On-Air Film Review: ‘Spirited’ is Ghost of Musical Presents

Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 26, 2022 - 8:55am

CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on WSSR-FM (Star 96.7 Joliet, Illinois) on November 23rd, reviewing the holiday musical “Spirited,” a reimagined version of Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol, currently streaming on Apple TV+.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

This version presupposes that the three Spirits of the story visit a different person every year, instead of just Ebenezer Scrooge the one time, part of a singing and dancing “Ghost of Christmas Inc.” with a large support staff. Will Ferrell is the Ghost of Christmas Present, bored and looking toward retirement until he experiences a unredeemable soul named Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), a PR hack who uses internet lies to gain advantage for his clients. They begin the usual past, present, and yet-to-come scenario, but it goes all wrong, leaving the Ghost of Present to somehow fix it before Christmas Day.

“Spirited” is currently streaming on Apple TV+. Featuring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer, Tracy Morgan and Rose Byrne. Written by Sean Anders and John Morris. Directed by Sean Anders. Rated “PG-13”