My Top 5 Best And Worst Films Of 2019

Film fans i'm writing this on New Years Eve and so we are just a few short hours away from not only the end of the year but also the end of the decade. So that means that it's time for my yearly post were I take a look back at all the films released during the year this year tho i'm doing it a little bit different instead of creating two different posts for both the best and worst i'm combining the two and i'm doing 5 for each and as for the rules I have to have seen the film and it has to have been released in 2019 and all kinds of films are allowed not just theatrically released films but also straight to DVD and TV films and so here we go.

WORST

5) Wonder Park

This film could have been so cool if only the film makers had what this film keeps on preaching about imagination. Instead tho all we get is a by the book film with nothing new or interesting thrown in nothing about this film is redeeming in anyway it all just feels bland from the characters , to the jokes , to the story and more importantly the animation which is not only bland but just boring to look at.

4) Ma

Like Wonder Park this film had an interesting idea and it even cast good actors who could help pull it off. However the finished product just didn't deliver the thrills that one expects from a horror film and so when a horror film isn't scary it's got a huge problem adding to those problems is the fact that the characters be it the main villain or the heroes just aren't likeable which is always a huge issue no matter the genre and the script just isn't that good despite having the actors good enough to pull it off and make it good.

3) The Curse Of La Llorona

From one bad horror film to another and they both had the exact same issues since they both took a really cool idea which had the cast to pull it off and make it good but they failed to take advantage of it. Like with Ma there's nothing scary in this film at all the only thing that's scary is how bad the film is and that's really it which is a shame because the idea is actually pretty solid and could have had some decent scares.

2) All The Live Action Disney Remakes

I really couldn't think of just one film to take up this slot and so I had to go with the live action Disney remakes. What makes these films bad is that they not only fail on basic level of actually telling a good story it's painfully obvious to anyone who watches even one of these films that there only made to cash in a popular franchise and nothing more but what is a true shame is that remaking older movies isn't a bad idea if the film there remaking was already bad instead there picking these classic films that everyone loves and telling the same story again only now with live action actors so there's nothing new being thrown in which makes them feel like a spit to the face of not only the original films but those who made them and those that love them.

1) Charlies Angels 2019 (AKA Charlie's Angels The Woke One)

What can I say about this film that hasn't been said it's so freaking bad and what makes worse is the director / writer/ producer / star of the movie is proud that it's a bad film. This film had the potential to be good it really did it had a great set of actors and it had a solid writer / director but it became obvious to those who saw it that it was more interested in saying that all men are bad then it was telling an actual story and if you think i'm making that up actually think about it for a minuet all of the men in the film are either all evil or dumb as a rock where as the women are all good guys gee I wonder if there's an agenda going on here.

BEST

5) Jay And Silent Bob Reboot

Now that we are done with the bad films from last year let us now talk about what i think are some of the best films of the year. This is a film that I was so hyped about that I even went back and re-watched Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back and thank god I did because they make a lot of jokes about that movie and if i'm being honest here alot of the jokes I thought were really funny and it just proves that this duo can still make people laugh.

4) Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (2019)

This film was also released as Godzilla II: King of the Monsters in some countries but for the sake of this post i'm going by the American name of the film. I'm not going to lie this film was fun as hell it wasn't deep on plot or character and character progression because that's not what you want from a Godzilla movie you want to see Godzilla kicking butt and that's what this film gives you see the King Of The Monsters take on other famous minsters from the likes of Rodan of Ghidora and it is just fun to see play out plus it has freaking Mothra in it and they somehow made her look cool do you guys know how hard that is to achieve so bring on next year for Godzilla Vs Kong.

3) 1917

Now I recently reviewed this film and when I say recently I mean it was yesterday and so I won't go into that much detail as to why it's here since i'd just be repeating myself. I will say tho that this film needs to be seen by alot of people that's how good the film is I don't care if your seeing it because your a fan of the director or any of the cast just as long as you go and see this film and experience the film.

2) Avengers: Endgame

This is wear I get very lazy because all i'm going to do is copy and paste what I put about the next two films from my previous post but i'm only doing it because i'd be hitting the same points. Now I want it to be known that I really love this movie so much so that I reviewed it twice and the fact that it's second on this list doesn't make it a bad thing it's only here because I had a very tough choice to make. What else is there to say about this film that hasn't been said by everyone else who's seen it it's a great movie and a great conclusion to over ten years of storytelling , world building and character development and this is the only movie this year where I cheered loudly in a theatre and that is something I never do.

1) Joker

Now you know why I had a tough choice to make regarding the number one spot because both this and Endgame are so good I highly recommend seeing both of them. What topped it tho for me was the fact that this film stayed with me for days after seeing the film where as I stopped thinking about Endgame the night after I saw it there really is nothing more I can say about this film that hasn't been said other then just go and see it it's that good. This film also made me think which is something that a movie regardless on if it's a comic book movie or not never makes me do yes there are movies that require you to use your brain like Arrival by Denis Villeneuve but none that have made me think. 

My Top 5 Best And Worst Comic Book Films Of 2019

Ladies and gents since we now one day away from the end of the year I thought that i'd do something that i've not done before and that is list of my personal top 5 worst and best comic book films of the year. To make things very easier on my self and and also because so few comic book companies have released films this year not every comic book company is going to get mentioned in this post and so here we go.

WORST

5) Men in Black: International

Do I even need to say why this is on the worst list it's a film that is so bad and is so obviously there just to push an agenda it's beyond a joke. The idea of having multiple MIB organisations across the globe is a cool idea but the film does nothing with it because it's more focused on shoving an agenda down your throat then it is telling an actually good story or creating lovable or in this case even likeable characters.

4) Dark Phoenix

This film spat in the face of everything that came before it watching this film to me felt like an insult because i've spent nearly twenty years with this franchise through it's ups and it's downs and in one film they said none of that even matters. You know how I now that because this is meant to be a prequel to the original films and there are things done in this film that don't add up when you factor in all of the other movies people who are alive in the very first X-Men movie die in this one and what's worse is this could have been such a cool film if they split it up and gave us time to get to really know Jean but they don't at all.

3) The Kitchen

This is a film that's so bad that to this very day i've not seen it all the way through i've only seen enough to form an opinion on it. There's no character progression at all  and worst of all there's no plot to the film whatsoever I don't know how this could have worked as a film because i've not read the comic book and after seeing the movie i don't want to because of the fact that I could be getting more of what I hated about the movie.

2) Hellboy

This film could have been so freaking cool and indeed there are cool things in the film the issue is it's bogged down by unlikable characters and a plot that is so cliched that you know what's coming. With the Hellboy franchise you have the power to go anywhere and yet by sticking the film in present day London and not going anywhere else it makes the film uninteresting and the worst crime that this film commits is that it's forgettable a Hellboy movie no matter how it is should never be forgettable.

1) Captain Marvel

The MCU mostly turns out solid comic book movies and very rarely do they get one wrong this is one of those cases for me. Since like with MIB: International it's more focused on shoving an agenda down your throat then telling a good story and having a likeable hero mush has also been made about Brie Larson's acting which given the script not even the best actors could make it work so I have to give her a pass on that however I won't give the film a pass on the fact that it adds nothing to the overall story of the MCU you can skip this movie and go straight into Endgame and you'll miss nothing important.

BEST

5) Spider-Man: Far From Home

This was the film to follow Avengers: Endgame and while it's not as good as Homecoming in my opinion it does a good job of showing us what the world is like following both the events of Infinity War and Endgame i'm going to try and not spoil any of these films but you see Peter struggling to cope with what I think is PTSD as well as grief and that's not something shown in comic book films and it really does work here.

4) Shazam!

This film proved that the DCEU is capable of turning out a good film when they really want to and that studio meddling does indeed result in bad films (i'm looking at you Rise Of Skywalker  and Suicide Squad). This was honestly a really fun movie and that right there is the one thing that a Shazam movie should be it should be fun because it's a kid in an adult body how are you meant to take that idea seriously it just lends it self so well to being fun and goofy and it works so well in my opinion.

3) Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The first and only animated film to show up on this lost and trust me I could have made a whole list just based of DC animated films. Like Shazam the best thing about this film is that it's fun and given the title that's really what this movie should be it didn't need a deep story or deep character development it just needed to be fun and that's exactly what it was it was a fun movie and one that I recommend anyone to watch.

2) Avengers: Endgame

Now I want it to be known that I really love this movie so much so that I reviewed it twice and the fact that it's second on this list doesn't make it a bad thing it's only here because I had a very tough choice to make. What else is there to say about this film that hasn't been said by everyone else who's seen it it's a great movie and a great conclusion to over ten years of storytelling , world building and character development and this is the only movie this year where I cheered loudly in a theatre and that is something I never do.

1) Joker

Now you know why I had a tough choice to make regarding the number one spot because both this and Endgame are so good I highly recommend seeing both of them. What topped it tho for me was the fact that this film stayed with me for days after seeing the film where as I stopped thinking about Endgame the night after I saw it there really is nothing more I can say about this film that hasn't been said other then just go and see it it's that good. 

  

Worzel Gummidge 2019 Miniseries Review

Worzel fans incase you didn't know a new miniseries based on the classic children's character has just finished airing and since I did my first impressions of of the series it was only right that I deliver on my promise and review the series. I'll full on admit that this series was alot better then what it had any right to be and like alot of people I was excited to see this show and so then here is my review of Worzel Gummidge 2019.

The premise of this miniseries is John and Sue are orphans sent to live with The Braithwaites and while there they get up adventures with a walking talking scarecrow called Worzel Gummidge. This premise is honestly timeless it worked back in the John Pertwee series and it works here. I have to say that it's premise because there's no real plot to the show which in this case I do think works because Worzel Gummidge doesn't really need a plot it just needs a basic set up.

Starring in the show is writer / producer and director Mackenzie Crook as Worzel Gummidge , India Brown as Susan , Thierry Wickens as John , Zoe Wanamaker as Lady Bloomsbury Barton , Rosie Cavaliero as Mrs Braithwaite , Steve Pemberton as Mr Braithwaite , Vicki Pepperdine as Aunt Sally , Monty Python and travelling legend Sir Michael Palin as The Green Man and Francesca Mills as Earthly Mangold.

I said this in my first impressions and I would like to say it again because sadly it is still true the acting from the child actors sadly isn't that now I have no doubt that they will improve with age but here they just didn't do that good of a job. The adult actors tho I honestly felt were really good I really liked Mackenzie Crook as Worzel he's not going to top Jon Pertwee and he's not trying to he's making the character his own and it works for this version of the character.

One thing which I really don't get is that they chose to make Micheal Palin's character basically The Crow Man. He's The Crow Man in every way except the name instead he's called The Green Man for some reason so why didn't they just call him The Crow man since that what his character boils down to being and while Micheal is indeed great in the role he does not suit having dreadlocks they just look bad on him.

Now since I covered this in my first impressions i'm not going to mention the makeup in this review because honestly i'd just be hitting the same point. I will say tho that the make up in these two episodes is better then the makeup used for Worzel in the original series which I know means i've put a target on my own back but it's also something that's true and like I said in my first impressions how Worzel looks here is closer to how he's described in the actual books.

One of the issues that I had with the first episode was that it wasn't scary well the second episode actually does have a creepy moment in it. From the above picture you can pretty much guess what that creepy moment is because yeah those designs are pretty creepy and I loved it for that because the Jon Pertwee show did have some scary moments in it and so in my eyes any Worzel Gummidge adaptation needs to be a little bit scary.

I think that anyone who's seen this miniseries regardless on if they liked it or not can agree on the fact there are some really pretty shots. There where alot of times during these two episodes were I found my self saying "oh that's a pretty shot" because there are alot of shots in this series that honestly look beautiful and almost cinematic and it was something that I honestly really did like about the show because it shows that there was a lot of care put into making the show visually appealing.

For some strange reason the BBC chose not to promote this series at all in fact I don't even think that they released a trailer on TV for it. There was a trailer released but it wasn't by the BBC and it wasn't released via official BBC channels so I have to wonder why the BBC chose to hardly promote this series since this was pretty much one of there crowns in their Christmas schedule it just makes no sense to me what so ever maybe they were banking on the name alone but you still need to promote something that you've put time and money into making.

I did enjoy the new show and as such I actually wouldn't mind if this miniseries became a yearly thing. It could be something that aired over the Christmas holidays every year since it's great children's entertainment and to them this is there version of Worzel Gummidge just like the Jon Pertwee was the version that many of us consider to be the definitive version of the character and since this is after all a children's show there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion as long as you keep the core of the character the same it would work.

Now then since this is a comedy that does mean that we have to talk about the comedy that's in the show itself. I honestly feel that the comedy is very hit and miss there are jokes in both episodes which do work and are very funny but then there are jokes in both episodes which don't work with perhaps the worst offender being the fact that they include a fart joke which I hate because there just not funny at all.

Overall I really did enjoy this series it's not a perfect miniseries by any stretch of the imagination but it could have been so much worse. I'm glad that this version does exist because it means that a new generation of Worzel fans are being formed right as we speak and guess what those fans will want to do they'll want to go back and check out the Jon Pertwee version if only for curiosity sake and like I said this miniseries isn't good but it's also not bad and so it gets a 7 out of 10 from me.

My First Impressions Of The Worzel Gummidge 2019 Miniseries

Ladies and gents there are alot of shows on over the Christmas period some have proven to be decent some not so much. There is however one show which i've been looking forward to seeing ever since it was first rumoured to be happening and well the first episode of it aired last night and episode two is due to air tonight and so I thought I thought that i'd bring you my first impressions of the new Worzel Gummidge miniseries enjoy.

The plot of this episode is that orphan John and Sue arrive at Scatterbrook Farm and quickly befriend scarecrow Worzel Gummidghe and as it turns out the seasons are locked and so it's up to the trio to get the seasons moving again. In terms of story it's not that bad but I do wish that they had taken more time introducing the characters and letting us get to know them more but I did honestly find the plot to be rather enjoyable.

Starring in this episode is writer / director / producer Mackenzie Crook as Worzel Gummidge as well as India Brown as Susan , Rosie Cavaliero as Mrs. Braithwaite , Tom Meeten as HMS Odney , Steve Pemberton as Mr. Braithwaite , Vicki Pepperdine as Aunt Sally , Tim Plester as Clarty , Stephen Samson as Builder and Thierry Wickens as John. I have to honest when this miniseries was just a rumour and they said that Mackenzie Crook was rumoured for Worzel I was so pleased because he just looks like a scarecrow even with makeup.

In terms of what I thought of the acting in this episode it was at best passable which for a first episode is to be expected. However at the same time for something that's going out when alot of people are going to be watching I wanted the acting to be better especially from the child actors that being said however Mackenzie Crook is honestly really funny as Worzel and Steve Pemberton is always a joy to watch.

Now both when the first image of Worzel and when the trailer was released the look of the character got alot of backlash from fans of the Jon Pertwee series. To that I have to say that the character in this episode looks alot closer to how he's described in the original books and that this is series is pulling more inspiration from the books then it is from that version of the character and I honestly like the way he looks yes it does take some getting used to but once you get used to his new look it's not that bad.

Like I just said this show is pulling more from the books then it is the Jon Pertwee series and as such the character relationships are going to be more in line with the books as well. Nowhere is that more evident then in the character of Aunt Sally since in the books she was Worzel's Aunt and was only made his love interest in the Jon Pertwee show sadly tho the character only gets basically a cameo appearance in this episode which is a shame because it seems like she has quite an interesting story to her.

Sadly one of the things that I wanted this miniseries to be is so far missing because I wanted it to be scary which was something that the Jon Pertwee version was at times and I know that I shouldn't compare adaptations but when something works so well in one version but then fails in the other it should be talked about. The only kind of scare they do have is just a lazy ripoff of a more effective scare in the original series which made it feel like a let down in my opinion.

There is a very strong environmental message in this episode and when I say strong I mean they hammer it down your throat. Saying that people need to recycle more is a good message and one that should be present in some kids shows but it doesn't need to shoved down our throats so much that you can't wait for it to be over you could have told that message in a more subtle way something which honestly would have worked better then shoving it down peoples throats.

I couldn't help but notice that there are alot of parallels between this episode and the first episode of the Jon Pertwee version. There are alot of scenes which are very similar which was something that I both liked and didn't like at the same time because it didn't really give this version a chance to forge it's own identity because it's reminding you of another version but at the same time it was pretty cool to see those scenes play out with new twists thrown in.

Since this is a comedy that does mean that we have to talk about the comedy that's in the actual episode itself. I honestly found the humour in this show to be cute that's the best word I could use to describe the humour in this episode I honestly don't think I laughed out loud but there was alot of times where I just smiled and for this show that's not a bad thing and even better is the lack of fart jokes just because there not funny and never will be.

A little bit of me was saddened by the fact that they didn't try and do the classic opening sequence from the Jon Pertwee show just because I feel that that opening is as iconic as the character himself. However the titles that they do have are pretty nice to look at and they do a good job of setting up the mood for the episode but nothing is going to top the original opening credits and they don't do the classic end gag either which is a shame in my opinion.

Overall I honestly found this episode to be rather enjoyable and I do think that those who were hating on the show before it even aired should at least give it a chance. That said the episode did have a lot of issues which i've mentioned but you could also say that about alot of debuting episodes so yeah I do think that people should give this show a chance and since this is the debut episode there's not going to be rating and tomorrow will be my review of the miniseries as whole.

  

  

Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Holiday Special SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Review

Doctor Who fans you might recall the last time we spoke I said something along the lines of "i'll review the second issue of the holiday special as soon as I get the chance. Well i've just read both the first and second issues back to back and I have to say there is at least one thing that was kind of underwhelming and one thing that was honestly really cool and so here is my full review of Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Holiday Special and yes there will be spoilers.

The plot of this two issue miniseries is that The Doctor , Graham , Yaz and Ryan go to investigate someone called Mr. Henderson after their memories have been altered and what they find there will threaten Christmas forever. Plot wise there's not really alot here to fill up two issues of a comic book if anything this story could have been told in one issue but for some reason it was stretched out to two issues but it was still a fairly decent story and given the timing of this release it's an oddly fitting story.

As stated in the my first impressions post the art for this miniseries is being done by Roberta Ingranata whom is also going to be drawing the Thirteenth and Tenth Doctor crossover out at the start of next year. I have to say based of this miniseries i'm actually excited to see what Robeta does with certain character designs and overall I really did like the artwork in this miniseries the best word I can use to describe the art here is it's very simplistic I honestly feel that I could draw these scenes and match the quality shown on the page.

SPOILERS SWEETIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now then boys and girls from this point onwards there will be spoilers so consider yourself warned but yeah the reveal of who The Doctor is talking to at the end of the first issue to me was very underwhelming. It's built up really well you think it's going to be someone from The Doctors past who's been on the show but it turns out it's this character that we haven't seen before and are only just meeting.

The character of Baxter honestly isn't that bad of a character having someone working undercover for Santa spying on in this case freaking Krampus is a cool idea. However the comic doesn't really take full advantage of it how cool would it have been to see that Baxter has a bunch of tiny gadgets if your going to do the whole spy angel then really go all out and because this is Doctor Who you really can go all out and not have it effect the world that the franchise lives in instead all we get is Baxter mentioning he's spying on Krampus a few times and that's it.

The reveal that Mr. Henderson is actually Krampus was such a cool thing and they do say that it's Krampus it's not just an alien creature who happens to look like Krampus. Which I feel is a brave mover because the character of Krampus isn't really kid friendly but at the same time it honestly feels right that this demon would be the villain for a Christmas special of The Thirteenth Doctor comic and they make her look so cool.

Sadly tho like with Baxter they don't go all the way with having Krampus as the main villain like how cool and possibly disturbing would have been to see the creature in the opening panels of the first issue kidnapping and then possibly killing kids. That right there sets up this villain as someone that you don't want to mess with but they do nothing with the character she only shows up for a few pages and then is quickly defeated it's a waste of the character of you ask me.

Shockingly there's quite alot of humour at least in the second issue there is plenty to be found in the first issue but one never expects it to be in the final issue of a miniseries while the story is still playing out. Perhaps tho the funniest exchange comes between The Doctor and lovable Graham as he asks The Doctor if this character called Jeff is really Santa to which the Doctor simply says "What Kind Of Name Is Jeff For Someone Like Santa".

That is honestly a funny little exchange between the two characters and it's not a joke that feels like something the characters wouldn't say that is something that Graham would ask and that's how The Doctor or at least this version would reply. I honestly that this is writer Jody Houser's biggest strength in making sure the character remain true to themselves when delivering humour because it would have been very easy to have both of them act out of character for that joke but nope they remain in character and it really does work.

The Fez comes back in this issue that's really all I need to say it comes back for a few panels and then it's gone. So if you thought that only the eleventh doctor was fond of the hat well now you know that The Thirteenth Doctor also wears and just based of this one image it looks like it would suit Jodie really well so I really do hope that she gets to wear it in the next series even if it's just for one quick scene.

SPOILERS END HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a really lovely scene near the end of the comic with all of our heroes sitting down to have Christmas diner with a bunch of elves. Which I honestly found to be sweet and adding to that is the fact that The Doctor gives us a nice speech talking about how good things can come out of bad situations which is a message that I don't really see that often in any kind of media or in Doctor Who so it was nice that it was in here.

Overall this was a really nice read it's not a perfect miniseries by any means heck i'm willing to guess that you got that just from my first impressions of the first issue. That doesn't mean that it's not an enjoyable read tho and it does make the wait until the New Years Day episode a little easier since there is a new story with those characters and so this miniseries gets a 7 out of 10 from me. It only seems right for me to say this here but no matter what you do on Christmas Day I hope that you have a good one and that you have nice day surrounded by family or friends.

A Christmas Carol 2019 Miniseries Review

British TV fans we are just a few days until December 25th and that means that every TV channel is either full of repeats or full of special episodes from our favourite TV shows. Well in order to kind of buck that trend the BBC together with American Network FX are releasing a new version of A Christmas Carol and while here in the UK the special will be broadcast from December 22nd to the 24th in America it was aired I believe as one full film one full nearly THREE HOUR film and so here is my review of "A Christmas Carol 2019" enjoy.

Now I don't really feel that I need to well you what the plot of this series since the book is so well known and so is the story. I will say tho that I don't really like how they handled this story yes it is dark as hell and more closer in tone to the original book but they add so much un-needed subplots and expand roles that don't need expanding. I honestly feel that the story should have been kept simple and not complicate things with un-needed subplots.

Starring in this miniseries is Guy Pearce as Ebenezer Scrooge , Andy Serkis as Ghost of Christmas Past , Stephen Graham as Jacob Marley , Charlotte Riley as Lottie/Ghost of Christmas Present , Joe Alwyn as Bob Cratchit , Vinette Robinson as Mary Cratchit , Jason Flemyng as Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come , Kayvan Novak as Ali Baba , Lenny Rush as Tiny Tim and Johnny Harris as Franklin Scrooge.

One of the things that this miniseries got praise for was the performance of Guy Pearce as Ebenezer Scrooge and it's not hard to see why since he is so good in this. The rest of cast also really do deliver a solid performance and given who's involved with the miniseries is that really something that is shocking because there are alot of great actors in this miniseries and all of them are truly great solid actors.

For some reason in America this is I believe being aired as one film which to me makes no sense at all since FX could have got more viewers by airing it daily. It also would have made it more watchable since no one likes watching a three hour programme in one sitting and so by doing so they are not only getting rid of any viewers they could have had they are also making whoever watches it struggle because it's three freaking hours long.

This is a co-production between the BBC and American network FX which I believe is now owned by Disney. For some reason tho even the BBC  are co-producing and possibly co-funding it it's the Americans who got to air the miniseries first which to me isn't a good thing because this is an English classic so we should get to air the special first or even at the same time as them not days later it's just baffling to me if i'm being honest and yes this does count as a British thing since it was produced here in the UK and was filmed here and has an English cast.

As anyone will tell you a big part of A Christmas Carol are the three spirits and they are rightfully treated with alot of respect and given alot of screen time in this miniseries. Altho for some reason Christmas Past is given the most screen time appearing in most of the first , all of the second and alot of the third parts I get that Andy Serkis is a big name but the other two are just as important to the story and they should have been given more screen time.

Now I said before that someone get's an expanded role in this miniseries and while I won't spoil who that someone is I do feel that it overall wasn't something that was needed. Giving that someone an expanded role overall adds nothing to the story and they honestly would have been better of keeping the small role for that someone that they've always had increasing their role just pretty much feels like filler which is something I can also say about the first episode which just felt like filler to me it was their for padding and very little else.

Whichever way you look at it this would have been a difficult book to adapt into three hour long episodes since the book it self is I believe very short. Even so it's not impossible but this miniseries while it does stick more to the tone of the book it isn't a faithful adaptation of the book with many scenes and whole characters cut out for no reason and this is really evident in the first episode which like I said feels like filler with very little of what's going on actually playing a part in the overall story.

If they wanted to add things then great do that but have them play a part in the story don't just have them be there because you have time to fill. Heck maybe even during the Christmas Past segment they could have seen what Scrooge's home life was like and see how that effected him as an adult we could have spent time delving into the psychology of the character thus helping understand more why he is the way he is and that would then make it more satisfying when he does change for the better at the end of the story.

Another change that this miniseries made was the fact that they made Scrooge really evil and I know that sounds weird to say but in all the other versions of the story he was always a nasty person but never full on evil. Here tho he's evil fully he mentally abuses a married woman just for kicks and reduces the quality of timber used in a mine that he owns knowing full well it could and in this case does cost the lives of several employees. This is something that just isn't needed because now it's harder to cheer for him when he does start to become good and I have to wonder why did they choose to make him so evil when how he's been presented in the past worked best.

Overall while this miniseries isn't bad it's also not that good either I don't claim to have read the book indeed those statements i've made before are educated cases based of what people have said and what comments i've seen. I do feel tho that even the most die hard fans of this book will either really like this version for being closer to the tone of the book or will really hate for all the things it takes out and so for me this miniseries this VERY long miniseries gets a 7 out of 10 from me.