Charming Disney version of the seasonal favourite.

Hey_Sweden

Disney characters fill the roles in this adaptation of the Dickens novel, with Scrooge McDuck obviously playing the role of cold blooded, greedy businessman Ebenezer Scrooge. His timid, overworked employee Bob Cratchit (Mickey) and nephew Fred (Donald) try to instill in him the Christmas spirit, but it's no use. However, in the attempt to make Scrooge see the light, he's visited by a succession of ghosts, starting with his deceased partner Jacob Marley (Goofy), who show him the progression of his character over the years, and the possible consequences. All in all, this is very likable, and often very funny, in the Disney tradition, and the talent involved do a decent job (at least this viewer thinks so) in balancing the serious moments and sentiment with some broad humour and slapstick. Goofy, not surprisingly, does a fair bit of it, turning Marleys' ghost into a clumsy bumbler. Admittedly, the main criticism of the special arises from condensing Dickens's novel into a half hour piece; it definitely feels a little rushed (although the very young, and those with short attention spans, may have no complaints on the matter). Still, there's much to enjoy, and it's amusing to see so many characters from so many Disney productions over the years cast in the various roles. Willie the Giant / The Ghost of Christmas Present is particularly funny, especially when he's searching for a particular house, lifts the roof off of one, and there's a scream heard. His reaction is priceless. The vocal performers are all excellent, especially Alan Young who always was an inspired choice for the voice of Scrooge. The animation is fine and the song composed for this special ("Oh, What a Merry Christmas Day", by Fredrick Searles and Irwin Kostal) is a reasonably good one. Some of the smaller fry may find the sequence with Pete / The Ghost of Christmas Future a little spooky, but overall this definitely makes for pleasant family viewing. Eight out of 10.

score 8/10

Hey_Sweden 2 December 2012

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2713711/