Watched this for the first time last night. It's supposed to be a Christmas classic, so I was sure I would enjoy it. I couldn't wait for it to end.
I didn't find it funny, the main character was not particularly funny and his change from bad to good seemed rushed and forced. I didn't even like the ghosts that much (the design of Christmas Future was quite cool). His relationship with his ex girlfriend also didn't seem believable.
I feel like I should have loved or at least liked this film but it just didn't connect. I love a lot of Christmas films from the sentimental to the cynical, but this just didn't do it for me.
I'll go ahead and agree with some of the sentiments here and say it's flawed, but I still enjoy it. "Classic" is so overused, and as someone else pointed out, it seems like that label just gets attached to any older movie. I mean, personally, I wouldn't go so far as to call Scrooged a classic.
I ate this up in the 80s, though, so I suppose I'll always have a soft spot for it. I was 13 when it was released in 1988 and I think it hit at the right time in my life to be remembered fondly. It had a little bite to it, some mild language and somewhat racy humor (things that would certainly appeal to a 13 year old), but still had heart.
Now that I'm older (ok, old), I think the part that works the least for me, which has been brought up a few times already in this thread, is how rushed Frank's transformation feels. It seems like he doesn't really get it, until all of a sudden, right at the end, he does. A gradual enlightenment would've felt a little more natural. Also, a couple of the Christmas Past scenes drag a bit.
Overall, I still enjoy Scrooged, but it's not like I get around to watching it every year. Maybe every few. Not every movie we watch is a cherished favorite, some (indeed, maybe most) are just ways to spend a little time with varying degrees of enjoyment. I'll admit that, for me, Scrooged, like many movies from the 80s, holds a nostalgic appeal and that allows me to get past its flaws.
It sounds like you just didn't enjoy the movie, so there's not much point in anyone trying to explain what you're missing. Every movie has its detractors, even the "Christmas classics." Heck, I just watched The Santa Clause for the first time last week and couldn't stand it. But maybe someone who was 13 in 1994 would have the same nostalgic fondness for that movie.
So maybe, if anything, the only thing you missed (so to speak) about Scrooged was being a kid in the 80s. Unless you were. In which case, there's really no hope for you ever liking this movie!
Thanks for the detailed post. I think you hit the nail on the head about the 80s thing. I was born in 1990 so maybe that's why I just couldn't get into it. If I had grown up with it in that decade I might be more fond of it.
I expected a tidal wave of hate for starting this thread so I'm glad some people have agreed with me and the people that haven't have been respectful to my opinion. Merry Christmas!
Sorry, but I have to go off topic a little. Please don't call yourself old. You're only 3 years older than me and if you're old that probably means I'm old. I can't stand it when people my age call themselves old! People in their 70s and 80s are old, but not us. Sorry, but I had to get that off my chest.
Absolutely hated the Ghost of Christmas present, and the second half of the movie wasn't as funny as the first, where Frank is burning down everything around him.
Also didn't like how Frank forgave Eliot for trying to kill him without any kind of concern for himself. If it were me in that situation, he'd be dead or in critical condition.
I watched this for the first time yesterday and like you I was disappointed. It just didn't work for me. There were moments when it was funny, but they were too far between to make this a comedy, at least for me. I was perplexed because like you I had expected this to be a much better film due to its now classic status. I attribute it to both being from the 80's which is now 30 years in the past as well as probably my taste in comedy is different from those who really love this movie.