Review: "Spirited"

The very first film version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was released in 1938, in which the leading role of Ebenezer Scrooge was portrayed by Reginald Owen. Since then, the beloved Christmas story has been readapted numerous times in movies and television: Oscar-Winner George C. Scott played Scrooge in the television movie A Christmas Carol released in 1984, Emmy Winner Guy Pearce played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (2019) miniseries, and Oscar Nominee Bill Murray played a modernized version of Scrooge named Frank Cross in Scrooged (1988), a film that told a comedic, modernized version of the story. On November 11th, 2022, AppleTV+ released a Spirited, a musical-comedy film that makes fun of every version of A Christmas Carol throughout the last century—but has a lot of fun doing it. Here’s my review: 

In “Spirited,” the Ghost of Christmas Present (played by Will Ferrell) has been at his job for almost 200 years and is seriously considering retirement. But, he wants to help one last “unredeemable” soul before he does. That “unredeemable” soul is arrogant, greedy media consultant Clint Briggs (played by Ryan Reynolds). When “Present” and Clint first meet, they instantly become enemies, but a unique friendship develops, as they both help each other improve their own faults and even find true love in the process.

Like “Scrooged,” “Spirited,” sets the story of A Christmas Carol in modern times, but it also pokes fun at it. It shows that the world is really full of “Scrooges” at Christmas and that some people are hard to get through to. But on occasion they might be able to see the “errors of their ways.” 

The musical-comedy features songs written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pasek & Paul wrote the songs for the movie versions of La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017), both which earned them Oscar Nominations for Best Original Song. (They won for the song “City of Stars,” from “La La Land.”) They also wrote the Broadway Musical Versions of A Christmas Story: The Musical (2013) and Dear Evan Hansen (2017), which won them the Tony for Best Original Score. Looking at that body of work, one could easily say that Pasek & Paul have become the new Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and “Spirited,” is no exception. Pasek & Paul also wrote songs for Columbia Pictures’ Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022) released October 7th.

In addition to Ferrell and Reynolds, “Spirited’s” supporting cast includes Oscar-Winner Octavia Spencer is Kimberly, Briggs’s assistant who later becomes Present’s love interest and Tony Nominee Patrick Page as the Ghost of Jacob Marley. The film was directed by Sean Anders who directed Will Ferrell in Daddy’s Home (2015) and Daddy’s Home 2 (2017). Anders also co-wrote “Spirited” and both the “Daddy’s Home” films with John Morris, and even cast his sister, Andrea, as Carrie, Briggs’s sister in the movie. The role of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is shared by two actors: NBA player Loren G. Woods wears the costume while Tracy Morgan supplies the voice. The film also features two celebrity cameos by Jimmy Fallon and Oscar Winner Dame Judi Dench.

Overall, “Sprited,” is, very surprisingly quite an entertaining movie! If you’re looking for a new, more modernized Christmas movie to enjoy multiple amounts of times throughout December, this is perfect! Especially if you’re a Pasek & Paul fan, there’s no way you wouldn’t be entertained. This film will totally put you in Christmas Spirit!