Anya Gore
Staff Writer
“Spirited”, released on November 11, is a modernized version of Charles Dickens’ well known Christmas classic, “A Christmas Carol” shared through a disaster of a musical, butchering the story which has been shared worldwide for generations. Although the concept of a modern-day classic had potential, it was executed poorly.
Apple Tv’s new Christmas musical “Spirited”, directed by Sean Anders, falls short of expectations regardless of talented actors and high standards. This movie stars award winning actors such as Ryan Reynolds as Clint Briggs, Will Ferrel as the Ghost of Christmas present, and Octavia Spencer as Kimberly, raising expectations of viewers. Although the cast members are experienced as actors, neither have a musical background, causing this musical to seem parody-like and out of tune.
Ryan Reynolds’ character, Clint Briggs, is a modernized version of Scrooge, the main character of “A Christmas Carol”. Mirroring this classic’s storyline, Briggs is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future in order to change himself into a better man.
Not only is the music badly sung, but the lyrics and tunes of the songs are monotonous, and winded with a lack of rhythm and catchiness. These unmemorable songs fail to bring viewers into the Christmas spirit they desire.
On top of this, the choreography is chaotic, which takes away from the already awful music. With many people dancing in confined areas, the choreography is messy and uncoordinated, which distracts viewers from the storyline.
Since many are already familiar with Dickens’ classic, “Spirited” had no surprises or memorable parts which wouldn’t make it worth watching over the original, making it just another of the many knockoffs.
In some ways “Spirited” is more unique than other “A Christmas Carol” remakes because of its modern-day references. It mentions social media platforms like TikTok, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this is distinctive, it is not necessarily a good thing because future generations will find it irrelevant and will no longer understand or relate to this.
Regardless of this, the cinematography is surprisingly very well done. It is full of bright colors and includes many different sets. Throughout the musical, there are many angles, close ups, and zoom-ins making the movements and scene changes quite captivating.
In spite of the fact that the Apple Original “Spirited” is full of amazing cinematography and famous actors, it is not enough to flush out the disorganization of this film.
“Spirited”, which is rated PG-13, can be streamed now on Apple TV.
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