Apple TV+ Summary:
Imagine Charles Dickens’ heartwarming tale of a scrooge visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve—but funnier. And with Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer. Also, huge musical numbers. Okay, we’re asking a lot. Maybe just watch the trailer?
What’s Actually Going On In Santa’s Workshop:
Having worked for centuries to redeem one problematic human per year, the Ghost of Christmas Present has found his White Whale: a supposedly unredeemable man named Clint Briggs who is surprisingly self-aware and doesn’t really care that he’s basically evil. Present thinks he can redeem Clint before “retiring” back to the land of the living for another chance at life, but Clint has other plans.
Naughty or Nice List:
Will Ferrell as Present and Ryan Reynolds as Clint Briggs
As the Ghost of Christmas Present, Ferrell tones down his typical goofy antics a notch or two and kicks up the earnestness. He’s pretty adorable in the role, and his chemistry with his character’s love interest is believable and sweet. Reynolds, on the other hand, is pretty perfect as Clint; he is maybe a little too good at the “hot but awful” kind of role. That said, his character’s growth is surprisingly nuanced … but I don’t want to say too much, or I’ll spoil the plot of the whole movie.
Also: Neither have all that good of voices, but they really sell it, you know? I applaud that.
Verdict: Naughty? No, Nice? No, Naughty?
Octavia Spencer as Kimberly
Octavia is a gem, and she’s absolutely delightful in her role as Kimberly, Clint’s second-in-command and maybe the only person at their company who actually listens to their conscience. Her voice is lovely and unique, and her musical numbers kinda stole the show from the gents.
Verdict: Nice (But Needs to Have More Confidence in That)
Sleigh-Sharing Capability: Good Even for (Musical) Scrooges
I love musicals. And my husband loves Ryan Reynolds. But I wasn’t sure if he would enjoy Ryan in a musical, so I wasn’t sure how Spirited would go over when I chose it for our weekly movie night. When it ended and we were deciding on how to rate it—we rate every movie from 1 to 5—he surprised me with a high rating, saying that it was probably his favorite holiday movie ever. (“Even above Die Hard?” I asked with a gasp.) It’s a Christmas miracle!
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Another Pint for Me Friend, Extra Warm
When in Old Timey England … Spirited is already a shot of something warm straight to the heart, but if you’re in the mood for a holiday beverage of an adult sort, I think anything that errs on the side of A Christmas Carol vibes would be a perfect pairing. Spiced mead? Mulled cider? Questionably cloudy tap water?
Did It Get Me In The Christmas Spirit?: Good Afternoon!
I’ve listened to the Spirited soundtrack multiple times since watching the movie and have added it to my mental list of excellent holiday albums along with *NSYNC’s Home for Christmas and A Christmas Together by John Denver and the Muppets (the classic of all classics). The movie, too, is one that I can see our family watching every time the holiday season rolls around from here on out. It’s definitely a movie that both surprises and delights—Apple fans will get that reference—and is a truly great way to spend a couple of hours in front of a roaring fire lit by the lights of your Christmas tree or whatever sparkly bit of holiday you celebrate.
I totally agree with everything you said, Mandy! This was so cute!! I wasn’t expecting much but you could tell Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell were having fun and I’m glad they kept it more subdued than we’ve seen them go in other movies. The dance numbers were really cinematic and the songs were decent. I also really liked Ryan’s fashion-Santa jacket, lol. I’d definitely watch it again in the future.
I had a dream last night that I met Octavia in person and made sure to tell her that I thought she did an amazing job in this movie. So that tells you a lot about how much this movie has sunk into my being. 😜
LOL! That is so cute.
We watched it last night (my spouse, my mom, and my dad). My mom wore out about forty minutes in, so she cut out to go to bed, but the rest of us watched the whole thing. My spouse and I enjoyed it quite a lot. My dad not as much because 1) musical 2) dancing 3) references to sex and bad language!
That said, I will be wishing people a “good afternoon” more pointedly from now on, and some of the songs will make their way into some holiday playlists.
I still love the muppet Christmas carol most of all though.
The Muppet Christmas Carol is THE Christmas movie, for sure.