SPIRITED

SPIRITED is a musical fantasy getting a limited theatrical release before it streams on Apple TV+ and stars Will Ferrell as “the Ghost of Christmas Present,” who convinces his boss, Mr. Marley, that an “unredeemable,” unscrupulous media consultant, played by Ryan Reynolds, should be given a chance to turn his life around for the better. SPIRITED is a lively musical comedy with great production numbers, fun performances and multiple morally uplifting, redemptive messages, but it’s marred by too much foul language and a few Non-Christian, worldly sentiments that dilute the story’s Christian, redemptive values, themes and metaphors.

The movie opens with the Ghost of Christmas Present explaining how every year they select one mean person to be reformed on Christmas by an appearance of three spirits. For a year, a whole team of people in the afterlife create the special effects and sets so the three spirits can show the person highlights from their past and present and reveal what the people around them in the present really think of them and how the person hurt them.

This year, Mr. Marley wants to pick a stingy hotel manager, but the Ghost of Christmas Present wants to pick Clint Briggs, after he sees Clint singing a mercenary song to the National Christmas Tree Growers in the hotel. Mr. Marley, however, shows everyone that Clint’s file has been marked “unredeemable.” Making an unredeemable person change is nearly impossible, he reminds the Ghost of Christmas Present. Maybe so, the spirit replies, but redeeming Clint Briggs would have a huge, positive impact.

Mr. Markey reluctantly agrees. However, when December rolls around and it’s time for the three spirits to do their “magic,” Clint turns the tables on the Ghost of Christmas Present. As a result, Christmas Present finds himself re-examining his own past, present and future. Meanwhile, he has to stop Clint’s niece from making a big mistake that will endanger the life of a classmate.

SPIRITED is a lively musical comedy with great production numbers. The music, sound and dancing create an enjoyable, toe-tapping spectacle. It’s too bad the movie isn’t getting a wider theatrical release before it starts streaming on Apple TV+, because the movie plays beautifully on the big screen with a good sound system.

Also, Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds make a great combination. Both men deliver fun performances. One number they do together, titled “Good Afternoon,” which takes viewers back to the streets of Victorian London, is particularly spirited (pun intended) and may remind experienced moviegoers of the big production numbers in 1968’s OLIVER! and 1970’s SCROOGE with Albert Finney as the mean miser. Other songs in SPIRITED are heartfelt pleas for kindness and goodwill toward all men, such as “Do a Little Good,” “Ripple” and “That Christmas Morning Feelin’”.

SPIRITED has multiple morally uplifting, redemptive messages. Overall, it tells a redemptive story in a Christmas setting, with echoes of the famous Charles Dickens tale. However, it’s marred by too much foul language and a few Non-Christian, worldly sentiments that dilute the story’s Christian, redemptive values and metaphors. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong or extreme caution.