Whether it’s The Muppets, Jim Carrey, Scrooge McDuck or even Bill Murray – the classics Dickens tale has been told in so many mediums with multiple interpretations. This Christmas sees Buddy the Elf and Deadpool team up to switch things up in Spirited, Apple TV+’s latest original film. Some of it works, and some unfortunately doesn’t, but the festive vibes carried by numerous enjoyable musical numbers (even if they rely too much on tap dancing) and a star-studded cast give good reason to check this out during the holiday season.
Ferrell & Reynolds meet Pasek & Paul
The biggest selling point for me going into the film wasn’t the lead stars Will Ferrell or Ryan Reynolds, but the fact that the duo Pasek & Paul were attached to write some original, festive songs for the flick. Despite how formulaic their songs may be, they have some form of musical crack in them every time, and Spirited is no exception! Give it a week, and a majority of the 14 original songs from the Spirited soundtrack will take up a majority of my On Repeat list…
It’s funny because half of the film’s songs could be thrown into The Greatest Showman with the other half perfectly matching Dear Evan Hansen‘s soundtrack. Definitely not the pair’s best work, but there are some good and enjoyable songs within the song-heavy soundtrack. As much as I love musicals, and will give any excuse to watch one – I do believe this film has too many songs and could benefit from a number or two being cut.
I kid you not. One of the songs, titled “Unredeemable” feels like it was originally written for Hugh Jackman’s character in The Greatest Showman… The choreography is nice to watch, even if Ferrell and Reynolds seem flat at times when performing.
A ‘Spirited’ Story for Sure
I salute director Sean Anders on his work with this one, especially after how much I loved his previous film, Instant Family. The film itself looks great, and there is a clear vision for what Anders wants the film to feel like and also look like throughout. The blend of compelling emotion and comedy works really well, despite an up-and-down plot.
The new perspective of the Christmas Carol story in Spirited sees the whole premise of the different Ghosts who visit Scrooge switched around to present them as a group of ghosts who spend the whole year planning their annual “redeeming haunt”. Think of how Santa spends the whole year preparing the North Pole for Christmas Eve. I wasn’t a fan of the “TV Production” approach the film frames the Ghosts in, but once the story focuses on the past of Ghost of Christmas Present, things take a turn for the better. The behind-the-scenes angle just wasn’t for me at times, unfortunately.
Christmas Cheer?
Both Ferrell and Reynolds’ chemistry is magical, and the pair are so fun to watch on screen. Ferrell is great as Christmas Present, especially when paired with Octavia Spencer’s character. Whilst both thrive in comedic roles, some story beats require much more grounded performances at times, but it is Reynolds who snatches the crown with some tear-jerking moments.
There are a number of laughs to be had, and who better to be laughing at than Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell? The film prides itself on its sheer joy and how fun it is, which is a shame when the film ends up lacking in very mixed pacing and a good 20 minutes that could easily be taken out of the final script. It’s a shame that Spirited‘s ending is incredibly predictable. You can see the film’s ending from a mile away, but I still think the story is satisfactory throughout.
‘Spirited’ – Final Thoughts
I don’t think I’ll rush to rewatch this film every Christmas, but I will certainly be adding a number of songs to my festive playlists. For what it is, I’m sure Spirited will entertain audiences this Christmas, but it is nowhere near the best adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, unfortunately.
Spirited is set to have a limited release in cinemas from November 11 before streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ from November 18
