Spoiler alert! We're discussing important plot points and the ending of "Ebenezer" (in theaters now), so beware if you haven't seen it yet.
Given all his off-screen issues, Johnny Depp enjoying a Scrooge-esque redemption with a transformative role seems like kismet for the A-list actor. Too bad a few ghosts prove too interesting for his own good.
“Ebenezer," director Ti West’s new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol,” is a comeback vehicle of sorts for Depp. And it’s a role that makes sense in multiple ways: Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserable fellow who’s also sort of a complex weirdo, which is Depp’s bread and butter. But Scrooge’s arc also fits Depp’s own, getting put through the psychological wringer and coming out a better
man. (Definitely for Scrooge, hopefully for the guy playing him.)
His Scrooge, though, doesn’t really vibe with what’s going on around him.
Under a bunch of old-man makeup and a top hat, Depp's Ebenezer is mean to everyone – family, coworkers, street beggars – yet knows he’s a greedy jerk and is totally OK with it.
There’s a poignancy to Scrooge’s story, and it’s heartwarming to see Ebenezer reconnect with nephew Fred (Sam Claflin) and Fred’s wife Clara (Daisy Ridley) in Scrooge’s extended Christmas Day redemption – the place where "Ebenezer" most departs from the original source material. And Depp plays a lot of situations for laughs with Scrooge’s dour demeanor and wicked zingers.
Meanwhile, there are all these scary things and horror-movie elements around him that are not funny in the least − so much so, he seems sucked into a different movie at times.
Which brings us to the aforementioned holiday spirits, who are by far the coolest thing going on in this entire venture. (And way more intriguing than all the over-the-top mugging that Depp is doing.) Between those spooks and the 1970s-style horror-movie credits, that's where West really taps into Dickens’ freakier side.
The ubiquitous appearance of Scrooge’s dead business partner, Jacob Marley (Ian McKellen), is a truly haunting beginning, and the phantom lineup just gets creepier from there.
With terrifyingly pale features and creepy white eyes, Andrea Riseborough pulls off the most frightening Ghost of Christmas Past ever. The Ghost of Christmas Present is usually a jollier guy, and Tramell Tillman’s version is chill-inducing, hungry and in pain with his time running out and his form crumbling in front of our eyes. And as usual, the Ghost of Christmas Future arrives at the end to put a dark cherry on the top of this nightmare, and Robert Strange doesn’t disappoint.
Hardcore Dickens-philes will appreciate how faithful “Ebenezer” is, especially in its story structure. But after countless adaptations, derivations and reimaginings of “A Christmas Carol,” you’ve got to do something significantly different with it – and making Past more eerie than Future doesn’t count.
Depp is far from the best Scrooge ever, yet he doesn’t embarrass himself or the source material. In fact, he seems to be doing just fine in his career, moseying on down the comeback trail until he perhaps inevitably boards another “Pirates of the Caribbean” as Captain Jack Sparrow.
In meta fashion, the doubling down on Scrooge making amends for his past actions reflects Depp's own real-life kerfuffles. Ebenezer smooths things over with his nephew and explains how much Fred reminds Scrooge of his beloved sister, promotes Bob Cratchit (Rupert Grint) to be his business partner, drops a line to his former love, and brings a beggar in for tea.
Honestly, the movie’s biggest sin has nothing to do with Depp or Scrooge – "Ebenezer" is essentially the same old tale, with niftier spirits. Even more frustrating is when the ghosts of past and present both hint that they have their own tragic backstories and their appearances aren't just about helping Scrooge make nice at Christmas. Exploring how they got there would feel exciting and different, especially compared with running back one angry dude's same redemption arc for the umpteenth time.
Not that anyone should pay attention to movie marketing or think there's truth in advertising. Yet when taglines like “The name you know, the story you don’t” get bandied about for "Ebenezer," and nothing’s really changed that much, the response seems fairly clear: “Bah, humbug.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer’ hints at a much better 'Christmas Carol'
