The Man Who Invented Christmas - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

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Movie
Of all the famous novels that have been penned by the prolific Charles Dickens, none is more popular and well loved than A Christmas Carol. It has been lauded as the most heartfelt and generous book of his days, and also bears the distinction as being the most replicated piece of work from book to film in cinematic history. I’ve seen everything from the animated Disney adaptation, to the Patrick Stewart audio book and many in between. So much so that I honestly felt that I may have suffered some sort of saturation on the point, and really didn’t see the need for ANOTHER interpretation of the story. I mean, it’s the most popular book that he’s ever written, and probably the most heart warming too. How many times can you tell the same story over and over again before you get nauseated from regurgitating the same plot line for years and years? Well, I was partially right. The Man who Invented Christmas is nothing new. At least from a major plot point of view. But it IS a bit unique in how the tale is presented, and while mostly fantasy from a historical point of view, is sweet and heart string tugging enough to warrant a fun watch.

Charles Dickens was alive during a period of great turmoil in England. Not from causes of war or famine, but from over expansion. This was the age of the industrial nation, and England had expanded over 64% in the last several decades, and was at the verge of extending itself way too far in terms of populace and resources. The work force was at an all time low, and demand was at an all time high. The richer were getting richer, and the poor working class continued to work on to fuel the great machine known as progress. Adults were going to debtor’s prison (one of the most ridiculous concepts of the 1800s) for not being able to pay off their loans, and the only work force that was available were children. Many of whom were forced into work camps (other wise known as Work Houses and factories) for 12-16 hour days for years on end. Dickens was one of those children, and when he grew up he carried a heart for those over worked children. In fact, he was originally going to write a general service announcement pamphlet titled “An Appeal to the People of England on Behalf of the Poor Man’s Child”, but instead decided to utilize his gift of prose to get his point across in the form of a novel. Which became what we now know as A Christmas Carol.

Taking a fantasy approach to the real life of Charles Dickens, we are introduced to the man just before the winter of 1843 when he was going through a bit of a literary slump. Dickens (Dan Stevens) has over extended himself a bit further than he wants, and his lack of literary sales are keeping the man’s finances in a bit of a slump. With his critics barking at his heels, and his publishers refusing to lend him any more credit, the famous author has to come up with SOMETHING by the time Christmas rolls around the corner in six weeks. Banging his head against a wall, young Dickens begins to take in the over indulgent and selfish nature of the people around him and formulate a group of characters. A man named Ebeneezer Scrooge (Christopher Plumber), after watching a midnight funeral. Tiny Tim from his own brother’s crippled son, and the selfish nature of scrooge from his own publishers.

The only thing is, Dickens is crippled by his own self down. The idea of Scrooge and his fears are not just taken from those around him, but also from within. The harder and harder that he works at his novel, the deeper and deeper he goes into his own psyche, even going so far as to come up with his own ideas of the ghost of Christmas Past/Present/Future and applying them to his own life. All in all, the Man Who Invented Christmas is a story of self redemption and self discovery. Much like how Scrooge comes to realize his own selfish hangups, Dickens has to teach himself the meaning of live and devotion to the REAL world, and not just his own world of characters (as well as a troubled past with his own father, played by famed actor Jonathon Pryce)

The Man Who Invented Christmas is nothing revolutionary. In fact it’s rather trite in many ways, but Dan Stevens goes about the project with such enthusiasm that it’s hard to not gain an ounce or so of his infectious joy. A Christmas Carol is a sweet story and one of the finest novels of all time, so it’s hard to do it wrong and NOT elicit some sense of emotion or joy from the telling, so the movie ends up being a joyful little tale. Even if it is just a bit worn out and stale from all of the other renditions over the years. Acting is solid, the story is decent, and the sense of Christmas joy is just right.




Rating:

Rated PG for thematic elements and some mild language




Video:

While I couldn’t find any definitive information on what cameras were used for The Man Who Invented Christmas, I can be fairly certain that it was a digital affair (all the earmarks are there. The picture is smooth and clean, with a light blue/green tinge to it to imitated 1800s London life. Colors are dim but serviceable, with solid saturation levels and good detail levels to boot as well. Sometimes the picture looks a bit washed out, with gray black levels, but most of the time the image is sharp and shiny. Close ups look excellent all around, with wonderful detailing in the clothing and backdrops. The CGI for the ghosts can be a bit spotty, but nothing that should detract from the overall image.
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Audio:

Universal’s 5.1 DTS-HD MA is just as solid as the video is, with a nice sounding mix that does well for the dramatic film. It’s a bit front heavy as one would expect, but the surrounds get ample play time with the sounds of busy London in the background, or the crash and thud of the ghost’s presence lighting up the sound stage. Vocals are crisp and well defined. Locked in the center channel and pleasantly balanced with the rest of the mix. LFE is clean booming when necessary, but never overly enthusiastic or anemic. An overall good mix that does exactly what is asked of it.









Extras:

• The Story Behind The Man Who Invented Christmas - Featurette

Final Score:
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As I said above, The Man Who Invented Christmas is nothing new. In fact it’s down right derivative at times, but that doesn’t keep it from being a sweet little complimentary story to the traditional Dickens lore. The film is deftly acted and directed, and all involved seem to truly be enjoying their work. The Blu-ray from Universal is quite well done, with decent extras and very nice audio and video scores to boot. While it’s not a “must own” Christmas movie, I really had an enjoyable time with the flick and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for a good watch to those who like period piece Christmas tales.



Technical Specifications:

Starring: Dan Stevens, Jonathon Pryce, Christopher Plummer
Directed by: Bharat Nalluri
Written by: Susan Coyne (Screenplay), Les Standford (Book)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Studio: Universal
Rated: PG
Runtime: 104 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: March 6th, 2018

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• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Solid Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I have seen countless versions of Dickens Christmas Carol. I will check this one out as well.

 

[Jeff S]

I love Dickens' work and want to see this iteration. A different concept I am sure I'll enjoy. Thanks for the review.