Blackadder's Christmas Carol

7.9
1988 0 hr 43 min Comedy , TV Movie

After a genial spirit shows the benevolent Ebenezer Blackadder visions of his unscrupulous ancestors, he resolves to mend his generous ways.

  • Cast:
    Rowan Atkinson , Tony Robinson , Robbie Coltrane , Miranda Richardson , Stephen Fry , Hugh Laurie , Miriam Margolyes

Reviews

Humaira Grant
1988/12/23

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

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Bluebell Alcock
1988/12/24

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

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Hayden Kane
1988/12/25

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

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Lidia Draper
1988/12/26

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

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Alex_Hodgkinson
1988/12/27

This episode had basically everything you'd want from a Blackadder episode. I mean, all I've seen so far is some quality humour and characters, but this episode had everything. It had nostalgia to the older seasons because we visited older characters and events, it had a tremendously good story which is basically the opposite of 'A Christmas Carol', it had great new characters including a completely different Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) and it had a ton of hilarious Blackadder jokes.Honestly this is my favourite episode so far. Maybe the length had something to do with it as well; it did add more time for development and plot. I didn't expect this one to be so good, as it has a relatively low rating for a Blackadder episode. It's not a perfect TV episode by far, but in my opinion it's a perfect Blackadder episode.One last thing to add is that I found the entrance of Robbie Coltrane's character, the Spirit of Christmas, highly amusing. It was almost exactly like Hagrid's entrance in Harry Potter, and it even has the same actor, but it is years before Harry Potter. I just found this little thing great and wanted to point it out for the benefit of whoever reads this.

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de_niro_2001
1988/12/28

Why hasn't the BBC shown this more often at Christmas instead of constantly reshowing the 1973 Morecambe and Wise Christmas show. It's great and I never saw it until this Christmas just past. It features Erkan Mustafa in his best known role other than Roland Browning (his only role other than Roland Browning!). Rowan Atkinson is great as usual. It is interesting to see Jim Broadbent when he was relatively unknown. He doesn't really look any different. Robbie Coltrane plays the ghost of Christmas and his first appearance is, we know now, an uncanny prediction of things to come. When he first appears he kicks the door down and he has long hair and a shaggy beard. And this was even before J K Rowling had thought of Hagrid. But here he hasn't come to tell Ebenezer Blackadder that he has a place at Hogwarts. The visions of the future are a bit reminiscent of 1970s Dr Who. I just love Blackadder's inevitable comeuppance at the end.

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didi-5
1988/12/29

A fantastic idea, this one. Take the old chestnut 'A Christmas Carol', give it a shake-up, and turn it on its head.Ebenezer Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson in fine form as ever) is a good guy, who gives away anything to anyone, and is truly chock-full of the Christmas spirit. Time for the Spirit of Christmas (a rip-roaring turn from Robbie Coltrane) to work his magic, invoke the spirits of Ebenezer's ancestors and descendants, and inform him of the errors of his ways.We're reminded of Blackadder's former incarnations, in Tudor and Regency times, and of the cunning plans and twists of the long-gone relatives. We meet again with the likes of Queenie (Miranda Richardson), Melchett (Stephen Fry), Nursie (Patsy Byrne), and Prince George (Hugh Laurie). And of course the Cratchit character - Baldrick, who else! - suffers more and more as the story unfolds.A scary turn from Miriam Margoyles and Jim Broadbent (Victoria and Albert), and a mind-boggling look into the distant future completes the transformation.Not shown often enough, this is a real plum-pudding of a piece.

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rbverhoef
1988/12/30

'Black Adder's Christmas Carol' is kind of the reversed version of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. Where in that story a bad man becomes good, here a good man becomes bad because being good has not brought him any fortune. That man of course is Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson).When the spirit of Christmas (Robbie Coltrane) comes to visit the good hearted Blackadder he shows him his ancestors. They were wicked men, but fortunate as well. When he looks into the future and sees that he will become a loser if he stays good, he decides to become bad instead.Rowan Atkinson is funny as always, Tony Robinson as Baldrick has the best moments together with Miranda Richardson as Queen Elizabeth and Miriam Margolyes as Queen Victoria. A great thing for fans, enjoyable for people who are not.

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