)

Powerful

Perfect cast and a good story

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.Make the season merry as Mickey, Goofy, Donald and all their pals star in a heartwarming retelling of Dickens' unforgettable holiday tale. Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) is far too greedy to understand that Christmas is a time for kindness and generosity. But with the guidance of some wise ghosts (Goofy and Jiminy Cricket) and a bunch of newfound friends, Scrooge learns to embrace the spirit of the season. Share this wonderful holiday treat with the whole family.This is to me however a safe version to introduce children to the story of "A Christmas Carol". The imagery in most versions of the story might be a little intense for children under 7. This version however is fine for the small ones. In my opinion the best version of "A Christmas Carol" is the 1938 version starring Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, & Kathleen Lockhart. |

Although Charles Dickens' classic tale has been adapted for the screen dozens upon dozens of times, "Mickey's Christmas Carol" stands out as one of the best. Its use of everyone's favorite cartoon characters to bring the story to life is charming and the pace is perfect to keep the attention of children of all ages.The greedy Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) doesn't understand the meaning of Christmas. Four ghosts (Goofy, Jiminy Cricket, Willie the Giant, and Black Pete) visit him Christmas Eve to show the old miser the error of his ways. He'll also get a sneak peek of what he can expect if he keeps traveling down the same road in life.I remember seeing "Mickey's Christmas Carol" when it came out paired with "The Rescuers." Talk about making someone feel old. It stands the test of time and remains as entertaining for the whole family as it was when it first hit movie screens.

Delightful(if a bit too short, covering very little of the Dickens' story but the bare essentials)Walt Disney version of A Christmas CAROL features the wonderful voice of Alan Young of MR. ED fame as Ebenezer Scrooge McDuck, Bah humbugging those around him of good Holiday cheer until he is visited by deceased partner Jacob Marley(Goofy who makes a marvelous introduction and easily the character who steals plenty of chuckles such as his inability to keep from tripping over his chains)and three ghosts over Christmas Eve, one of whom is Jiminy Cricket(as Christmas Past). With Mickey Mouse as long suffering Bob Cratchet, Minnie his wife, and Donald Duck as Scrooge's jolly nephew who invites Ebenezer to a Christmas dinner. While a mere 24 minutes(it's just too much fun to end so soon), Scrooge only visits Fezzywigs dance in the past where he first met Isabella, his first love, and the counting house where he chose a life of greed over matrimonial happiness, Cratchet's home in the present to see how small the turkey was for their dinner, and the cemetery of the future where Tiny Tim and himself would be buried. As I mentioned this little cartoon adaptation is over before you know it, but I figure Disney and Scrooge fans will enjoy it. It was quite a childhood favorite of mine and seeing it again after nearly twenty years was a pleasure. Again my only qualm with MICKEY'S Christmas CAROL is the puny length, and that is actually a compliment since I didn't want it to end.

I haven't seen "Mickey's Christmas Carol" in probably twenty years, but I basically remember what happens. I guess that there's nothing wrong with it, although "A Christmas Carol" doesn't seem like the type of story that Disney should adapt. I always liked the Looney Tunes far better than any of the Disney characters; I can picture Bugs Bunny turning this story into a series of New York-style one-liners. The end of the sequence with the Ghost of Christmas Future was a little intense for a children's movie. My favorite adaptation of this story was "Scrooged", with Bill Murray as a mean-spirited TV executive.In the years since I watched these sorts of cartoons, I have learned that Alan Young (Wilbur on "Mister Ed") provided Scrooge McDuck's voice. It's weird to picture the talking horse's owner affecting a Scottish accent to voice a robber baron duck. I still prefer to remember Young as Wilbur, partly because I've always use "Mister Ed" as an excuse to see Connie Hines (who played Carol); now there was a HOT BABE!!!! Anyway, it's a worthy adaptation.Yeah, I would have expected him to be taller. Even Peter Dinklage is taller.