ROTTEN TOMATOES: Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints

Critics Consensus: A Christmas Carol Dazzles But Disappoints

Plus, The Box is a mixed bag, The Fourth Kind is lost in space, and Goats is worth a look.

by Tim Ryan | November 05, 2009

This week at the movies, we've got some modern-day Dickens (Disney's A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman); a button-pushing thriller (The Box, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden); vanishing Alaskans (The Fourth Kind, starring Milla Jovovich and Elias Koteas); and some psychic soldiers (The Men Who Stare at Goats, starring George Clooney and Jeff Bridges). What do the critics have to say?

55%

Disney's A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is one of literature's most haunting morality tales -- and one of the most adapted. Critics are largely split on two key aspects of Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture version starring Jim Carrey: whether it honors the, ahem, spirit of Dickens' classic, and whether the motion-capture technology is aesthetically appealing. No need to rehash the plot; if you've never heard the tale of mean ol' Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) and his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman), get thee to a library immediately. While some find Zemeckis' live action/animation hybrid an echanting way of updating a seasonal classic, others feel the visuals bog down the classic tale with an overabundance of empty action.

47%

The Box

Richard Kelly has only made three films, but he's had a roller-coaster of a career. His debut was the cult-fave Donnie Darko, which was followed by the ambitious but roundly-panned Southland Tales. Now comes his latest mind twister The Box, which is splitting critics; some say it's an intriguing head trip, while others say it's preposterous and inconsistent. Cameron Diaz and James Marsden play a married couple presented with a mysterious proposition from a stranger: there's a button in a box, and if they push it, they will receive a million dollars, but someone will die. Some pundits say The Box is tense, edgy, and original, while others deride its plot holes and lack of overall cohesion. (Check out Kelly's Five Favorite Films here.)

18%

The Fourth Kind

With its combination of a government conspiracy, extraterrestrial visitors, and the foreboding climes of Alaska, The Fourth Kind seemingly has all the elements in place for a gripping horror flick. Too bad the execution's so clumsy, critics say. Milla Jovovich stars as a shrink whose patients all tell her similar tales of nighttime frights; could aliens be to blame? The pundits say The Fourth Kind has some decent shocks, but its gimmicky presentation -- a split screen technique in which patients describe their experiences alongside pseudo-documentary footage of the events -- doesn't quite come off, and the performances are uneven.

54%

The Men Who Stare at Goats

For the most part, the recent wave of Iraq war films has brought downbeat dramas, so the satirical aim of The Men Who Stare at Goats is certainly welcome. And critics say that the film, though scattershot, has moments of brilliant absurdist humor. Hinting that its story is not terribly far from the truth, Goats is the tale of a secret military program that involves the use of psychics who attempt to use their mind power to defeat the enemy. The pundits say the film is elevated by the deadpan comic presence of George Clooney, and if the film never fully comes together, many of its scenes are sharp and funny. (Check out this week's Total Recall, in which we run down Clooney's best-reviewed films.)

Also opening this week in limited release:

La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet, legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman's behind-the-scenes look at dancers at work, is at 100 percent.
The Sundance-approved Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire, starring Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe in the tale of a pregnant 16-year-old mother who must overcome great obstacles, is at 87 percent.
Collapse, a documentary about independent muckraker Michael Ruppert, is at 80 percent.
Endgame, starring Chjwetel Ejiofor and William Hurt in an Apartheid-era drama about heated negotiations to forge a new political future for South Africa, is at 67 percent.
That Evening Sun, starring Hal Holbrook as a man who flees an old folks' home for his farm, is at 60 percent.
Splinterheads, a comedy about a social misfit who falls for a conwoman at a carnival, is at 40 percent.

Related Items

Movie:	The Box
	Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire
	The Fourth Kind
	Endgame
	Splinterheads
	The Men Who Stare at Goats
	Collapse
	That Evening Sun
	La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet

(1-20 of 43 posts) | Reply

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Nov 05 2009 05:22 PM

Sigh.

I'll still try to see MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS. . .

(Reply to this)

Some guy you dont know writes:
on Nov 05 2009 05:26 PM

So then, no good movies this week? Great, I'll save my money, thanks RT.

(Reply to this)

ledawg1138 writes:
on Nov 05 2009 05:45 PM

So Roger Ebert gives "A Christmas Carol" 4 out of 4 stars...you know, he's been handing out that score WAY too often! I mean, he's a great critic, but he's lost his touch it seems.

"The Box" looks good for a 22 minute segment...but a movie? Too much.

(Reply to this)

Mr. Bo Ziffer writes:
on Nov 05 2009 05:49 PM

Sorry Zemeckis, but Christmas Carol looks really, really bad.
As for The Box, I might see that. I refuse to believe that Richard Kelly is a one-trick pony. Donnie Darko is awesome, and I actually really liked Southland Tales . . . just don't ask me what it all meant.

(Reply to this)

De Alpha Trigga writes:
on Nov 05 2009 05:55 PM

well either way, ill be only watching A christmas carol as i love animated films that get a 50% or more. everything else looks all ****ty. noticed that many of the films this year that were insanely anticipated were all dissapointments to critics, like where the wild things are(70% they were expecting a 80%), astro boy, a christmas carol(ppl thought it would be good),pandora,surrogates,etc. the list goes on. i just hope that avatar doesn't dissapoint.

(Reply to this)

Bruce S. writes:
on Nov 05 2009 06:24 PM

Definetly A Christmas Carol for me.

(Reply to this)

WallEField writes:
on Nov 05 2009 06:48 PM

WTWTA was a "dissapointment" at 70%? Screw that, there were too many tools who thought the film was meant to be some epic adventure, but just look at what the consensus actually *says* to determine that it's a true work of art.

(Reply to this)

The Vile writes:
on Nov 05 2009 06:56 PM

I'll be seeing A Christmas Carol. I thought Polar Express was great, and caught Beowulf in IMAX 3D several times. I know not everyone agrees, but I think that Zemekis' use of 3D motion capture looks truly astonishing. You couldn't get the same effect from either live-action or animation independantly.

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Carter F. writes:
on Nov 05 2009 06:57 PM

Can't wait to see TMWSAG. George Clooney's got a good lineup of films in the next month.

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The Stunner writes:
on Nov 05 2009 06:57 PM

i really wanted christmas caroll to be good. but i was sorta expecting it. i'll see it though.

and men who stare at goats i'll see too!

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The Stunner writes:
on Nov 05 2009 06:59 PM

and apparently mariah carey is stepping out of the shadow caused by gliter in precious. want to see that too.

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CountBezukhov writes:
on Nov 05 2009 07:12 PM

Sounds like the basic premise for _The Box_ comes straight from the old CBS Mystery Theater episode _The Chinaman Button_. I hope they credited their source.

(Reply to this)

Tyrant writes:
on Nov 05 2009 07:14 PM

I'm passing on the new Christmas Carol. I'm just plain sick of it by now, it's been done to death.

Looks like a poor movie week, I was hoping The Men Who Stare At Goats would be great, looks like it's hit or miss for some. I'll probably still see it though.

(Reply to this)

ARTaylor writes:
on Nov 05 2009 07:27 PM

Christmas Carol started to worry me when all the trailers were just Scrooge flying all over the screen. I started to wonder if there was much else to the film. So hearing critics now, it seems that assumption was mostly true. I'll stick with Muppet's Christmas Carol and Scrooged for my Dicken's fill.

Men who Stare at Goats looks funny. I was hoping that it would've been great. I'll wait till after this weekend to decide on seeing it or not. I was kind of hoping that it would be funny in a O' Brother way. But I may just leave it as a rental.

(Reply to this)

King Kubrick writes:
on Nov 05 2009 07:41 PM

In reply to this comment (#2559013)
Yes! Allow me a little bit of hyberole but Muppets christmas carol is a perfect children's film. One I will definitely show to my kids if I have any (god forbid).

I want to see men who stare at goats. I have a funny story about that. Me and my roommate were debating to either go to a serious man or the men who stare at goats. My roommate was like "I don't know if I want to see A Serious Man in theatre. The men who stare at goats looks awesome-just like a cohen brothers movie."
I allowed a ten second pause then responded.
"Or you can go see a cohen brother's movie instead."
We had a good laugh over it.

(Reply to this)

will s. writes:
on Nov 05 2009 08:11 PM

that IS a funny story!@#$

just bustin your CHOPS, fella.

(Reply to this)

Cutler to the rescue writes:
on Nov 05 2009 08:13 PM

I will see A Christmas Carol because it is Disney and they are the best

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Throw An Onion writes:
on Nov 05 2009 09:13 PM

Because Disney can do no wrong.....

Christmas Carol failing? Not seeing it. Fantastic Fox better be good its been too long since Cloudy with a Chance. I need more good animated movies! I need Up on DVD!

As for The Box I haven't seen any of Kelly's other stuff so not sure if I like his style. Looks like an episode of The Twilight Zone so that could be cool. However looked like too many holes for a story that for it to work needs to be coherent. So if I can gather up a posse of others I might but otherwise probably forget about it.

Of course if I do see it maybe the bunny will leave me alone.....

(Reply to this)

Seth T. writes:
on Nov 05 2009 09:29 PM

going to see the box tomorrow, looks insteresting, but im mainly just going cause some of my hot friends asked me lol

(Reply to this)

Cutler to the rescue writes:
on Nov 05 2009 10:28 PM

Yeah anyone who need critics to make up their minds means you have issues.

(Reply to this)

Disney's A Christmas Carol

The Box

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