Monday, March 20, 2023

Spirited (2022)

IMDb plot summary: A musical version of Charles Dickens's story of a miserly misanthrope who is taken on a magical journey.
Directed by Sean Anders. Starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, and Octavia Spencer.

Spirited is a holiday musical comedy inspired by A Christmas Carol, starring Will Ferrell as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Ryan Reynolds as the soul the ghosts are tasked with saving this year. The music is by current musical theater darlings Pasek and Paul, who I usually dislike, but I'm going to come out there and say I think this is their best work. In fact, this movie as a whole is so much better than I would have expected. Ferrell and Reynolds aren't the best singers, but they bring the exact right musical theater *energy* to this movie, with a willingness to go all in on every single number, no matter how cheesy. And while there is a plot and a "message" to this movie, it doesn't ever get in the way of the actors just having a good time. The movie leans into its musical stylings in its visuals as well, both in its vivid cinematography and its energetic choreography. Honestly, this movie is better than it has any right to be and I can definitely see this becoming part of my regular holiday viewing.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Spirited > Bad Education
Spirited > Key Largo
Spirited > Six Degrees of Separation
Spirited < Deathtrap
Spirited > The Gods Must Be Crazy
Spirited < I'm Not Scared
Spirited < Broadway Danny Rose
Spirited < The Banshees of Inisherin
Spirited > The Producers (2005)
Spirited < Bicentennial Man
Spirited > Primal Fear
Final spot: #344 out of 3778, or 91%.

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