Spirited review: Not really the best adaptation

Spirited retells the story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ from the point of view of the Ghost of Christmas Present, who vows to reform an unredeemable soul. The movie is now streaming on Apple TV+.

Story

The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come plan to target a new soul this year that should change for good. This time around, Present is wondering if he should retire after years of serving the establishment they are working at.

He crosses paths with Clint Briggs, a businessman who is ready to go to lengths for the benefit of himself and his client.

Present sees Clint as the perfect soul that should reform this year. Jacob, the head of the ghosts’ establishment, suggests that Clint is one of those unredeemable souls, and they shouldn’t waste time targeting him.

Present convinces Jacob to choose Clint. He is sure that redeeming him would benefit them.

Present and Clint grow closer as the ghosts take Clint on a journey through his dark memories. The duo forms an unlikely relationship where they help each other face their worst fears.

Performances

Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds in the lead roles of Present and Clint, certainly bring that star power to the movie. They do make the most of the humor element of the film.

The only thing is that Reynolds is not putting a unique performance out here. The viewers have seen this avatar of Reynolds before.

On top of that, the chemistry between Ferell and Reynolds doesn’t really click, and the bromance factor is hardly felt until the end of the film.

Talents such as Sunita Mani as Past and Tracy Morgan as Yet-to-Come don’t get enough screen time, though the latter should’ve. Morgan will leave the viewers rolling on the floor with the limited time he has.

Positives

The set and the musical numbers are certainly grand. The producers have worked it out to make it all attractive. The singing and the lyrics, on the other hand, are bearable at best.

For a two-hour film, it properly balances the number of musicals and scenes that should move the story forward. This way, the audience won’t feel bummed out.

Negatives

The motives of the characters of Present and Clint are hard to figure out.

Though the whole plot revolves around change, it’s hard to determine whether Clint really becomes a better person in the end or not. There is just a lack of impact that should’ve been felt.

At times, the film suggests that it is quite aware of the clichés it is heading into, but it seems like an attempt to defend itself from the jokes the characters are about to crack, which have become redundant.

Verdict

Spirited is probably not the best Christmas film to come out this year, but at the end of the day, it’s a decent watch if you want to catch your favorites together on screen.

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Also Read: Spirited ending explained: Does Clint redeem himself?