CHRISTMAS KARMA

Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' needs no introduction - it is one of the most recognisable pieces of media, and one of the most adapted. It would be quicker to list what things haven't been in 'A Christmas Carol', everything from Muppets to Elmo, Mickey Mouse to both Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Barbie, The Flintstones, The Smurfs even All Dogs Go to Heaven and Cruella De Vil have been transformed into the tale of Scrooge. Today, director of 'Bend it Like Beckham', Gurinder Chadha, is taking her crack at the timeless Christmas classic... in musical form!

'Christmas Karma' takes 'A Christmas Carol' and places it in modern-day Britain. Scrooge, here called Mr. Sood (Kunal Nayyar, TV's 'The Big Bang Theory', 'Trolls' franchise) is a grumpy man who doesn't believe in Christmas. He hates the world and doesn't like spending a single extra penny. At his firm, Bob Cratchit (Leo Suter, 'Maleficent') has a sick son and tries to do everything he can to make his boss happy so he earns money to treat his son mystery illness. On Christmas Eve, Mr. Sood is first visited by his dead friend, Jacob Marley (Hugh Bonneville, 'Paddington' franchise, 'Downton Abbey' franchise), his old business partner, who tells him is to be visited by three ghosts. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Eva Longoria, 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold', 'The Boss Baby: Family Business'), Present (Billy Porter, '80 for Brady', 2015's 'Cinderella') and Future (Boy George) show Mr. Sood the error of his ways in hopes that it will change him for the better.

'Christmas Karma' is a sloppy adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol'. For a story so frequently adapted, it feels like it's almost a challenge to mess it up. There is a lot that doesn't add up. Firstly, the musical aspect; our Scrooge and Ghost of Christmas Past are not singers, and they don't sing at all in the film. It feels like an obvious oversight not to have lead characters perform any song in a musical. The music itself is also very forgettable and unimpactful. The musical moments feel so lazily shot, with no flair. The film tries to infuse Bollywood elements, which does create some energy, but they are too late into the film and don't match with the tone of the rest the film.

The Ghosts themselves are also odd. The Ghost of Christmas Past is inspired by the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) which interesting on paper but the film is both set in Britian and has a focus on an Indian-British man. It doesn't mesh with this particular journey. The film also attempts to add in historical moments in Indian-British history but it doesn't do anything with that deep history other than acknowledge it happened. It's perfectly fine and welcomed to infuse different cultures into any story but they have to be worked into the narrative and not just thinly placed over the top.

'Christmas Karama' is well-intentioned, but comes across as a mess. From the bad, bland musical numbers, to disconnected cultures and a truly wildly odd cast. This version of 'A Christmas Carol' makes me want to say, "Bah, Humbug!"

Please stay for the most random credits scene ever: Priyanka Chopra singing a Bollywood-inspired version of 'Last Christmas'. It was the most joy I experienced watching this thing.