Ebenezer Scrooge malcontentedly shuffles through life as a cruel miserly businessman until one fateful Christmas Eve when he is visited by three spirits, sent show him how his unhappy childhood and maladaptive adult behavior over has let him a selfish, lonely, bitter old man.
At a reasonably short 85 minutes, this is nevertheless a complete experience, and the strength and depth of its drama makes it the most memorable of any adaptation of the tale.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
What we have in this rendition of Dickens' sometimes misunderstood Carol is an accurate comprehension of the agony of a shabby soul.
– Bosley Crowther,
New York Times,
25 Mar 2006
rotten:
You have what Scrooge himself might call 'Ho-hum-bug.'
– Tom Charity,
Time Out,
24 Jun 2006
fresh:
Other Christmas Carols need not apply.
– Leah Beth Reisman,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Nov 2008
fresh:
A sturdy 1951 British mounting of the Dickens tale, with Alastair Sim contributing a definitive Scrooge.