Is there a more obvious seasonal money spinner than A Christmas Carol?

We all love Charles Dickens' original seasonal story, but the many film, TV and retold versions have been done to death.

However, it seems the advent of 3D cinema is a good excuse to trot out another go at the Christmas classic, this time featuring the voice of Jim Carrey in pretty much every major role.

And how Carrey's A Christmas Carol has latched on to the festive cash cow - it's also the theme for this year's Oxford Street Christmas lights, dubbed London's Christmas Carol.

It's not hard to see the attraction to film companies, TV channels and theatre groups of A Christmas Carol. It's undoubtedly a great story with timeless charms. But really, how many new versions do we need of something that's already stood the test of time in its original form?

This 3D animated film is more of a Jim Carrey Christmas-themed vehicle than anything else. He voices not only Scrooge, but Scrooge at all ages in life and all three Christmas ghosts. That leaves little for anyone else to get their teeth into.

One good point of this film is that it sticks pretty much to the story we know and love.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey) is London's grumpiest old man. Tight beyond belief, he's spent his life scrimping and saving to make sure every last penny stays in his pocket.

One particularly bad-tempered Christmas Eve when Scrooge has turned down an offer of dinner with his nephew Fred (Firth) and bullied his clerk Bob Cratchit (Oldman) into coming in early on Boxing Day, the old miser gets a nasty shock at bedtime.

He's visited by the ghost of his business partner Marley (Oldman), who died seven years earlier. Marley, just as much of a meany in life, has come to warn Scrooge that unless he changes his ways he'll be faced by the same eternal fate - forever wandering the Earth in chains.

Marley tells Scrooge he'll be visited by three spirits - the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (all Carrey).

First off, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to the village of his childhood, where he sees a friendless boy abandoned at Christmas. He also sees himself as a young man left broken-hearted by a woman who believes he is only interested in money.

Next, the bewildered Scrooge is taken to the house of clerk Bob Cratchit to witness the meagre Christmas forced upon the Cratchits by his mean wages. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows a regretful Scrooge Cratchit's son Tiny Tim (Oldman), who will die of his illnesses if the family aren't able to afford better food and living conditions for him.

Finally, Scrooge is taken on his most terrifying visit - to future Christmases with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Actually, we don't see much in the way of Christmas yet to come, just a very over long chase through the streets and some implications of Scrooge's death.

As we all know already, Scrooge is faced with the chance to change his future by becoming a nicer person and less mean when he wakes up from the ghosts' visits.

What's right about this film: the animation, which is incredibly lifelike at times, and the 3D element. It's so realistic as Scrooge and the ghosts swoop through the rooftops that at times we felt a little travel sick watching it.

What's wrong with this film: absolutely everything else.

Unfortunately, this is 3D animated wow factor at the expense of any charm whatsoever.

I have never felt less full of the joys of Christmas than when I left this film - it's an hour and a half's attack on the senses, a total barrage of noise akin to nails down a blackboard.

There's absolutely no Christmas cheer involved, it's just fight after fight, scream after scream and little let up from the constant loud noises. The chase through the streets with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is particularly painful and pointless.

Jim Carrey is a bit of a love him or hate him character at the best of times, but he's incredibly annoying as every one of the ghosts and really should have allowed someone else a look in with these parts.

In Disney's excitement at being let loose with 3D they've concentrated far too heavily on the action scenes and lost any heart to the story.

I'm sorry to say that for a large part of the film, I just wanted it to be over.

Katie Archer

Film Facts

Rating: 2 stars

Cert: PG

Genre: Animated drama

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Jim Carrey (Yes Man), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), Colin Firth (Dorian Gray), Robin Wright Penn (The Private Lives of Pippa Lee), Bob Hoskins (Mrs Henderson Presents)

Memorable lines: "God bless us, every one"

Did you know? This is Disney's third Christmas Carol - the other two were Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Muppet Christmas Carol

Verdict: A butchered classic and a slave to 3D