Ahh Christmas! From the days of Charles Dickens, stories have been told about the festive season and Spirited is the latest. I will start by saying that one of my favourite Christmas movies is Scrooged with Bill Murray. Yes, it’s another take on the classic tale, but it’s got Bill Murray in it, and its silly fun.
Secondly, I don’t find Will Farrell very funny or entertaining to watch to be honest. I’ll give him a couple of moments in Elf and Anchorman, but overall, I’m not someone who rushes out to see his latest movies.
Thirdly, I’m a sucker for a musical.
Was I Spirited away?
Spirited stars Will Farrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spence, Tracey Morgan, Sunita Mani, Patrick Page, and more. It has been directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders and John Morris. Anders doesn’t have the best track record, That’s My Boy with Adam Sandler, Daddy’s Home 1 & 2, and Instant Family are not that great.
However, I think he’s nailed it with Spirited. The story is another take on Scrooge, but this has been done quite well. We all know the story of the mean old man, who is shown his past, present, and future, so he changes his ways and sees how good life can be.
In Spirited, it takes you behind the scenes of how they choose who they are going to haunt each Christmas, how each of the scenes are set up for each person, and how the three ghosts have to learn their scripts and have hair and makeup done before the haunting starts.
Yes, the Ghost of Christmas Future is using his mobile phone here.
I can’t lie, this was pretty funny since you have set designers, transition experts, and a whole host of “background artists” to make each vision seem real to whomever they are haunting.
What I didn’t know going into this was that it is a musical and, I have to say, the music is toe-tappingly good! The songs have been done by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul is known for The Greatest Showman, La La Land, and Dear Evan Hansen.
I genuinely love The Greatest Showman, it’s a well-made movie, with a good story and I do love the songs. Spirited is up there with the songs, but it’s not the same movie as Showman.
Overall
The movie is a comedy with some very funny moment, even Farrell making me laugh. I will say this, again, Ryan Reynolds is just being himself. However yet I found myself laughing. The rest of the cast is good, and the overall story is good.
I had no idea that Farrell and Reynolds could sing so well. I had to keep the end credits on just to check it was them actually singing.
If I’m going to be overly picky, there is a moment where they end up in the 1800’s England, and, we have to have mixed raced couples in there because, you know, everything made for a “modern audience” has to include everyone regardless of history. So my eyes did roll a little at this.
Screw it! I liked this movie probably more than I should have. I liked the cast, the songs, and the feel good factor, and I would watch it again. It’s one to sit down and watch with the kids, to laugh at, sing along with and just enjoy.
I don’t know if Spirited will go down as a Christmas Classic in years to come, but it might. It’s a shame it is only on Apple TV as I can imagine this doing well in the cinemas in the run-up to the festive season.
I give Spirited a solid 4 out of 5. There, I said it! I will now watch A Serbian Film to balance myself out again.
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