Mickey’s Christmas Carol
If you are looking
for a good version Dickens’ Christmas Carol to introduce your children to the
classic story in a not too scary way Mickey’s Christmas Carol is one of two I’d
highly recommend. (The other being Muppet Christmas Carol. Both are Disney.)
Being a Dickens’
Carol fan I am rather picky about my Carol movies. On a scale of 1-10 I’d say
this gets a 5 for keeping the “spirit” of the original. The idea and message of
the story are clearly conveyed but it loses something in the translation. The
loss has nothing to do with the fact it is animated or that classic Disney
characters acting out the parts. I just feel it does not capture the spirit of
the story as well as other versions. Muppet’s Christmas Carol is in my top 5 best
at capturing the spirit and intent of this classic and important story. I
believe Mickey’s Carol goes off track by going for the gags/laughs a little too
much. The is humor in Christmas Carol just not this much.
Mickey’s Christmas
Carol is loosely based on Dickens’ Christmas Carol. The general plot points are
there. Scrooge, Scrooge McDuck is a penny pinching miser who is miserable. Bob
Cratchit, Mickey Mouse is his poor clerk. Tiny Tim is Bob’s sickly little boy
and Minnie Mouse plays Bob’s Wife. Daisy plays Scrooge’s lost love. Donald Duck
is Fred, Scrooge’s nephew.
Scrooge is visited
by his old partner, Jacob Marley, Goofy who warns him that he needs to change. The
scene is funny and does not put the scare in you that other versions or the
original story does. In many versions of Christmas Carol I consider this the 2nd
scariest part. Here it is more funny than scary. He calls out to Scrooge to
change.
Jiminy is the
Ghost of Christmas Past, who shows Scrooge events in his past that caused hurt
to himself and others.
Willie the Giant
is the Ghost of Christmas Present. Christmas Present shows Scrooge the joy of
loving and giving. This is when Scrooge is introduced to Tiny Tim and truly
begins to open to seeing that he has missed out on relationships.
Pete (Black
Pete/Pegleg Pete) is the ghost of Christmas Future. He is dark and foreboding
but this part of the story is quickly gone over. I believe this is because it
is so dark and scary.
In the end Scrooge
finds redemption. He does not want to die living the way he has. He helps save
Tiny Tim, treats Bob Cratchit better and reconnects with his nephew Fred. He
goes from living a life of sorrow, pain and emptiness, living only for money to
living with joy, happiness and living to reach out and connect with people.
Here is a link to
what WikiPedia has to say about the movie:
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