HOLLYWOOD—Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” stars the legendary funnyman Jim Carrey, who puts a whole new twist to an old tale told for decades, which was created by Charles Dickens. There’s an old saying in Hollywood, “There are no new stories to tell.” I never found that very reliable or true, but there is some truth to it, there is no story told like an old one with a new twist. The new twist is Jim Carrey not only plays the title role, Ebenezer Scrooge, but he also plays the ghosts of Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas future. That’s right, Jim Carrey carries this film with such astonishing delight. I loved him as “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” but I now love him all over again.

This is perhaps Carrey’s best film yet. The highly paid mega-star wins over this critic in a film that has been in discussions for over a year in Tinseltown. Disney released the following synopsis, “Charles Dickens' timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come, as they help to bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart. The Ghosts remind him of the man he used to be, the hard truth of what the world is today, and what will happen if he does not strive to be a better man. Set around Christmas, the most joyous day of the year, Scrooge realizes the sharp contrast of his own personality.”

Director Robert Zemeckis from the “Back to the Future” trilogy does it again. This film is stunning to watch. Between well-placed special effects and the demanding facial expressions and intricate personality nuances Carrey has become world-famous for, he showcases them to perfection in this film. The story may be one we’ve heard before, but you’ve never seen it so brilliantly done.

Prolific character actor extraordinaire Gary Oldman plays the voices of Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and Marley. Oldman masters the art of voice in this film as he masters every character he’s ever played in any film he‘s starred in. While Robin Wright Penn also manages to win me over with the voices of Fan and Belle, it’s truly a Carrey film.

Jim Carrey deserves so much credit for proving yet again he has what it takes to be one of Hollywood’s biggest and highest paid stars. His performance and timing in this Christmas classic puts him in the league with Jimmy Stewart’s classic, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Like that film, I predict Carrey’s version of “Scrooge” will be remembered for generations to come.  The film was released on Friday, November 6.

“A Christmas Carol” gets Five and a half of Five Stars.