{"id":10150,"date":"2022-12-15T17:35:32","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T00:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=10150"},"modified":"2022-12-15T17:59:59","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T00:59:59","slug":"spirited-a-fresh-take-on-charles-dickens-christmas-carol-beautiful-visuals-great-comedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2022\/spirited-a-fresh-take-on-charles-dickens-christmas-carol-beautiful-visuals-great-comedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Spirited * A Fresh Take On Charles Dickens\u2019 Christmas Carol &#8211; Beautiful Visuals, Great Comedy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited.poster.jpg?resize=102%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10151\" width=\"102\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited.poster.jpg?resize=203%2C300&amp;ssl=1 203w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited.poster.jpg?w=540&amp;ssl=1 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 102px) 100vw, 102px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future. For the first time, \u201cA Christmas Carol\u201d is told from the perspective of the ghosts in this hilarious musical twist on the classic Dickens tale. From Director Sean Anders (&#8220;Daddy\u2019s Home,\u201d &#8220;Instant Family\u201d), written by Sean Anders and John Morris, with original songs by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (&#8220;La La Land&#8221;) and production numbers choreographed by Chloe Arnold (\u201cThe Late Late Show with James Corden\u201d), this modern retelling is a sweet and spicy holiday treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Emma D. comments, \u201cSpirited is a fresh new take on Charles Dickens\u2019 Christmas Carol, paired with beautiful visuals and comedy.&nbsp; The film is incredibly entertaining, but misses the mark a bit with the music and storyline.\u201d See her full review below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spirited\u00a0<br>By Emma D., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/X0d96TP9FLc?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0106.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10157\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0106.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0106.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0106.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Spirited <\/em>is a fresh new take on Charles Dickens\u2019 <em>Christmas Carol,<\/em> paired with beautiful visuals and comedy.\u00a0 The film is incredibly entertaining, but misses the mark a bit in regards to the music and storyline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Spirited<\/em> follows the story of the Spirit of Christmas Present (Will Ferrel), on his mission to reform Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) and his heartless ways. With the help of Past (Sunita Mani) and Future (Tracy Morgan), the spirits hatch a plan to teach Briggs about the error of his ways. Through a series of events, Briggs turns the tables on the Spirit of Christmas Present and together they re-examine their past in order to live the lives they always dreamed of.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0102.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10153\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0102.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0102.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0102.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Spirited<\/em> is a fun and upbeat film, but the music leaves much to be desired. Ferrel and Reynolds are excellent comedic actors and every scene that they are in together is super entertaining and funny. Although they are great actors, neither of them is particularly musically inclined, so unfortunately, many of their songs and musical numbers fall flat. However, one musical number that I really enjoyed was the \u201cGood Afternoon\u201d scene as it is filled with great choreography and energy, which makes it really fun to watch.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The concept of the film is so clever and refreshing, but its downfall is that the plot has a lot of holes in it. There are a lot of plot-lines that are introduced, but never followed up on, which leaves the audience hanging with questions regarding the storyline. Plus, the consequences that Clint Briggs has to his \u201ccancel culture\u201d concept lack impact. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0101.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10154\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0101.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0101.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Spirited_Photo_0101.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Spirited<\/em> has a lot of jokes relating to current pop culture and news, which makes it lose its timeless quality, as many of the jokes may be funny today but will not make sense for future viewers. The visuals in the film are all beautiful, especially in the scenes with the Spirits and their office and also in the \u201ctransitions.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Spirited <\/em>addresses the negative impacts of social media and finding yourself. The scenes regarding social media and cyberbullying are very impactful, especially for teenagers and younger audiences. Parents should be aware that the film has a lot of curse words and adult jokes, which may be inappropriate for younger viewers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>Spirited<\/em> 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It is available now in select theaters and will be available on Apple TV+ beginning November 18, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-vivid-purple-color has-luminous-vivid-amber-background-color has-text-color has-background\"><strong>Support Future Creatives of Tomorrow: <br>https:\/\/gofund.me\/dd0a0476<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BG8O0bj4isg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Podcast host Laura Ross and her longtime friend and producer Paul are challenged to re-examine their personal and professional relationships when a listener submits the daily &#8220;Christmas Challenge&#8221; that promotes togetherness to their ambitious &#8220;Modernly Independent&#8221; podcast.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, \u201cThe Christmas Challenge is the perfect holiday romance film to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy. With a humorous and engaging script and great performances, you\u2019ll love watching the dynamic between Laura and Paul evolve in this heartwarming film.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4949,15],"tags":[6026,6023,1783,20,6020,6029,6024,6027,6019,6021,6016,6018,6017,1166,6025,6015,3146,6028,6022,6014],"class_list":["post-10150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-alicia-haymer","tag-betsy-johnson","tag-by-kids-for-kids","tag-christmas","tag-elliott-renee-west","tag-faith-and-family","tag-family-friendly","tag-galadriel-stineman","tag-henry-haggard","tag-hunter-west","tag-jennica-schwartzman","tag-jessica-anderson","tag-merry-christmas","tag-movie-reviews","tag-mykie-fisher","tag-natalie-ruffino-wilson","tag-podcast","tag-rodger-d-eldridge","tag-the-christmas-challenge","tag-zack-gold"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-2DI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10150"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10161,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10150\/revisions\/10161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}