I have seen a lot of versions of "A Christmas Carol" in my life so far. My favorites are still the ones featuring Alastair Sim, Albert Finney, George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart and Michael Caine (you know, the ones with the Muppets) - I even enjoyed the ones with Cicely Tyson and Susan Lucci. I consider myself educated as to what is good in this realm of story-telling.
I have just finished watching "A Diva's Christmas Carol" and can honestly say that this is the WORST version I have ever seen, even worse than Bill Murray's "Scrooged".
Updating the story itself is not a bad idea; they do it every season as it is. And I suppose that putting a diva in the place of a money-lender was pretty topical.... But they ended up putting NO SPIN WHATSOEVER on the story itself, everyone seems to have a nasty, narcissistic streak (even the NON-divas) and they inserted plenty of swearing in the script for the kids. Just what Charles Dickens had in mind, I'll bet.
And let's not even get into what they were thinking when they cast Vanessa L. Williams as Ebony (Ebony-Ebeneezer...how IRONIC!!). She was alright in movies like "Soul Food", where she was actually forced to act or "Eraser", where her character generated some sympathy. But here, just acts...well, witchy. And even after her "transformation", she only acts marginally better.
At least actors like Sim, Finney, Scott and Tyson bothered to show in their acting the huge lightening in their souls by the visits of the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future. Williams - she doesn't even bother.
Nothing here is worth the bother; Williams best show here is her voice as she belts out some pretty good songs. You want to get the best out of "A Diva's Christmas Carol"? Buy the sound track.
No stars for "A Diva's Christmas Carol" - the visual equivalent of a lump of coal.
I have just finished watching "A Diva's Christmas Carol" and can honestly say that this is the WORST version I have ever seen, even worse than Bill Murray's "Scrooged".
Updating the story itself is not a bad idea; they do it every season as it is. And I suppose that putting a diva in the place of a money-lender was pretty topical.... But they ended up putting NO SPIN WHATSOEVER on the story itself, everyone seems to have a nasty, narcissistic streak (even the NON-divas) and they inserted plenty of swearing in the script for the kids. Just what Charles Dickens had in mind, I'll bet.
And let's not even get into what they were thinking when they cast Vanessa L. Williams as Ebony (Ebony-Ebeneezer...how IRONIC!!). She was alright in movies like "Soul Food", where she was actually forced to act or "Eraser", where her character generated some sympathy. But here, just acts...well, witchy. And even after her "transformation", she only acts marginally better.
At least actors like Sim, Finney, Scott and Tyson bothered to show in their acting the huge lightening in their souls by the visits of the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Future. Williams - she doesn't even bother.
Nothing here is worth the bother; Williams best show here is her voice as she belts out some pretty good songs. You want to get the best out of "A Diva's Christmas Carol"? Buy the sound track.
No stars for "A Diva's Christmas Carol" - the visual equivalent of a lump of coal.