A laugh at the true spirit of Christmas

Rating: 3/10 (28 December 2006)

I would first like to name the positive aspects of the film, as to make it fair: The characters were wonderfully rendered. Tom Hanks did a good job and, unlike others, I didn't find them to be creepy. The backgrounds were great. You could almost feel the cold of the night while watching. The most delicious eye-candy available.
But that's where it ends. First of all, the message they were trying to pass was one of believing in Christmas. I'm sorry, but it's a rather bad faith you're giving us. The poor boy, who always hated Christmas for not getting presents, finally accepts it - and it's a huge present. They added some completely perfect black girl. C'mon, I don't tolerate racism, but this kind of political correctness makes me just as sick. The nerd kid was amusing, but somewhat a cliché. What I mean is that the message is one of the true meaning of Christmas being presents. That is sickening. Children are already spoiled and materialistic enough, why give them more of that.
The musical numbers were completely embarrassing, and the way they just added and added to the original story made the movie look disjointed. They turned some little Christmas story into a roller-coaster of action sequences, disjointed scenes and a corruption of the true meaning of Christmas.
It's natural that only children can hear the bell, since it stands for the materialistic and commercial aspect of Christmas.