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Each holiday season, millions of people reacquaint themselves with the beloved Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol—the story of redemption for miserly old Ebenezer Scrooge. But whether you prefer the classic versions or something starring Bill Murray or the Muppets, Apple’s Spirited offers a new twist on the familiar story.
Spirited tells the story through the eyes of the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell). For more than 200 years, he’s been working to bring the Christmas spirit to the world by changing one life every holiday season. Though he’s been eligible for retirement for years, he just can’t seem to walk away. But then he meets Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), a media expert who’s built a career on tearing people apart. Present is determined to change this man who’s been declared unredeemable—but Clint quickly throws all of the ghost’s plans into chaos.
As Present and the rest of his ghostly team try to show Clint the error of his ways, their latest perp just isn’t having it—and he behaves exactly as you’d expect a Ryan Reynolds character to behave. Clint isn’t interested in changing. He questions Jacob Marley (Patrick Page) and interrupts his spooky introduction, peppering the spirit with challenges and doubts. He hits on the Ghost of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani). And he turns everything around on Present—until this determined and exceedingly optimistic spirit just doesn’t know what to do anymore.
There aren’t a whole lot of surprises here—because the two stars stick to their typical roles. It’s like pitting adorably upbeat Buddy the Elf in a battle of wills against cynical and sarcastic Deadpool. It’s funny and irreverent yet incredibly charming, too. The characters alone make it entertaining, but the clever twist on the beloved classic just adds to the fun.
The only thing you might not expect from a Christmas comedy starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, however, is that it’s also a musical. It’s filled with singing and dancing and choreographed musical sequences. The stars definitely weren’t trained for grand musical numbers, but that’s just part of its charm: that these two guys just give it their all anyway. And all of these fun, quirky parts come together to make it a Christmas tale worth watching.
Spirited definitely isn’t a Hallmark Christmas Movie—nor is it a moving holiday drama—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you’re looking for something new this holiday season—something quirky and comical and out of the ordinary—these two lovable stars don’t disappoint.
You can join in this ghostly holiday adventure in theaters on November 11, 2022, and on AppleTV+ starting on November 18, 2022.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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