“A Christmas Carol” (1984)

A Christmas Carol

Brief Description:

On Christmas Eve, tight-fisted businessman Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Spirit of Christmas Past, the Spirit of Christmas Present, and the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come. Is there any chance his frozen old heart will change, and that he can escape the frightful destiny that awaits him?

(written by me)

Date: 1984

Genre: American British Christmas fantasy drama

Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes 

Cast: 

George C. Scott (Scrooge)

Mark Strickson (Young Scrooge)

Frank Finlay (Marley)

Angela Pleasence (Spirit of Christmas Past)

Edward Woodward (Spirit of Christmas Present)

Michael Carter (Spirit of Christmas Future)

David Warner (Cratchit)

Susannah York (Mrs. Cratchit)

Anthony Walters (Tiny Tim)

Louise Gasser (Martha)

Orlando Wells (Michael)

Nancy Dodds (Nancy)

Sasha Wells (Belinda)

Kieran Hughes (Peter)

Roger Rees (Fred / Narrator)

Caroline Langrishe (Janet)

Lucy Gutteridge (Belle)

Nigel Davenport (Scrooge's father)

Joanne Whalley (Fan)

Timothy Bateson (Mr. Fezziwig)

Michael Gough (Mr. Poole)

John Quarmby (Mr. Hacking)

Peter Woodthorpe (Joe)

Liz Smith (Mrs. Dilber)

John Sharp (Mr. Tipton)

Derek Francis (Mr. Pemberton)

Danny Davies (Forbush)

Brian Pettifer (Ben)

Catherine Hall (Meg)

Cathryn Harrison (Kate)

Director: Clive Donner

Production company: Entertainment Partners Ltd.

Based on: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched free on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

Oh my stars I LOVED THIS!!! I loved the 1951 and the 1938, and this version is just as good... maybe best. A little better than the 1938, anyhow. It was amazing! I love seeing Victorian England in colour. :D And this film has allllll the Christmas feels and alllll the Victorian feels!!

Characters: 5/5

Scott is a FANTASTIC Scrooge. He portrays him as a heartless, cold old man, a broken, fearful old man, and a jubilant, reinvigorated old man all so well! Finlay was a terrifying Marley (probably not for kids??) but probably the most accurate to the book, so I have to give him that. I didn't quite like Angela Pleasence as a Spirit of Christmas Past, but she was okay, and Edward Woodward was a SPLENDID Spirit of Christmas Present. The best I've seen so far!! As for the Spirit of Christmas Future, I don't think anyone else has captured the eeriness of that spirit so well before. The Cratchits are all excellent--specially Susannah York as Mrs. Cratchit--and Fred & Janet are well done too, and Belle & her family... oh, everybody! 

Plot: 5/5

Oh yes, yes! This aligns SO well with the book--I was really delighted how accurate it is, and I love the extra scenes--like the homeless family... that was SO GOOD!!! I love how many Christmas carols it includes, too... the one written for the film is quite good and all the other random carols sung throughout are lovely. And Susannah York actually made me cry for Tiny Tim, which no one else ever did... 

Theme/Message/Topics: 5/5

Excellent, excellent portrayal of the themes of the book. Just splendid. 

Content: 4/5 (low)

1 instance of D**mit; 1 instance of my G**.

Overall: 5/5

Oh, I loved every minute of this. I didn't think anything could replace the 1951 but this one is just as good... <3

“Curious George: Go West, Go Wild” (2020)

 Curious George: 

Go West, Go Wild

Brief Description:

 George and Ted travel to cousin Ginny's farm for a relaxing outdoor weekend, but plans take a turn when her farm animals escape.

(from IMDb)

Date: 2020

Genre: American children's fantasy 

Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes 

Cast: 

Frank Welker (Curious George)

Jeff Bennett (Ted / Conductor)

Max Mittelman (Emmett)

April Stewart (Ginny)

Phil Morris (Frank)

Adrienne Barbeau (Ginny's mom)

Dee Bradley Baker (Billy / Frick / Frack / Ricochet / Prairie Dog / Sadie / Spittoon)

Director: Michael LaBash

Production company: Imagine Entertainment & Universal Animation Studios 

Based on: the Curious George books by H.A. & Margret Ray

IMDb page

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 3/5

There was definitely a prairie/Wild West/farm feel, which was quite nice. I'm not a fan of over-bright animations but I didn't mind this too much. Also, watching characters cross the country always makes me wanna travel so badly!!

Characters: 3/5

The characters were pretty one-dimensional and shallow. Emmett was way too clumsy at first. But I guess for a kids' film they were okay. 

Plot: 3/5

Some stuff was wildly inaccurate, but overall it was a fun, simply film with some quite funny moments. Even the inaccurate stuff was quite amusing. I enjoyed watching the vacation and the search for the animals, and the climax was enjoyable... yeah, overall, it was a fun film. 

Theme/Message/Topics: 4/5

I enjoyed the message of believing in yourself and trying new things over and over. 

Content: 4/5 (low)

Possibly some mild euphemisms.

Overall: 3/5

Not the greatest kids' film or the best George movie, but it was a fun time well spent with my siblings. 

“Home Alone 3” (1997)

 Home Alone 3

Brief Description:

8-year-old Alex Pruitt defends his home from a dangerous band of international criminals working for a terrorist organization.

(from Wikipedia)

Date: 1997

Genre: American family comedy 

Running time: 1 hour 42 minutes 

Cast: 

Alex D. Linz (Alex)

Haviland Morris (Mrs. Pruitt)

Kevin Kilner (Mr. Pruitt)

Olek Krupa (Beaupré)

Rya Kihlstedt (Alice)

Lenny Von Dohlen (Jernigan)

David Thornton (Unger)

James Saito (the Mob Boss)

Seth Smith (Stan)

Marian Seldes (Mrs. Hess)

Christopher Curry (FBI Agent Stuckey)

Pat Healy (FBI Agent Rogers)

Baxter Harris (Police Captain Jackson)

Neil Flynn, Nick Jantz, Tony Mockus Jr., & James Chisem (Police Officers)

Freeman Coffey (USAF Recruiting Officer)

Adrianne Duncan (Flight Attendant)

Jennifer A. Daley (Police Photographer)

Darren T. Knaus (the Parrot)

Director: Raja Gosnell

Production company: Hughes Entertainment & Fox Family Films

Wikipedia page

Watch on Dailymotion

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 4/5

A quiet neighbourhood of old Tudor-style homes with everybody gone during the day. Nice enough setting. 

Characters: 4/5

I liked these characters better than those from “Home Alone” 1 & 2. Alex is much less of a brat (and more 8-year-old-ish). His parents are quite nice; and his siblings are much more loving, and their picking on him is much more fair and teasing than hateful. Mrs. Hess was such a nice surprise, and the villains were fun because they could be taken more seriously. 

Plot: 4/5

I enjoyed this much more than the first two films. It’s more of a series of misunderstandings than deliberate unkindness, and Alex isn’t forgotten at home, but forced to stay behind by a series of circumstances (aka his parents are much more responsible). I also liked the extra issue of his parents’ lack of money. And I was pleasantly surprised by how the 911 calls were handled. I enjoyed how the film played out with the microchip and where + how it got to Alex, and the build of suspense as the robbers try to retrieve it. The showdown is less violent than HA 1&2, but just as fun, and I liked the little snippets that reminded me of the original films! And I really liked the ending :) Also, love how the parrot played into all this! Made me laugh out loud. 

Theme/Message/Topics: 3/5

There actually wasn’t much of one at all, unless it was to trust your kids, lol. Christmas is really a totally incidental thing... it's basically just set in December.  

Content: 2/5 (high)

Alex’s brother has a picture of an unclothed model with her chest area and hips covered in sticky-notes, & Alex removes a few of the sticky-notes but nothing is really revealed. Later a villain opens the bathroom and you can dimly sees a female form in the shower; he opens it and finds the picture hanging there sans sticky-notes (side chest can be seen, and the image cuts off above her bellybutton). There’s a picture of a girl in a bikini in Alex’s brother’s room as well. A scene where Alex undresses in the bathroom; his family hears him scream and say he “slammed the toilet seat on his thing again.” A scene where Alex watches a recording of women exercising and shoots a dart at a woman’s behind. A scene where a mouse climbs out of a man’s suit near the groin and a woman tries to kill the mouse (“You smacked my winky.”) Language: OMG. 

Violence: 3/5 (medium)

A little less violent than “Home Alone” 1&2 but along the same lines. 

Overall: 3/5

I wasn’t a fan of the content at all, but it is centered in a few specific scenes, and easy to skip. And I loved the rest of the film. If it wasn’t for the content, this would definitely get 4 stars!

“Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992)

 Home Alone 2:

Lost in New York

Brief Description:

10-year-old Kevin McCallister is separated from his family on their holiday vacation to Florida, this time in New York City where he has another encounter with the Wet Bandits after their escape during a prison riot.

(from Wikipedia)

Date: 1992

Genre: American Christmas comedy 

Running time: 2 hours

Cast: 

Macaulay Culkin (Kevin)

Joe Pesci (Harry)

Daniel Stern (Marv)

John Heard (Peter)

Catherine O’Hara (Kate)

Devin Ratray (Buzz)

Hillary Wolf (Megan)

Maureen Elisabeth Shay (Linnie)

Michael C. Maronna (Jeff)

Gerry Bamman (Uncle Frank)

Terrie Snell (Aunt Leslie)

Jedidiah Cohen (Rod)

Senta Moses (Tracy)

Daiana Campeanu (Sondr)

Kieran Culkin (Fuller)

Anna Slotky (Brooke)

Tim Curry (Mr. Hector, the concierge)

Brenda Fricker (the Pigeon Lady)

Eddie Bracken (Mr. Duncan)

Dana Ivey (Hester Stone, the desk clerk)

Rob Schneider (Cedric, the bellhop)

Leigh Zimmerman (Fashion Model)

Ralph Foody (Johnny, the gangster)

Clare Hoak (Johnny’s girlfriend)

Monica Devereux (Hotel Operator)

Bob Eubanks (Ding-Dang-Dong Host)

Rip Taylor (Celeb #1)

Jaye P. Morgan (Celeb #2)

Jimmie Walker (Celeb #3)

Ally Sheedy (New York Ticket Agent)

Rod Sell (Officer Bennett)

Ron Canada (Cop in Times Square)

Director: Chris Columbus

Production company: Hughes Entertainment

Wikipedia page

Watch on Dailymotion

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 4/5

I love the NYC aesthetic. I don’t know why. I also love hotel aesthetics... and rich hotels are pretty cool. ;) I feel like the film did a good job of getting the good and bad sides of a big city... the Christmas decor, the indifference, the kind strangers, the frightening nightlife... very interesting balances. But Kevin running around in NYC gives me anxiety for him—poor little kid!! 

Characters: 4/5

I liked the family better in this film than in the first one. Buzz is still pretty nasty... and I’m still mad at Kate for punishing Kevin unfairly. However, it probably is realistic... Anyways, Peter made a better father here. Frank is still nasty, but Leslie and the kids aren’t too bad. And I liked Pigeon Lady. The concierge is sooooo irritating, but the bellhop isn’t too bad...  

Plot: 4/5

I really love how the plot is similar to the first film yet different... same enough for you to tell what parts are similar but different enough that you’re unsure what will happen or surprised that something doesn’t happen. Kevin was more a brat here—definitely should have gotten in touch with his parents and shouldn’t have made the choices he did—but at least he felt remorse and tried to make up in a little way. I enjoyed the adventures around the hotel, and the toystore, and the fighting with Marv & Harry... that climax was just as much fun as the first, and sans swearing!! And the ending is pretty great again :) 

Theme/Message/Topics: 4/5

I love the message about your heart... about how people don’t forget about you, but forget to remember you... and Kevin’s encouragement to the Pigeon Lady that she’s “good at talking to people…” and about how he think he’ll have fun by himself but ends up not. 

Pigeon Lady: I’m just afraid if I do trust someone, I’ll get my heart broken again.

Kevin: I used to have this really nice pair of rollerblades. I was afraid if I wore them, I’d wreck them. So I kept them in a box. Do you know what happened? ... I outgrew them. I never wore them once outside. I just wore them in my room a couple times.... If you aren’t going to use your heart, then what’s the difference if it gets broken? If you just keep it to yourself, maybe it’ll be like my rollerblades. When you do decide to try it, it won’t be any good. You should take a chance. Got nothing to lose.... Your heart might still be broken, but it isn’t gone.

Wasn't a fan of the bogus “a good deed erases a bad deed” though.

Content: 3/5 (medium)

1 scene in a swimming pool (off-screen, Kevin’s shorts float off). Kevin watches a film where a gangster accuses his girlfriend of “smootching” with his brother and plenty of other guys; K later uses the film to play with the hotel people, causing people to assume the concierge “smootched” other guys, including a hotel worker. Kevin says Uncle Frank told him not to come into the bathroom when he was showering because if K saw him naked he’d “never grow up to be a real boy”; Peter tells him to go in anyways to get his tie; Kevin covers his eyes but you dimly see Uncle Frank in the shower; K records him singing & Uncle Frank calls him a pervert. 2 women smoke in one scene. Language: d**n, a**, g*d-dar*ed, OMG*d.

Violence: 3/5 (medium)

Basically the same thing as “Home Alone.” Bricks are thrown, fire is used, Harry’s head is burned, and a nail gun gets Marv twice. The robbers try to kill Kevin & the Pigeon Lady. 

Overall: 3/5

Much better than the first film, and I actually quite enjoy it!

“Home Alone” (1990)

 Home Alone

Brief Description:

8-year-old Kevin McCallister defends his suburban Chicago home from a home invasion by a pair of robbers after his family accidentally leaves him behind on their Christmas vacation to Paris.

(from Wikipedia)

Date: 1990

Genre: American Christmas comedy 

Running time: 1 hour 14 minutes 

Cast: 

Macaulay Culkin (Kevin)

Joe Pesci (Harry)

Daniel Stern (Marv)

Roberts Blossom (Marley)

John Heard (Peter)

Catherine O’Hara (Kate)

Devin Ratray (Buzz)

Hillary Wolf (Megan)

Angela Goethals (Linnie)

Michael C. Maronna (Jeff)

Gerry Bamman (Uncle Frank)

Terrie Snell (Aunt Leslie)

Jedidiah Cohen (Rod)

Daiana Campeanu (Sondra)

Senta Moses (Tracy)

Kieran Culkin (Fuller)

Anna Slotky (Brooke)

John Candy (Gus Polinski)

Larry Hankin (Officer Balzak)

Jeffrey Wiseman (Mitch)

Ray Toler (Uncle Rob)

Virginia Smith (Aunt Georgette)

Matt Doherty (Steffan)

Kristin Minter (Heather)

Ralph Foody (Gangster #1, Johnny)

Michael Guido as Gangster #2, Snakes)

Billie Bird (Woman in Airport, Irene)

Bill Erwin (Man in Airport, Ed)

Gerry Becker (Officer #1)

Alan Wilder (Scranton Ticket Agent)

Hope Davis (French Ticket Agent)

Kenneth Hudson Campbell (Santa)

Jim Ortlieb (Herb the drugstore clerk)

Director: Chris Columbus

Production company: Hughes Entertainment

Wikipedia page

Watch on Dailymotion

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 5/5

First off, I LOVE the homey Christmas aesthetic!!! The lights, the snow, the decorations, the families coming home for Christmas Eve... I LOVE ALL OF IT. It’s amazing. 

Also, although I am not a fan of how mean they are to each other, the big family dynamic of rush and getting in each others’ way as we try to get stuff done, is pretty accurate... ;P 

Characters: 3/5

I just mentioned how I am not a fan of how mean they are. Yeah, I’m not a huge fan of the characters of the film. Kevin’s mother is decent (though she was unfair about the punishment) and his father is decent (though he has his not-so-shining moments too). Kevin himself is a cute kid, even if he’s a bit of a schemer, and has his not-great points (I hate how he talks back to his parents). But after all, the kid is 8 and his family doesn’t treat him very well. Hate Uncle Frank, and why doesn’t Aunt Leslie stand up to him? As for the kids, they’re basically all brats with poisonous tongues. AND I HATE BUZZ. What a horrid, horrid elder brother. And of course Marv & Harry deserve everything they get... I liked Old Marley though. 

Plot: 4/5

Personally, I think the whole forgotten-at-home side of the plot is very realistic. Specially since they counted in the neighbour kid as Kevin initially. I enjoy the way the plot layers Kevin’s adventures and those of his family/mother as they (try to) come home. The part of Kevin being an adult are oddly inspiring. And the comedy side of the story is great... I enjoy seeing what Kevin has planned next through the whole climax! Finally, the ending is pretty awesome. :D 

Theme/Message/Topics: 4/5

I ADORE the church scene. “This is the place to be if you’re feeling bad about yourself.” I would have liked that to be more fleshed out but being it’s a secular film, I was just pleased and surprised that scene was there at all! I also really love the message about courage... The message about family could be a bit stronger but it’s okay. 

Kevin: How do you know?

Marley: I don’t know. I’m just afraid he won’t.

Kevin: No offense, but aren’t you too old to be afraid?

Content: 1/5 (high)

Some drinking + smoking, lying & stealing. Several uses of language: h**l, d**n, d**il, s***, c*ap, a**, probably more. Mostly happens during the climax with the robbers. Kevin flips through a Playboy & mentions no one is wearing any clothes. Buzz mentions nude beaches and girls armpit shaving. There are 1 or more pictures of a bikini-clad model in Buzz’s room. Mentions of Fuller wetting the bed; 2 brief scenes where Kevin is shirtless with a towel wrapped around his middle. 

Violence: 3/5 (medium)

Lots of slapstick violence—burning, hitting, getting a nail through your foot, etc. There’s no blood but there is burn scars. It didn’t bother me the second time I watched the film but the first time it did. Threats of violence against Kevin by Marv & Harry (“gonna kill him,” “gonna bite all his fingers off,” etc). Old Man Marley is rumoured to have murdered his family and kept their bodies in his garbage cans, where they’ve mummified (false); he also has a bloody hand wrapped up.   

Overall: 2/5

I love the Christmas theme. And the film is really funny. But I hate the family, and most of all the content is definitely not family-friendly as I was lead to believe it would be.