The 'Christmas Carol' Train, part 3

A few more photos, plus a review of the film footage we saw.

More models:

In the final car of the train:

 

Then we put on our 3-D glasses and went into the little theater they had set up for the film footage:

We saw a few interview snippets (mostly the same thing that I posted here) and then two scenes from the film. The first was the scene where Fred visits Scrooge at his office -- a very dialogue-heavy scene, and I was wondering why they chose it until I recalled that it's nearly the only scene in which Jim Carrey and Colin Firth appear together, if they stick to the book. And I think they are sticking pretty closely to the book -- but more on that in just a moment. The second scene was a more complete version of the Marley's ghost scene that we've already seen in previews.

I can't review the 3-D and the technical aspects very well. I'm not a CGI geek, and truthfully, none of that sort of thing adds much to a film for me. If anything, it rather distracts me. But as far as I could tell, all of that was well done. What I was really paying attention to was the story and the performances, and I was very surprised to see just how conscientiously the story was being followed. I think that subconsciously I had braced myself for some of the awful modernized dumbed-down dialogue you get with so many modern adaptations (Dorian Gray, call your office), and . . . there wasn't any. It was pure Dickens. I didn't catch a single deviation from the dialogue in the book, and if there were any omissions at all, I didn't catch those either.

Which is pretty darned impressive. They're taking something of a risk doing that. First of all, there's the possibility that little kids will be bored and confused, but I've heard that Disney is warning parents of little kids about the creepy scenes, anyway, so that may not be much of a factor. But then there's the young adult crowd. It's true that the 3-D aspect and the action sequences will probably lure people in, but once they are in, no doubt there'll be some complaints from those who've been spoiled rotten by all the films that never use more than two-syllable words. I don't mean to be a snob when I say that; it's just a fact of life in the age in which we live. We've more or less gotten used to it in the majority of our feature films.

Still, pulling 'em in with modern movie marvels and then exposing them to the full Dickens experience. . . . My friends, it just might be crazy enough to work. I sure hope so.

Comments

[Sabrina]

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures and the experience with the clips! I am so happy with the way it sounds!!! :D

[Marian]

Cool pictures! I'm sure glad it sounds like it's sticking to the book pretty well!!! Sometimes I like changes from books, but usually, especially with great authors, a film can't go wrong with staying true to the book.