A Retelling With A Twist —Review Of Spirited (2022)

Give me a Ryan Reynolds film any day and I'll watch it without delay! Imagine my excitement when I saw this Christmas movie on the streaming site that I use. No movie producer or director ever gets it wrong with this iconic actor, he's just that good (in my opinion). His humour and charisma make his films fascinating and watchworthy. Plus, he's good-looking!

Unlike the usual predictable festive films that Hallmark and Lifetime channels pump out every year that have become quite boring, this one is certainly going to be a classic. Not because Ryan Reynolds is in it (though it's a major part of the reason), but because the musical numbers and choreographies are outstanding. I understand some critics have mixed reviews about it.

So far in the past two weeks, I have watched about three movies that are a retelling of the popular Charles Dicken A Christmas Carol (1843) story, one of the most remarkable stories in literary history that have been retold and reworked in many ways. Maybe it's a theme for Hollywood this year but Spirited (2022) gives this popular story a new and thrilling light.

If you are familiar with A Christmas Carol story, you'll know there's usually a Scrooge (a miserly and mean person in need of a change) and three Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future (who work to change the Scrooge).

In this musical comedy, Clint Briggs (played by Ryan Reynolds) is the Scrooge deemed to be unredeemable by the afterlife spirits. But Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Will Ferrell) is the Ghost of Christmas Present and believes Clint can change. When he begins to relate with Clint, Ebenezer realises he has taken up a very hard if not impossible task and thereby evaluates his own life. Will Ebenezer succeed in changing Clint Briggs into a better person?