The technological advancements of cinema are both a blessing and a curse; they mean that we’re free to experience some truly amazing, out-of-this-world moments, such as otherworldly battles between dragons and marines in James Cameron’s upcoming epic Avatar, but this trend of reliance on artificial objects on our cinema screens can also be said to dilute the human, natural essence of going to the cinema. Robert Zemeckis is a particularly important proponent in this debate in terms of his pioneering “performance capture” technique, which has been previously utilised on The Polar Express and Beowulf, and now has been combined with the manic stylings of Jim Carrey for the long-awaited A Christmas Carol.

If there’s anything I have against the latest iteration of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, it’s that Zemeckis doesn’t seem to have pushed things particularly far since Beowulf, and there isn’t a single frame of the film that looks as though it couldn’t have been done two or three years ago. As has plagued the aforementioned films, A Christmas Carol features some rather dazzling set pieces but still feels ice-cool at times, largely because it just doesn’t feel very human. The problem is with the eyes; the eyes are often vacant and dead-looking, which works counter-productively against both Zemeckis’ visual freneticism and Carrey’s admirably off the wall performance. Although texturally the film is a touch underwhelming, it is difficult not to praise Zemeckis’ style and direction, which befits a tale like this and ultimately helps the film come home to roost.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is a cantankerous, greedy old man who won’t spare a penny for the poor, nor an ounce of consideration for his overworked assistant, Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman). However, when he is visited by the specter of his former business associate Jacob Marley (Oldman), he is plotted on a course of redemption, where he meets three ghosts, one of the Christmas Past, one of the Christmas Present, and one of the Christmas Yet to Come, each voiced and performed by Carrey himself. Scrooge must change his ways or face a difficult future and an even worse legacy in his wake.

Indeed, Carrey pulls quite the duty here, voicing present Scrooge as well as the various younger Scrooges we see through flashbacks, and each of the three ghosts. While Carrey’s career hasn’t exactly been stable this decade, he knocks this film totally out of the park, and much of its success can be owed to him; the story naturally doesn’t allow him to go into full-on-loon mode, but the trippy later portions in particular allow him to shine. Ultimately, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else better suited to the role.

The real point of contention becomes what kids are really going to get out of this; the story has a strong moral substance but the execution here is unquestionably alienating to youngsters. Zemeckis has been rather faithful to Dickens’ story, but at the cost of lean storytelling, for the film takes far too long to get to the meat of the story, and there’s the fear that kids are going to be getting restless by the point Marley shows up. Furthermore, the presentation is daring, given some fairly terrifying moments despite the PG rating, and some bewildering animation sections near the end that hint at Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas more than anything else, which may dumbfound youngsters more than entertain them.

Adult audiences may find this more relatable, though; they are likely to be far more familiar with the written version and may have a greater appreciation for Zemeckis’ faithfulness when compared to the frolics of The Muppet Christmas Carol, for example (fun though it is). The film’s aesthetic flaws also become less noticeable when we meet the ghosts, wherein the film takes the throw-as-much-at-the-viewer-as-possible approach, with the result more often than not being that enough sticks so as to tune out the sometimes flat and bland texture detail. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in particular, a black, skeletal specter, is rather intoxicating; this portion moves so fast and is so dynamic that it undeniably charms. Further still, although it is easy to speak of A Christmas Carol as ice-cold and lacking in resonance, the film does admittedly settle down for its epilogue, which is rather endearing and easily the most enjoyable portion of the film.

The visuals are wildly uneven and the content is arguably too dark and talky for younger audiences, but Jim Carrey’s dedicated performance buoys the film, along with what are undoubtedly genuine intentions and a gleeful sense of style by Robert Zemeckis. Although far from the best adaptation of Dickens’ story, and sure proof that the performance capture technique needs work, this is a frequently dynamic and frenetic work that’s a brave and unique go at one of the most beloved Yuletide tales.