Made in Dagenham (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

March 7, 2011 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

An inspirational film featuring a wonderful performance by Sally Hawkins and Miranda Richardson. Definitely recommended!

TITLE: Made in Dagenham

FILM RELEASE DATE: 2010

DURATION: 113 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Subtitles: English SDH, English and Spanish

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Classics

RATED: R (For Language and Brief Sexuality)

RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2011

Directed by Nigel Cole

Screenplay by William Ivory

Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley

Executive Producer: Tim Haslam

Laurie Borg as Line Producer

Music by David Arnold

Cinematography by John de Borman

Edited by Michael Parker

Casting by Lucy Bevan

Production Design by Andrew McAlpine

Art Direction by Grant Armstrong, Ben Smith

Set Decoration by Anna Lynch-Robinson

Starring:

Sally Hawkins as Rita O’Grady

Andrea Riseborough as Brenda

Jaime Winstone as Sandra

Lorraine Stanley as Monica

Nicola Duffet as Eileen

Geralding James as Connie

Bob Hoskins as Albert Passingham

Matthew Aubrey as Brian

Daniel Mays as Eddie O’Grady

Roger Lloyd-Pack as George

Phil Cornwell as Dave

Karen Seacombe as Marge

Thomas Arnold as Martin

Sian Scott as Sharon O’Grady

Robbie Kay as Graham O’Grady

Andrew Lincoln as Mr. Clarke

Rosamund Pike as Lisa Hopkins

Joseph Mawle as Gordon

Ruert Graves as Peter Hopkins

Miranda Richardson as Barbara Castle

From the director of Calendar Girls comes this extraordinary story based on true events. Dagenham, England 1968. At the town’s local Ford automobile plant, Rita O’Grady (Golden Globe® winner Sally Hawkins) is one of only 187 women in a workforce of 55,000 men. Facing overwhelming opposition in this “man’s world,” Rita rallies her female co-workers to fight for equal pay — a stand that defies the corporate status quo, threatens her marriage, and ultimately exacts a tragic toll. But with the support of the shop’s steward (Golden Globe® winner Bob Hoskins) and the government’s Employment Secretary (two-time Golden Globe® winner Miranda Richardson), the women become the sensation of the nation — and the catalyst for a profound turning point in time.

In 1968, a group of women who were sewing machinists at the Ford Motor Company Limited’s Dagenham assembly plant in Essex walked out on their jobs to protest their jobs which were graded at Category B (less-skilled production jobs) versus a Category C (more skilled production jobs). But what upset them was the fact that the men who were at the same category, would receive more pay than the women (which was normal at that time).

These women would made car seat covers would halt production of Ford automobiles and essentially setting up a showdown which would eventually pave the way for the “Equal Pay Act 1970″ and became the first legislation in the UK that would end pay discrimination between men and women.

The strike would be made into a film adaptation by William Ivory (“American Women”, “The Invisibles”) and directed by Nigel Cole (“Calendar Girls”, “A Lot Like Love). The film would star Sally Hawkins (“Happy-Go-Lucky”, “Never Let Me Go”, “Layer Cake”), Andrea Riseborough (“Happy-Go-Lucky”, “Never Let Me Go”), Jaime Winstone (“Kidulthood”, “Donkey Punch”), Miranda Richardson (“Harry Potter” films, “Sleepy Hollow”, “Empire of the Sun”), Bob Hoskins (“Who Framed Roger Rabbit”,”Hook”, “Brazil”), Daniel Mays (“The Bank Job”, “Atonement”), Rosamund Pike (“Pride & Prejudice”, “Die Another Day”, “Surrogates”) and Richard Schiff (“The West Wing”, “Speed”).

The film was well-received by film critics and the film would be nominated for four British Academy Awards including “Outstanding British Film” and “Best Supporting Actress” (Miranda Richardson).

While loosely-based on the events that transpired back in 1968, the film would add a character of Rita O’Grady (played by Sally Hawkins) as the voice and leader of the protesting women.

The film begins with the women’s supervisor Albert (played by Bob Hoskins) giving the women the bad news about the regrading of their jobs and how they would be earning 15% less than the men who have the same grade. The women know this is unfair and want Ford to know how unfair it is, so they choose Rita as their leader.

The women all band together and leave their jobs to go on strike and protest and eventually gaining a strong media following. But when Ford realizes these women are protesting for real, the automaker is not going to back down because that would mean increasing wages for women all over the world and fears that it would hurt the company financially. So, Ford appoints Robert Tooley (played by Richard Schiff) to get the job done and put pressure on the Unions in the UK to fix the problem.

Meanwhile, because of days turning into weeks of protests, the Ford plant has no choice but to halt production of their cars and lay off the workers. Many who are husbands of the women on strike.

For Rita’s husband, Eddie (played by Daniel Mays), he is supportive of his wife’s cause but at the same time, knowing how it’s starting to affect the men and their livelihoods, including theirs. While other men who were once friends with Sally, begin to show their anger because they have no money to pay the bills and for some, the fear of no money drives them into severe depression.

Meanwhile, the women’s efforts are noticed by the Secretary of State Barbara Castle (played by Miranda Richardson), one of the most powerful figures of the Labor Party in the UK who supports the women in their crusade for equal rights, equal pay.

But when Ford plays hardball and sends a threat to the Secretary of State saying they can take their business to another country, and the Secretary of State knowing full well that Ford is one of the largest employers in the UK, what choice will she make? Ford also plays hardball with the automobile union as they try to dig dirt on those behind the unions, who are supportive of the women’s fight for equal pay.

Meanwhile, the women and their husbands begin hitting major road bumps as they face uncertainty with no spending money and wonder how long this strike can continue. Through all the suffering and personal challenges that the women face, including what is happening in the life of Rita O’Grady, how much longer will she be able to hold out and fight for equal rights, equal pay? And will she continue to have the women’s support if the strike drags on even longer”

VIDEO:

“Made in Dagenham” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1). A lot of the film is shot outdoors and thus, the film has its fair share of vibrancy. Also, good color combination for the costume design helps in making the film quite vibrant. Skin tones are natural, blacks are nice and deep, for the most part, there is good amount of detail in “Made in Dagenham” and good costume and makeup design in order to make this period-piece feel like it’s taking place back in the late ’60s.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Made in Dagenham” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD MA. The film is primarily a dialogue-driven film with occasional music from that time period playing in the background. So, this is a front and center channel driven lossless soundtrack which is clear and understandable. You do get crowd ambiance as there are many times where the women are gathered and you hear them chitchatting in the background or at union meetings and hearing the various sounds in the back. But this is the extent of the surround channels as this is not an action-film nor a film that utilizes a lot of sound effects.

It’s straight-up dialogue and the lossless soundtrack fits this film.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Made in Dagenham” comes with the following special features in standard definition:

Commentary with Director Nigel Cole – Audio commentary by director Nigel Cole who discusses the strike, comparisons with the film, location shots and working with the talent.
The Making of Made in Dagenham – (13:22) Director Nigel Cole, Producer Stephen Wooley and the cast talk about the strike, its impact on society, the characters and the making of the film.
Outtakes – (2:17) Bloopers from “Made in Dagenham”.
Deleted Scenes – (7:32) A total of eight deleted scenes.
Trailer - (2:18) The trailer for “Made in Dagenham”.

“Made in Dagenham” is an inspiring film giving us an idea of what took place back in 1968 with the women who went on strike against Ford and eventually help pave the way for the “Equal Pay Act 1970″.

This is a straightforward film in which one should not expect any suspense but it does show us that the strike was not easy for the women, their families and the struggles they had to go through in order to make the politicians understand what they were trying to accomplish.

Business-wise, I found it intriguing to see how far Ford went in order to combat the women and high-level politicians as the automobile maker did have significant power at that time. While Ford Motor Company has since overcome that negative stigma and is one of the prime positive examples of a corporation working together with its employees today, back then, the American-based corporation would really push hard against the Secretary of State Barbara Castle and from what I have been reading, this is one powerful woman not to cross, so seeing the two clash was quite intriguing.

As for the story of the women, I’m guessing that the film was much more dramatized to achieve an efficacy of the women’s struggles and how their husbands were affected. While actress Sally Hawkin’s character did not exist in reality, I was interested to see how much of the story and reality actually did happen. The film does showcase clips from that time period and try to mix it up with the film but I wonder how many families were deeply affected when the plant shut down temporarily. Did men really hit rock bottom and some or one, tried to kill themselves?

In reality, the strike lasted about three weeks but because of the intervention of Secretary of State, Barbara Castle, a deal was met to increase the women’s pay to 8% below that of men (so, instead of a 100% equal pay, they received 92%) and eventually the women would receive an upgrade to Category B.

But the legacy of this strike was how it led to an Equal Pay act and also would lead to the founding of the NJACCWER (National Joint Action Campaign Committee for Women’s Equal Rights) and would lead to other countries following a similar lead in having men and women earn equal pay. (Note: The problem still exists today in many countries, so equal rights and equal pay is still an issue)

As for the film, no it’s not another “Norma Rae” nor is it another “Silkwood”, if anything, despite the challenges that the women face, you know that when you get an amazing but cheerful actress like Sally Hawkins, you expect something cheerful (albeit much different from her character role in “Happy-Go-Lucky”). There are a number of well-acted performances from Hawkins, Bob Hoskins and Miranda Richardson to name a few.

As for the Blu-ray release, you get a few special features and a good audio commentary track. Picture quality and sound quality were very good for this film.

If anything, for a period-piece that deals with a strike that made a statement at that time, it would have been nice to see an inclusion of a special feature or even a documentary with the real women who were involved in the strike. To hear their words, especially if they had any comments or impression of the film.

Overall, as many people who work blue collar jobs are facing problems in the industry, having to deal with worker’s rights and whatever problematic situation that has arise from the slump of the worldwide economy, it’s good to have an inspirational film to show viewers that a group of women, underdogs to a major corporation, did something about their problem, stood up to their rights and achieved success. “Made in Dagenham” is a film worth seeing.

Mermaids (as part of the “Cher: The Film Collection”) (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

November 16, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Mermaids” is quite a delightful coming-of-age film. Solid performances from Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci and Bob Hoskins and for the most part, an enjoyable tale about family sticking together no matter what challenges they face.

DVD TITLE: Moonstruck (as part of the “Cher: The Film Collection)

YEAR OF FILM RELEASE: 1990

DURATION: 110 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Color, Widescreen (1:85:1), Audio: English Mono, Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

COMPANY: Orion Pictures/MGM/20th Century Fox

RATED: PG-13

RELEASE DATE: November 2, 2010

Based on the novel by Patty Dann

Directed by Richard Benjamin

Screenplay by June Roberts

Producer by Lauren Lloyd, Walllis Nicita, Patrick J. Palmer

Associate Producer: Suzanne Rothbaum

Music by Jack Nitzsche

Cinematography by Howard Atherton

Edited by Jacqueline Cambias

Casting by Margery Simkin

Production Design by Stuart Wurtzel

Art Direction by Evelyn Sakash, Steve Saklad

Set Decoration by Hilton Rosemarin

Costume Design by Marit Allen

Starring:

Cher as Mrs. Flax/Rachel Flax

Bob Hoskins as Lou Landsky

Winona Ryder as Charlotte Flax

Christina Ricci as Kate Flax

Michael Schoeffling as Joe

Jan Miner as Mother Superior

Betsy Townsend as Mary O’Brien

Cher, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci co-star in this delightful comedy-drama about a flamboyant mom and her two unique daughters. Even as their personal styles clash, these three learn tht nothing can tear apart the bonds of family.

Moving, fun and delightful!

After winning her first Oscar for “Best Actress” for the 1987 film “Moonstruck”, Cher returned for her next film “Mermaids”, a comedy-drama directed by Richard Benjamin (“Deconstructing Harry”, “Westworld”, “Catch-22″) and a screenplay by June Roberts which was an adaptation from the 1986 novel by Patty Dann.

While “Mermaids” received positive reviews from critics, the film itself had gone through inner turmoil in which the original director Lasse Hallstrom (“The Cider House Rules”, “Hachiko: A Dog’s Story”, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”) and Cher unfortunately were unable to work together and was replaced by Frank Oz and then later Richard Benjamin. Actress Emily Lloyd was replaced by Winona Ryder for the role of Charlotte (Lloyd sued Orion Pictures and both reached a settlement the following year) after Cher made a complaint about the actress.

In hindsight, Winona Ryder was well-cast and considering she was becoming an up-and-coming actress for her roles in “Lucas”, “Beetle Juice” and “Heathers” and most importantly “Edward Scissorhands”, the chemistry between Ryder and Cher was perfect. The other person that was well-cast was the then-young Christina Ricci in her first theatrical debut and the three including Cher would make up the enjoyable family unit, the Flax family.

“Mermaids” takes place during the early fall, 1963 and is a film told through the perspective of Charlotte Flax, a 15-year-old teenager who is obsessed with being Catholic despite being Jewish. Part of her being religious is that she desperately tries to be the opposite of her mother, Rachel Flax. A single mother and a woman known for sleeping around. So, Charlotte, tends to call her flamboyant mother “Mrs. Flax”.

The two live with her sister Kate, a promising young swimmer who constantly wins swimming competitions and she also has a curious mind. Young Kate also refers to her mom by her real name “Rachel”.

Also, for Charlotte, obsession with Catholicism, for her being religious helps her try to prevent her curious mind from thinking any sexual thoughts that continually makes her wonder about sex.

Well, when her mother’s fling with her boss doesn’t go so well, Rachel moves her family to another area. This time, right next to a convent in a small town in Massachusetts and for Charlotte, she believes that this will be positive to be around nuns. But even then, Charlotte starts to wonder how the nuns are able to separate their thoughts of sexuality.

But just when Charlotte seems happy to live near a convent that would prevent her from having dirty thoughts, she meets the 26-year-old caretaker Joe Porretti (played by Michael Schoeffling) and immediately starts to have sexual thoughts in her head about him.

Meanwhile, as her mother finds a job in town, she tries to buy them some shoes and takes them to a store in which Rachel meets Lou Landsky (played by Bob Hoskins, “Enemy at the Gates”, “Who Framed Roger Ranbit”, “Brazil”) and the two hit it off quite well.

But when things start going too well and Lou becomes almost like a father to the kids, Rachel starts to become uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Charlotte’s dirty thoughts start to consume her and she finds herself starting to become more and more interested in Joe, the caretaker and wants to be with him.

As both Rachel and Charlotte Flax deal with their own personal issues, will the Flax family continue to have a strong bond with one another or will they find a way to jeopardize their own happiness?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Mermaids” is presented in Widescreen (1:85:1) and in English mono. PQ was fine for a DVD release. The film does looks good on DVD but has that look of digital noise reduction implemented. But again, it’s fine for DVD. If anything, this is one film that should receive a Blu-ray release and is deserving of HD treatment.

Subtitles are in English, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Mermaids” comes with the following special feature:

Trailer - (2:14) The original theatrical trailer.

“Mermaids” is quite a delightful film. Solid performances from Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci and Bob Hoskins and for the most part, an enjoyable tale about family sticking together no matter what challenges they face.

Cher once again delivers in her role as “Mrs. Flax”, the mother who just likes to have fun with men and you wonder, can this wild woman even settle down. She seems to enjoy having fun and enjoying the freedom to run her family the way that she wants. But for the most part, she has less worries as her oldest 18-year-old daughter is the last person you would think, would get into trouble. She’s obsessed with Catholicism, enjoys watching nuns singing on television and for the part, what is quite interesting is that Charlotte uses her obsession as a way to prevent her from being like her mother.

Charlotte has never been told about how men and women have sex, so she’s genuinely naive. What she knows about relationships is the various men that her mother has been with and most of the time, it’s about her mother having affairs or sleeping around. Charlotte doesn’t know how to think or what she should even be thinking but she’s at that age where she wonders what it’s like to be with a man and because mother and daughter rarely communicate (her mother looks at her Charlotte as a daughter who would most likely be a nun and is also vocal against her sexual liaisons that she feels that Charlotte is the last thing she need to worry about). This is where Winona Ryder excels as an actress. The troubled teenager who has too many things going in her mind, this is one of those films were Ryder excels at playing that young character.

Meanwhile, Christina Ricci makes her theatrical debut and her presence more or less brings comedy to the film because of her naiveness and the way that she’s raised, especially how she talks to her mother. Definitely raised differently than most children her age and also a young child who has never seen how a proper family acts and behaves.

And you bring in Lou (Bob Hoskins) as the man who falls for Mrs. Flax, Lou is just a good man. The man who would make a great father and if anything, he brings that stability and family feel to the children and because of that, it throws off Rachel because her family was not raised to be like the traditional American family. She wants to run her family the ways he wants and can’t stand Lou getting too close with her children and become like part of the family (despite the children enjoying his presence at the house).

The film brings plenty of comedy, especially how Charlotte’s teenage friend wants to be like Mrs. Flax, wild and carefree. Meanwhile, Charlotte just doesn’t want to be like her mother but you can slowly see her mind becoming more sexually active and she finds herself starting to have questions in her mind about sex and just being disturbed by these dirty thoughts. It’s quite hilarious to see the things that she subjects herself to. But once again, Winona Ryder does a fantastic job in playing that innocent girl (who may have her own share of personal problems).

As for the DVD, unfortunately there are no special features but the theatrical trailer. But still, it’s one of Cher’s best films that she has done and a welcome inclusion to “Cher: The Film Collection”.

Overall, “Mermaids” plays off as a delightful comedy about family trying to overcome all challenges and be strong. It’s also an effective coming-of-age film in which we see a solid performance by Cher and Winona Ryder. Their chemistry was great onscreen as mother and daughter . Cher still looks fantastic and for the most part, the film continues to show Cher’s strength as an actress, Winona Ryder as well and also introducing us to a young actress Christina Ricci who would grow up and become a talented actress as well.

I definitely enjoy the setting and how it takes place in 1963 and incorporates that small-town feel, let alone capturing that fear amongst people in town after President Kennedy was assassinated. If anything, this comedy/drama/coming-of-age film has a lot to offer for viewers who are just wanting a fun film to sit down and watch for 110 minutes. If anything, it’s not a film that is serious or deep, its just a fun and delightful film about family sticking together despite their differences and taking on those challenges head on together even if those challenges are each other.

Filed Under: DVD Reviews

A Christmas Carol (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

November 7, 2010 by Dennis Amith · 3 Comments

A wonderful CG animated adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic! Impressive visuals and a fantastic vocal performance by Jim Carrey. This film has now become my favorite adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” and on Blu-ray, you can’t help but love the wonderful picture and lossless audio quality plus the special features. A magnificent Blu-ray release that is highly recommended!

TITLE: A Christmas Carol

FILM RELEASE: 2008

DURATION: 96 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:40:1), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24bit), English 2.0 DVS, French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Subtitles: English, English SDH, French and Spanish

COMPANY: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

RATED: PG (For Scary Sequences and Images)

Release Date: November 16, 2010

Based on the novel by Charles Dickens

Screenplay and Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Produced by Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey and Robert Zemeckis

Executive Producer: Mark L. Rosen

Co-Producer: Steven J. Boyd

Associate Producer: Katherine C. Concepcion, Heather Kelton

Line Producer: Peter M. Tobyansen

Music by Alan Silvestri

Cinematography by Robert Presley

Edited by Jeremiah O’Driscoll

Casting by Scot Boland, Victoria Burrows, Nina Gold

Production Design by Doug Chiang

Art Direction by Marc Gabbana, Norman Newberry, Mike Stassi

Set Decoration by Karen O’Hara

Featuring the voices of:

Jim Carrey as Scrooge / Ghost of Christmas Past / Scrooge as a Young Boy / Scrooge as a Teenage Boy / Scrooge as a Young Man / Scrooge as a Middle-Aged Man / Ghost of Christmas Present / Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

Gary Oldman as Bob Cratchit/Marley/Tiny Tim

Colin Firth as Fred

Robin Wright as Fan/Belle

Jacquie Barnbrook as Mrs. Fezziwig / Fred’s Sister-in-Law / Well-Dressed Caroler

Bob Hoskins as Mr. Fezziwig/Old joe

Lesley Manville as Mrs. Cratchit

Molly C. Quinn as Belinda Cratchit

Fay Masterson as Martha Cratchit/Guest #1/Caroline

Leslie Zemeckis as Fred’s Wife

Steve Valentine as Funerary Undertaker/Topper

Daryl Sabara as Undertaker’s Apprentice / Tattered Caroler / Beggar Boy / Peter Cratchit / Well-Dressed Caroler

Sage Ryan as Tattered Caroler

From Walt Disney Pictures comes the magical retelling of Charles Dickens’ beloved tale – Disney’s A Christmas Carol, the high-flying, heartwarming adventure for the whole family. When three ghosts take penny-pinching Scrooge on an eye-opening journey, he discovers the true meaning of Christmas – but he must act on it before it’s too late. Complete with spirited bonus features, this exhilarating and touching Disney classic is destined to be part of a family holiday tradition, adding sparkle and heart to all Christmases yet to come.

The Charles Dickens classic has been a popular story since it was first published back in 1843. Created during a time during the Victorian Era when people were forgetting Christmas traditions, Charles Dickens wanted to create a Christmas tale that was inspired by his humiliating experience of his childhood and his sympathy towards the poor.

A tale that actually came from his love/hate relationship for his own father, the character of Ebenezer Scrooge was inspired by him having to work at a young age because his father was imprisoned and because after his father’s release, he was still forced to work and make money. So, the cold and stingy character was inspired by his own father, while the discovery of the goodwill of men towards the poor inspired the rebirth of Scrooge.

Needless to say, his perspective towards the intolerance towards the poor made him craft this powerful Christmas tale which would inspire many dramatizations of “A Christmas Carol”. Even for Walt Disney, the company would do their own version in 1983 titled “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” using Donald Duck as Scrooge and Mickey Mouse as the character of Bob Cratchit. And in 2009, Disney would once again take on an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic.

This time around, the studio would experiment with their first film in IMAX 3-D and also release it via Disney Digital 3-D. The technology would utilize performance capture that was used effectively for “The Polar Express” (2004) and “Beowulf” (2007) and would feature director Robert Zemeckis (known for the “Back to the Future” films, “Cast Away” and “Gothika” and known for animated films such as “The Polar Express”, “Monster House” and “Beowulf”).

So, for this film, a few major talent would partake in the performance capture and also take part in several roles. The main role of Ebenezer Scrooge would be handled by Jim Carrey (“Bruce Almighty”, “Me, Myself & Irene”, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Yes Man”), the character of Scrooge’s nephew Fred by Colin Firth (“Love Actually”, “The English Patient”, “Easy Virtue”), the character of Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim courtesy of Gary Oldman (“The Dark Knight”, “The Professional”, “The Fifth Element”, “Batman Begins”) and the character of Fan and Belle by Robin Wright (“Beowulf”, “Forrest Gump”, “Unbreakable”).

The film was released in theaters in November 2009 and the film which was budgeted around $200 million would make over $323 million worldwide, a major success in the box office. And now the film will be released on Blu-ray and DVD and also a Disney Blu-ray 3D (the first 3D film on Blu-ray for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment).

“A Christmas Carol” revolves around the coldhearted, bitter moneylender named Ebenezer Scrooge. The opening for the film shows him signing a witness form on Christmas day for his deceased former business partner Jacob Marley. He is not too fond of Christmas activities and would rather focus his life on making and lending money at his counting house business. While walking to his office, you can see the fear of the neighborhood towards Scrooge, knowing that during the Christmas Holiday, not only is he a cold man, he is very irritable and thus, they try to stay out of his way.

The film then flash forwards to seven years later on Christmas Eve. Working for Scrooge is Bob Cratchit who doesn’t make much money at his job but he tries to take care of his family with whatever little he makes. When Scrooge’s nephew Fred comes to invite him to Christmas dinner with the family, Scrooge berates him and tells him that he has no intention in celebrating the holiday. When a group of people trying to get donations to provide the poor with food on Christmas Day, Scrooge tells them that the poor are better off dying to contribute to the country’s surplus. And as for Bob Cratchit, Scrooge hates that his employee has to be away from work on Christmas Day but expects him to do some work and come in early.

When Scrooge walks home from work, a strange light shows up at his home. When Scrooge goes inside his home, a ghost shows up in the middle of his room. It is his former business partner Jacob Marley who tell shim that he is forced to spend his afterlife chained because of his greedy lifestyle. Marley gives Scrooge a warning that he will suffer an worse fate if he doesn’t repent but Scrooge has a hard time believing him. Thus a second spirit of Christmas arrive and the first is The Ghost of Christmas Past. He takes Scrooge on a journey to visit himself in the past.

We learn that Scrooge was a nice young man growing up but was neglected by his own father and was put in a boarding school and was brought home one Christmas Day thanks to his loving sister Fan. We learn that Fan died when she gave birth to Fred (Scrooge’s nephew). We also see how Scrooge began to work in the business of money lending and became successful at it. He would also meet his beloved Belle who he would be engaged to.

But when Scrooge began to become obsessed with making money and growing his wealth, he ended up neglecting Belle and she leaves him. Scrooge is so dismayed that he extinguishes the first spirit.

Scrooge then meets the Ghost of Christmas present and this ghost shows Scrooge how people he knows are having fun on Christmas Day but he sees how people really think of him. Only his employee Bob Cratchit is grateful for the work that Scrooge has provided him but because he doesn’t make much, Cratchit is poor and to make things worse, his son Tiny Tim is sick and if he doesn’t get help, he will die. The spirit then warns Scrooge about the evils of Ignorance and Want.

But then Scrooge meets the final spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and Scrooge learns the fate of himself due to greed. Scrooge sees a dark future of himself and is warned that if he doesn’t change, he will die alone.

But having lived a bitter life for so long… Can Ebenezer Scrooge ever change?

VIDEO:

“A Christmas Carol” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:40:1 aspect ratio) and the first thing that came to my mind was…”wow!”. I didn’t watch this film when it came out in 2009 but looking at the animation and seeing how much progress there has been since “The Polar Express” and “Beowulf” in terms of capturing near realistic CG, I was quite impressed. From the skin textures as you can see detail from Scrooge’s face to a kid with his face full of zits, suffice to say, this animation was quite impressive, remarkable and just all out fantastic!

The lighting was also amazing in this film. Vibrant colors, the flicker of the flame and the extending heat from that flame was impressive. Seeing the various spirits and how well they were animated, especially the hair of the Spirit of Christmas Present, that was pretty awesome. But just the whole detail of the whole environment, the city, the streets, the surroundings, objects, everything you can think of, it looks fantastic in HD. Everything is literally detailed. Movement was well-captured. The technology has definitely improved since “Beowulf’s” release and once again, this is state of the art animation and another step closer to achieving realism via CG.

Visually, this film just stands out in colors, detail, animation. Blacks were nice and deep and really, there is nothing negative I can say about the picture quality, it’s perfect!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“A Christmas Carol” is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio (48 kHz/24-Bit) and English 2.0 DVS along with French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. And similar to the picture quality, you also get the immersive soundcape that audiophiles want. Crisp and clear dialogue through the center channels, sound effects and music through the front channels but also how good the directional sound effects were used for the surround channels. There is also a good amount of LFE with that slow rumble.

The film has so many action sequences as Scrooge is being whisked away by the Spirits but also when he meets the final spirit, that is when the film starts to really take another leap in terms of action and surround usage. But it also goes beyond the expected action sequences, from crowd ambiance, creaking wood, clothing and curtains being ruffled, bells, clocks, pounding on tables, “A Christmas Carol” definitely delivers and once again, another category that achieves perfection in this Blu-ray release.

Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES

“A Christmas Carol” comes with the following special features:

Behind The Carol: The Full Motion Capture Experience – A feature length picture-in-picture viewing mode takes the audience behind the scenes of motion capture filmmaking. Also, features the audio commentary by director Robert Zemeckis. While watching the film, you can easily toggle what you want to see. Very in-depth commentary and the fact that you can have control of what you want to see and the inclusion of the full-motion capture experience is fantastic! Awesome addition to this Blu-ray release.
Countdown to Christmas Interactive Calendar – 25 days of holiday surprises extend the holiday cheer, as viewers come back to discover what each door holds.
Deleted Scenes – (8:39) Six deleted scenes on the Blu-ray Disc. (note: CG is not fully rendered)
Capturing Dickens: A Novel Retelling – (14:43) Actress Jacquie Barnbrook hosts a journey through the creative process of Disney’s “A Christmas Carol”. Behind-the-scenes of the making of the film, scanning of the characters and its creative format.
On Set With Sammi – (1:52) Follow Sammi Hanratty, one of the film’s young stars, as she shares a kid’s eye view of an “anything but average” day on the set.

EXTRAS:

“A Christmas Carol” comes with a slip-over cover case. Also, included is a DVD featuring the feature film and bonus features. The DVD is presented in 2:40:1 – Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions. Audio is in English, French, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 and English 2.0 DVS. Subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

Throughout my life, the Charles Dickens classic of “A Christmas Carol” is usually a yearly Christmas ritual. There are various incarnations of this story that I have enjoyed. From the Steve Martin early ’80s classic to even the Disney animated feature. But I have to say that this is probably the best adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” that I have watched.

Not only was Jim Carrey fantastic in his vocal role (for many characters), Disney did a fantastic job in choosing him to provide the voice because he nailed the voice of Scrooge perfectly.

But where other adaptations have done a good job in portraying the spirits of Christmas, “A Christmas Carol” for 2009 definitely managed to capture the emotion of fear that haunted Ebenezer Scrooge. You watch this film and you can understand why he’s scared. There are quite a bit of scary sequences and even my son had his eyes closed or running back from the hallway and back to the living room because he was scared at times.

That is one thing I have never gotten from “A Christmas Carol” as a child is an adaptation where you actually feel the fear that Scrooge is going through. So, it’s great to have that animated film in which you can also feel that fear and the soundtrack helped contribute to that. The lossless audio on Blu-ray really enhances your experience of watching this film as sound does play a good part in enveloping your soundscape of your room and feeling that fear, those rumbles but also the more happier parts of the film which include the overall feeling of Christmas through song, the sound of snow, the bells, it all sounds remarkable on Blu-ray.

Another thing where this film also succeeds is showing us the past. The film does a great job of showing us how Scrooge had grown up and the challenges he had faced in his life and why he became bitter. The scene between Scrooge and Belle was fantastic and it was captured quite well in this film. Also, the Cratchit family was well-presented, showing us Bob’s good heart but also showing us the despair Bob and and his wife feel towards Tiny Tim. This was well-done!

And of course, the best part of “A Christmas Carol” is how wonderful the film looks. This is one of the best animated films I have ever seen thus far. And I’m talking more towards capturing realism in CG. The skin textures were amazing and how they gave characters a different look was fantastic as some animation studios tend to reuse models with slight changes, in this film, there was actually differences in the people shown throughout the film. As mentioned, the skin detail was amazing. From Scrooge’s face and hair, the Spirits of Christmas Present’s hairy beard to the little kid working at the mortuary with his face full of zits, it’s great to see the animators really going all out in the creation of these characters.

And it goes beyond the characters as we see that same detail applied to the city, the whole landscape, the interior objects, the flames, the snow as we see shoes or a carriage driving by and snow being trampled afterward. This is a heavily detailed animated film and it justifies the heavy budget that this film cost. I’m glad they made their money back and more because this is a major step in the world of animation and capturing realism.

The motion capture was fantastic and movements were natural and for the most part, this film will no doubt become a Walt Disney Christmas classic and that because the animation is so realistic, it’s one of those films that will probably hold up for many years to come.

As for the Blu-ray release, you get the additional DVD but for the Blu-ray release, the picture and lossless audio quality is fantastic and the special features are well-done, especially the picture-in-picture mode which was well-done! There are a good number of special features that really, it’s hard to come up with any negative about this film. It’s a solid Blu-ray release but if I really had to nitpick, the only thing I can come up with is wishing there was more special features that maybe went into the actual history of the Charles Dickens classic or maybe the inclusion of “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”, so people can watch the other Disney adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”. But really, this is a pretty solid Blu-ray release and there is nothing negative that I can say about this release.

It’s also important to let people know that there is also a 3D version of this Blu-ray release that is available. The 3D version marks the first Walt Disney 3D release and for those with a 3D enabled TV and Blu-player can definitely take advantage of this release.

For families, “A Christmas Carol” is a very good family but it’s also one that I recommend that parents watch with their children and for those with young children, this film may not be suitable for them just yet. Because there are so many scary parts, I recommend at least the film being shown to children that are 7-8 years-old minimum. My son is seven-years-old and he enjoyed the film but I can tell you, he ran out many times or buried his face under his hands because of the scary scenes and of course, the well-done sound effects did a fantastic job in adding to those more action-driven or scary moments of the film. But parental guidance is definitely suggested and if you do have older children, fortunately this Blu-ray release does come with a DVD, especially if you are planning a long winter commute.

Overall, this is a magnificent Blu-ray release from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. This is now my favorite adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic and I wouldn’t be surprised if this film would become a classic for many years to come. “A Christmas Carol” is highly recommended!

Filed Under: Blu-ray Reviews