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Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 0, age appropriate for kids over 5; suggested age 5.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Respectful Magoo treatment of Dickens is fun for kids.

Themes in this movie include:   family relationships, materialism

Why We Rated This on for Ages 5 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    The cartoon short-feature connects to kids who are just a little too young to read Charles Dickens' novel.

  • Messages:

    Dickens' messages about the emptiness of greedy materialism and the redemption of Christmas and kindness are preserved. References are made (without dropping names) to Jesus and the religious basis for Christmas in both Dickens-derived dialogue and in song lyrics.

  • Role models:

    If you like the Dickens characters you'll find nothing to argue with here. Some activists claim Mr. Magoo is an insult to the handicapped because of his near-blind bumbling.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence & scariness:

    A stage-set collapse conks a supporting character (but Magoo escapes unscathed). 

  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A jubilant Scrooge announces "I'm giddy as a drunken man," and that's about it.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

Parents need to know that this is a faithful rendering of the Dickens novel, with Scrooge/Magoo getting a glimpse of the bleak future in which both he and Tiny Tim have died. References are made to Jesus and the religious basis for Christmas. Certain pressure groups have complained that the Mr. Magoo concept mocks the disabled because much of the humor involves Magoo's poor eyesight.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what makes Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol so effective -- and so easily adaptable. Ask kids which is their favorite retelling and why.
  • Study up with animation-savvy kids on the history of the Mr. Magoo character and some of the real-life models for him, like legendary comic W.C. Fields. Mention that the original Magoo of the late 1940s/early 1950s was conceived as nastier, more adult-oriented and mean-spirited than the harmlessly silly gent he became on TV.
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