‘Christmas Carol’ holds up fine without 3-D specs - Entertainment, Movies - Marine Corps Times

‘Christmas Carol’ holds up fine without 3-D specs

Even Disney can’t muck up “A Christmas Carol” — Dickens’ enduring and endearing tale of redemption remains as charming today as when it was written more than 160 years ago.

But the only reason to make this animated version in 3-D was to zap people for an extra $3 for the glasses, which the studio probably bought for 23 cents each from some company in China.

Writer-director-producer Robert Zemeckis continues to hone the “performance capture” animation that he used in 2004’s “The Polar Express” and 2007’s “Beowulf.”

The characters, drawn to look like the humans who voice them, are incredibly detailed — down to the hairs on Ebenezer Scrooge’s nose. Jim Carrey makes a fine Scrooge (and also does the voices of all three Christmas spirits). Gary Oldman is a fitting Bob Cratchit, and Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes also chip in to voice a variety of characters.

But you won’t miss anything by seeing “A Christmas Carol” in 2-D. You’ll save some bucks and be every bit as entertained.

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Rated PG for a few mildly scary images.