Disney's A Christmas Carol

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Rated PG for scary sequences and images

Length: 96 minutes

Released: November 6, 2009 Nationwide

Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producer: Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke
Writer: Charles Dickens, Robert Zemeckis
Genre: SciFi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios

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HOLLYWOOD - "I love terrifying children," reveals Jim Carrey, who plays Scrooge, the original holiday-hating miser who undergoes a transformation in Robert Zemeckis' faithful adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

Fortunately, kids like a good scare, as long as it's within a safe environment, the actor surmises.

It seems a natural progression that Carrey, who previously depicted the Scrooge-like Grinch onscreen, would tackle the original grumpy old man who, over the course of an evening, has a change of heart about Christmas.

Dickens' beloved classic is one of the most often adapted stories in Hollywood, but never before has it been seen in this emerging new visual format that combines live-action performance with digital animation. Carrey joins a host of notable actors who have played Scrooge, including Alastair Sim, George C. Scott and Mr. Magoo, to name a few.

Carrey takes it a step further. Through the magic of motion-capture (or performance-capture) technology, he plays not only the 19th century tightwad, he also depicts six more characters in the film, including three ghosts that visit Scrooge on one fateful Christmas Eve, as well as younger versions of the character. Starring alongside Carrey are Robin Wright Penn, Gary Oldman and Bob Hoskins, who also play more than one character in this classic tale of redemption.

Though he has depicted dozens of characters on film over the years, Carrey makes his debut motion-capture performance with "Disney's A Christmas Carol." The process is technically complex but essentially involves the recording of actors' performances, including their movements and facial expressions, into a computer, which are then turned into a type of digital animation. Backgrounds, lighting and textures are added in later.

Zemeckis, the Oscar-winning director behind "Forrest Gump" and the "Back to the Future" trilogy, has become a pioneer in performance-capture technology. Through his ImageMovers Digital company, he has incorporated the process into his films, starting with "The Polar Express," in 2004, followed by "Beowulf," three years later. His next project utilizing the breakthrough technology is expected to be a remake of The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine."

"In five years, the dramatic difference between 'The Polar Express' and 'A Christmas Carol' is huge," says the filmmaker.

Since the motion-capture technology allows digital artists to change the appearance of the actor in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, it was possible for Carrey to play a young boy, an old man and even a talking flame.

Zemeckis describes the performance as more like staging a play than filming a movie. There are no sets and the actors wear specially designed suits covered with dots that send out electronic signals to a computer.

''The only thing I say to the actor is, 'Think about it more like you're on stage,'" he says. "'You've got to give it a little bit of stage performance indication rather than the subtle stuff.' I'm actually concerned that modern actors don't do anything. In movies, they just stand there."

Seeing himself onscreen as the elderly Scrooge was a bit disturbing for the 47-year-old Carrey. Not only did the character look a lot like his real-life dad, Carrey also saw himself in the craggy character.

"It's really a look into the future for me," he says, smiling. "It's what I'm going to look like when I'm older."