Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 1458
RT slug: spirited
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/spirited
Release year: 2022
Runtime: 127 mins
Wide release date: —
Limited release date: 2022-11-11
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: 2022-11-18
Tomatometer final: 70%
Audience score final: 80%
Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Holiday, Musical
Directors: Sean Anders
Writers: John Morris, Sean Anders
Producers: David Koplan, George Dewey, Jessica Elbaum, John Morris, Ryan Reynolds, Sean Anders, Will Ferrell
MPAA rating: PG-13
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-10-05 20:50:23
Updated: 2026-10-05 20:50:23
A modern musical rendition of Charles Dickens' classic holiday story "A Christmas Carol."
Although it adds little to the long tradition of Dickens adaptations, Spirited is so genially overstuffed that it's easy to at least intermittently enjoy.
Canonical reviews: 115
Canonical fresh: 80
Canonical rotten: 35
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 115 (80/35), 70% (69.565% raw)
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-10-05 14:42:31
Snapshot Tomatometer: 70%
Snapshot review count: 115
Snapshot fresh count: 80
Snapshot rotten count: 35
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #4361 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| Apple TV+ | distributor |
| Gloria Sanchez Productions | production |
| Maximum Effort | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Ferrell | Present |
| 2 | Ryan Reynolds | Clint Briggs |
| 3 | Octavia Spencer | Kimberly |
| 4 | Patrick Page | Marley |
| 5 | Sunita Mani | Past |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1476 | processed | — | 2026-10-05 20:50:23 | Processed successfully into movie_id=1458 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4361 | 2026-10-05 09:42:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-10-05 14:42:31 | 70% | 115 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 115 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=115, fresh=80, rotten=35, tomatometer=70%. Net new reviews added=115, fresh=80, rotten=35. Current canonical totals=115 reviews, 80 fresh, 35 rotten, tomatometer=70% (69.565%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (115). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (70%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 286432 | Tamma Moksha | The Hindu | Rotten | — | 2024-06-11T20:44:13.000Z | 2024-06-11 20:44:13 | The chemistry that Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell share feels forced, making their friendship feel phony to the audience, for a film whose main attraction is the bromance. |
| 286433 | Kevin Slane | Boston.com | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2023-08-09T14:54:45.000Z | 2023-08-09 14:54:45 | Given its 127-minute runtime, “Spirited” could have been even better if director Sean Anders had trimmed some of the self-referential humor and fully embraced the holiday spirit. |
| 286434 | Gissane Sophia | Lady Geeks Media | Fresh | — | 2023-07-23T19:58:54.000Z | 2023-07-23 19:58:54 | While there’s no such thing as too many Christmas Carol adaptations, Apple TV’s Spirited falls a bit short in its emotional heart as it focuses more closely on the music and the comedic beats. |
| 286435 | Serena Seghedoni | Loud and Clear Reviews | Fresh | 3/5 | 2023-07-23T01:08:43.000Z | 2023-07-23 01:08:43 | Spirited is a missed opportunity, but it’s an enjoyable enough film nonetheless, and it’s still bound to give you “that Christmas morning feelin'” and put you in a good mood. |
| 286436 | Stacey Yvonne | The Geekiary | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2023-02-14T21:37:53.000Z | 2023-02-14 21:37:53 | Spirited is a fun and special film that feels both timely and classic. The humor is solid and the jokes are equal parts provocative, silly, and family friendly. |
| 286437 | Aaron Phillips | But Why Tho? | Fresh | 8/10 | 2023-01-04T21:27:03.000Z | 2023-01-04 21:27:03 | Spirited is a brilliant holiday film meant for an adult audience, packed with some great jokes, lively performances, catchy musical numbers, and topped off with an emotional ending I wasn’t really prepared for. |
| 286438 | Carla Renata | The Curvy Film Critic | Fresh | — | 2022-12-29T00:49:52.000Z | 2022-12-29 00:49:52 | Octavia Spencer is giving me life as a romantic lead and singing her face off in this holiday musical comedy reminding audiences that a choice can always change your life and sometimes for the better |
| 286439 | Sameen Amer | The News International (Pakistan) | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-12-28T22:32:47.000Z | 2022-12-28 22:32:47 | All in all, this spiritual intervention, powered by silly antics and autotuned singing, ultimately delivers an entertaining – and at times, even interesting – take on the classic Christmas tale. |
| 286440 | Ruth Maramis | FlixChatter Film Blog | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-12-26T20:55:28.000Z | 2022-12-26 20:55:28 | A big-hearted albeit goofy reimagining of Charles Dickens's Christmas classic, filled with lively and entertaining musical numbers. |
| 286441 | Carla Hay | Culture Mix | Fresh | — | 2022-12-24T23:55:18.000Z | 2022-12-24 23:55:18 | Spirited revels in being a campy, musical reimagining of A Christmas Carol. The movie combines formulaic comedy with unexpected plot twists and catchy songs. The cast members also look like they're having fun, which brings some enjoyment to watching. |
| 286442 | Erin Maxwell | LA Weekly/Village Voice | Fresh | — | 2022-12-24T20:00:18.000Z | 2022-12-24 20:00:18 | All in all, this one is an uneven Christmas endeavor with amusing moments thanks to the two leads and the always lovely Octavia Spencer as Ferrell’s love interest. |
| 286443 | Tim Brayton | Alternate Ending | Rotten | 2/5 | 2022-12-24T06:38:26.000Z | 2022-12-24 06:38:26 | A horrifically bloated 127 minutes. |
| 286444 | M.N. Miller | InSession Film | Fresh | B+ | 2022-12-23T20:25:36.000Z | 2022-12-23 20:25:36 | Elf scribe David Berenbaum puts a whimsical spin on a thoroughly enjoyable Charles Dickens holiday staple. |
| 286445 | Victoria Luxford | City AM | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-12-20T16:54:14.000Z | 2022-12-20 16:54:14 | It’s easy to see how Spirited could enter the Christmas circulation as a flawed but entertaining holiday favourite. |
| 286446 | Sean P. Means | The Movie Cricket | Rotten | 2/4 | 2022-12-11T07:20:18.000Z | 2022-12-11 07:20:18 | The most consistent pleasures in this uneven movie are when Ferrell and Reynolds are onscreen together, comically insulting each other. |
| 286447 | Ani Bundel | NBC News THINK | Rotten | — | 2022-12-06T19:06:08.000Z | 2022-12-06 19:06:08 | It is a bizarre and somewhat grotesque rewriting of the story’s moral... seen through the lens of bothsiderism. |
| 286448 | Eddie Harrison | film-authority.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-12-06T10:11:01.000Z | 2022-12-06 10:11:01 | ‘…Like it or not, Spirited is likely to join the pantheon of festive favourites; it may be overstuffed, but then again, overstuffed is partly what a holiday like this is all about….’ |
| 286449 | Steve Murray | ArtsATL | Rotten | — | 2022-12-05T19:24:28.000Z | 2022-12-05 19:24:28 | It’s big, obnoxious and has (shudder) a lot of musical numbers delivered with outrageously enthusiastic choreography. |
| 286450 | Allyson Johnson | InBetweenDrafts | Fresh | 6/10 | 2022-12-03T04:29:58.000Z | 2022-12-03 04:29:58 | An early swing to the holiday season, "Spirited" is better than it has any right to be, even if the script does need a tad more fine-tuning. |
| 286451 | Jason Fraley | WTOP (Washington, D.C.) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-12-02T20:04:43.000Z | 2022-12-02 20:04:43 | Just when you thought Dickens' story couldn’t endure another fresh take, along come Will Ferrell & Ryan Reynolds in “Spirited,” focusing not merely on a Scrooge figure but the behind-the-scenes operation of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present & Future. |
| 286452 | Leigh Paatsch | Herald Sun (Australia) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-30T19:19:17.000Z | 2022-11-30 19:19:17 | What keeps this well-made and shrewdly written affair eminently watchable throughout are the sincerely upbeat energy levels Ferrell and Reynolds keep hitting with their roles, and a quality collection of very catchy tunes...and very cheesy dance routines. |
| 286453 | Andy Klein | FilmWeek (LAist) | Fresh | — | 2022-11-30T00:49:32.000Z | 2022-11-30 00:49:32 | You don't come out humming these tunes, but it's very self-referential in ways I think worked. |
| 286454 | Christy Lemire | FilmWeek (LAist) | Rotten | — | 2022-11-30T00:49:02.000Z | 2022-11-30 00:49:02 | It just keeps going, my goodness. |
| 286455 | Kevin Harley | Radio Times | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-28T20:16:57.000Z | 2022-11-28 20:16:57 | This somewhat chaotic musical variation on A Christmas Carol makes up for its lack of focus with energy and goodwill to spare. |
| 286456 | Jackie K. Cooper | jackiekcooper.com | Fresh | 10/10 | 2022-11-28T19:58:02.000Z | 2022-11-28 19:58:02 | Reynolds and Ferrell are a lot. Pasek and Paul's songs move the movie even upward. The dancing, comedy, and full supporting cast put it over the top. |
| 286457 | Pablo O. Scholz | Clarín | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-28T18:25:37.000Z | 2022-11-28 18:25:37 | As usual, Ryan Reynolds carries the film in his pocket. Clint's sarcasm suits him perfectly and he even seems to enjoy the dancing. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 286458 | Patrick McDonald | HollywoodChicago.com | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-11-26T01:04:40.000Z | 2022-11-26 01:04:40 | Both Ferrell and Reynolds are darn good singers, which I didn't expect, and keep the fire behind the musical element burning. There are a bit too many lazy Ferrell jokes (clothing too tight, fish out of water etc.) but this is merry and bright. Holidaze! |
| 286459 | John Urbancich | JMuvies | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2022-11-25T15:53:27.000Z | 2022-11-25 15:53:27 | Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds both seem to enjoy a genuine screen talent for pushing buttons that can turn them from obnoxious to agreeable and back again. |
| 286460 | Tom Santilli | Movie Show Plus | Fresh | B | 2022-11-24T04:42:21.000Z | 2022-11-24 04:42:21 | ...the comedic chemistry between Reynolds and Ferrell kept me smiling throughout. |
| 286461 | Nadir Samara | Screen Rant | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-23T21:32:00.000Z | 2022-11-23 21:32:00 | Delivering a crap-talking Christmas musical with a heart of gold is no small feat & even though Spirited isn’t a great movie, it is still a good time. |
| 286462 | Jim Schembri | jimschembri.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-22T05:49:48.000Z | 2022-11-22 05:49:48 | Likely to be the most pleasant shock you’ll get during the 2022 festive season, Spirited presents a deliriously inventive, funny & heart-warming musical reworking of A Christmas Carol, one of the most remarkable and remakeable stories in literary history. |
| 286463 | Rob Owen | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | Rotten | — | 2022-11-22T03:14:22.000Z | 2022-11-22 03:14:22 | If you’re re-telling the umpteenth version of the same story, it shouldn’t take more than two hours to do it regardless of the detours and small surprises plotted. |
| 286464 | Louisa Moore | Screen Zealots | Fresh | — | 2022-11-22T00:39:29.000Z | 2022-11-22 00:39:29 | The first half of the film is rough, with lackluster musical numbers that don't camouflage the fact that the stars cannot sing or dance well. If you can stick it out for about an hour, everything from that point until the end is actually a lot of fun. |
| 286465 | Fico Cangiano | CineXpress | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-11-21T03:34:43.000Z | 2022-11-21 03:34:43 | A charming, heartfelt & witty modern take on the holiday classic with some cool twists & turns. Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell, both singing & dancing here, are great. In my book, a new Christmas classic. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 286466 | Bob Grimm | Reno News and Review | Fresh | 3.55/5 | 2022-11-21T02:58:04.000Z | 2022-11-21 02:58:04 | Reynolds and Ferrell give it their all, and it's a blast. |
| 286467 | Stephen Silver | Tilt Magazine | Rotten | 1/5 | 2022-11-21T01:03:37.000Z | 2022-11-21 01:03:37 | A colossal dud, one tragically short on laughs, and unable to do anything interesting or constructive with its source material. |
| 286468 | Andy Lea | Daily Express (UK) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-20T15:42:51.000Z | 2022-11-20 15:42:51 | The plot is overstuffed and the drama lacks heart but the film's offbeat charms are hard to resist. |
| 286469 | Alan French | Sunshine State Cineplex | Fresh | 7/10 | 2022-11-19T21:38:32.000Z | 2022-11-19 21:38:32 | Despite a few missteps, Spirited will likely be crowned as the best of the new Christmas films in 2022. It’s rather difficult to be cynical when the movie is this much fun. |
| 286470 | Maria Lattila | WhyNow (UK) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-19T18:18:14.000Z | 2022-11-19 18:18:14 | Spirited may not be destined to become a lasting Christmas classic, but it will certainly bring you plenty of joy this Christmas. |
| 286471 | Lori C. | Ready Steady Cut | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-19T17:19:06.000Z | 2022-11-19 17:19:06 | It’s a silly musical with a silly story and fans of both Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds will very likely love it. |
| 286472 | Paul McGuire Grimes | KSTP-TV (St. Paul, MN) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-19T15:20:14.000Z | 2022-11-19 15:20:14 | When you have Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds playing off each other, they're doing their usual shtick, good chemistry. If you want a light, cheery, easy, and funny movie, you will like it. |
| 286473 | Jonathan W. Hickman | The Newnan Times-Herald | Fresh | 6/10 | 2022-11-19T13:52:44.000Z | 2022-11-19 13:52:44 | “Spirited” is a jaunty affair. |
| 286474 | Brett White | Decider | Fresh | — | 2022-11-19T00:31:42.000Z | 2022-11-19 00:31:42 | ... It manages to not only stand out in a crowd of Carols, but it also reimagines the structure and spirit (lol) of the original in such a manner as to justify its own existence. |
| 286475 | Thelma Adams | AARP Movies for Grownups | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-19T00:31:34.000Z | 2022-11-19 00:31:34 | It’s a funny, bouncy romp with strong singing and dancing talent and just the right touch of snark to please any Scrooge. |
| 286476 | Kevin Carr | Fat Guys at the Movies | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2022-11-19T00:03:45.000Z | 2022-11-19 00:03:45 | It’s a heck of a risk but it works like a charm with not too many songs and plenty of comedy from Ferrell and Reynolds. |
| 286477 | Dustin Rowles | Pajiba | Fresh | — | 2022-11-18T23:14:35.000Z | 2022-11-18 23:14:35 | It’s a blast. I loved it. My younger kids loved it. And my older kid -- who hates everything -- loved it, too. |
| 286478 | Daniel M. Kimmel | North Shore Movies | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-11-18T22:46:24.000Z | 2022-11-18 22:46:24 | “Spirited” is riotous fun that takes off on its source without denigrating it. |
| 286479 | Kevin Maher | The Times (UK) | Rotten | 2/5 | 2022-11-18T21:03:15.000Z | 2022-11-18 21:03:15 | There’s a delightfully eccentric song called Good Afternoon that rocks... The rest of the film is a turgid yawn that struggles with its too-high concept. |
| 286480 | Whang Yee Ling | The Straits Times (Singapore) | Rotten | 2/5 | 2022-11-18T18:53:37.000Z | 2022-11-18 18:53:37 | This over-produced, hyperactive romp does not know when to quit its self-satisfied meta jokes or sentimental life lessons, so insistent it is on whipping up manufactured seasonal cheer. |
| 286481 | Jordy Sirkin | Jordy Reviews It | Rotten | — | 2022-11-18T18:50:08.000Z | 2022-11-18 18:50:08 | SPIRITED is a rather fresh take on the Charles Dickens' classic, but the lackluster musical piece weighs everything down. |
| 286482 | Austin Burke | Austin Burke/Flick Fan Nation | Fresh | 6/10 | 2022-11-18T18:05:47.000Z | 2022-11-18 18:05:47 | Spirited may be overly concerned with incorporating as many musical numbers as possible in the beginning, but once it slows down and allows the emotions to build, there is some heart that shines through. |
| 286483 | Jim Judy | Screen It! | Fresh | 7/10 | 2022-11-18T17:43:26.000Z | 2022-11-18 17:43:26 | I enjoyed the flick from start to finish and am fairly confident I had a smile or at least a grin on my face for most of the just over two-hour run time. |
| 286484 | Rohan Naahar | The Indian Express | Rotten | — | 2022-11-18T15:58:39.000Z | 2022-11-18 15:58:39 | Billed as a musical reimagining of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the film is about as cheerful an experience as having to deal with Amazon customer care on Christmas Eve because they lost your present in transit. |
| 286485 | Andrew Parker | The Gate | Rotten | 4/10 | 2022-11-18T15:02:46.000Z | 2022-11-18 15:02:46 | With too many different tones at play and no discernible audience that it wants to cater to directly, Spirited is like melted ice cream served at room temperature: you know there’s something good in there, but this isn’t it. |
| 286486 | Emily Breen | HeyUGuys | Fresh | 5/5 | 2022-11-18T09:14:28.000Z | 2022-11-18 09:14:28 | Like being punched in the face with a candy cane; the sudden sugar rush of festive feels is sickly but irresistible. Spirited is a proper Christmas cracker and destined to become an annual rewatch. |
| 286487 | Ian Sandwell | Digital Spy | Rotten | 2/5 | 2022-11-18T08:24:08.000Z | 2022-11-18 08:24:08 | As comfortable as Spirited is at mocking itself, it also ends up feeling embarrassed at the decision to make it a musical. |
| 286488 | Russ Simmons | KKFI-FM (Kansas City) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-18T00:26:45.000Z | 2022-11-18 00:26:45 | It’s a goofy and broad reworking of the themes from “A Christmas Carol,” and in spite of being overlong and obvious, it is still a funny, crowd-pleasing lark that leans heavily on the likability of its stars. |
| 286489 | Josh Bell | The Inlander (Spokane, WA) | Rotten | 2/4 | 2022-11-17T23:05:46.000Z | 2022-11-17 23:05:46 | Like too many modern family-friendly blockbusters, Spirited takes a mystical, unexplained literary concept and turns it into a rules-filled bureaucracy. |
| 286490 | Rob Dean | Bullz-Eye.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-17T22:22:31.000Z | 2022-11-17 22:22:31 | It probably won’t join many people’s holiday-watching traditions ... but it’s an okay Christmas diversion with some nice surprises. |
| 286491 | Brian Lowry | CNN.com | Rotten | — | 2022-11-17T19:35:52.000Z | 2022-11-17 19:35:52 | Spirited tries turning A Christmas Carol on its head, and while it’s big and boisterous, the movie isn’t consistently irreverent enough to feel like much more than a streaming stocking stuffer. |
| 286492 | Tim Robey | Daily Telegraph (UK) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-17T19:03:27.000Z | 2022-11-17 19:03:27 | Spirited never gets you to a place of soaraway joy, exactly, but it’s busy, silly and not a bad time. |
| 286493 | James Mottram | metro.co.uk | Rotten | — | 2022-11-17T18:53:33.000Z | 2022-11-17 18:53:33 | ...there’s something slightly too slick and charm-free about it, which director Sean Anders never quite overcomes... |
| 286494 | Frank Swietek | One Guy's Opinion | Rotten | C | 2022-11-17T17:24:38.000Z | 2022-11-17 17:24:38 | A would-be Christmas perennial that will wilt pretty fast, thanks to its snarky adolescent tone, short-shelf-life pop culture references and prefabricated sentimentality. |
| 286495 | Andrew Gaudion | THN | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-17T16:02:30.000Z | 2022-11-17 16:02:30 | It is an over-decorated Christmas tree that is often at the risk of toppling over, yet ultimately manages to stay upright thanks to some catchy musical sequences and a ‘go for broke’ enthusiasm that is more than fitting this time of year. |
| 286496 | Robert Levin | Newsday | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-17T13:50:08.000Z | 2022-11-17 13:50:08 | At a certain point, you just wish they'd get on with it already. But it delivers the Christmas movie goods. |
| 286497 | Richard Crouse | Richard Crouse | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-17T12:24:21.000Z | 2022-11-17 12:24:21 | Ferrell’s finely crafted goofiness contrasts with Reynolds’s sardonic character. They’re not exactly Hope and Crosby, but, as funny, all-singing-and-dancing combos go these days, they’ll do. |
| 286498 | Randy Myers | San Jose Mercury News | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-16T22:28:40.000Z | 2022-11-16 22:28:40 | It is fun and features some dandy song and dance song numbers. |
| 286499 | Alicia Gilstorf | Tell-Tale TV | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2022-11-16T20:42:45.000Z | 2022-11-16 20:42:45 | The dreaded blockbuster runtime is very much the ghost that haunts this one. There’s just no need for a jaunty Christmas movie to be this long -- it’s passive-aggressive. |
| 286500 | Nick Rogers | Midwest Film Journal | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2022-11-16T20:04:23.000Z | 2022-11-16 20:04:23 | There is no scene that someone thought could not be improved by intrusive, ostentatious purple-green-gold stage lights. That’s because the people behind "Spirited" would seem to rather skip the onscreen stuff altogether and go straight to the stage. |
| 286501 | Charles Koplinski | Reel Talk with Chuck and Pam | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-16T16:00:39.000Z | 2022-11-16 16:00:39 | Filmmaker Sean Anders and actor Will Ferrell have come up with a fun new musical take on the Christmas chestnut, bringing a modern sensibility and a couple of clever twists to the tale that make it just fresh enough to be worth a look. |
| 286502 | Mike McGranaghan | Aisle Seat | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-16T14:48:14.000Z | 2022-11-16 14:48:14 | I don't know if the movie will become a perennial classic, but it's certainly a terrific way to spend two hours this, or any, Christmas season. |
| 286503 | Tara McNamara | Common Sense Media | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-15T21:06:52.000Z | 2022-11-15 21:06:52 | Even with a too-long run time, Spirited offers a fun family holiday offering that even includes a few references to the reason for the season. |
| 286504 | Katie Rice | London Evening Standard | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-15T19:24:14.000Z | 2022-11-15 19:24:14 | Its characters and premise are as classic as they come, but the plot comes with quirky curveballs and overly elaborate dance sequences which are just as much a treat as they are an assault on the senses. |
| 286505 | Christopher Lloyd | The Film Yap | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-15T17:15:20.000Z | 2022-11-15 17:15:20 | Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds team up for a hammy song-and-dance spectacular that's a clever rethink of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." |
| 286506 | Tom Ellen | Empire Magazine | Fresh | 3/5 | 2022-11-15T11:42:38.000Z | 2022-11-15 11:42:38 | A lively premise, with some decent gags (and a few too many songs), Spirited is unlikely to trouble any 'Greatest Ever Christmas Movie' lists — but it brings plenty of seasonal good cheer. |
| 286507 | Mark Meszoros | The News-Herald (Willoughby, OH) | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2022-11-14T21:41:21.000Z | 2022-11-14 21:41:21 | Spirited offers a lot of fun little gags that work, along with a few misfires. |
| 286508 | Natasha Alvar | Cultured Vultures | Fresh | 6.5/10 | 2022-11-14T19:36:48.000Z | 2022-11-14 19:36:48 | If you manage to get past the rocky start of Sean Anders' Spirited, then the rest of it is good enough for you to have a jolly good time. |
| 286509 | Erik Childress | Movie Madness Podcast | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-14T17:11:38.000Z | 2022-11-14 17:11:38 | The cleverness of this Dickens inversion carries the film a long way while Ferrell & Reynolds have a nice chemistry and a few of the songs even click. Can't be too many Humbugs if I was ready to see another redemption in their dynamic when it was over. |
| 286510 | Kristen Maldonado | Pop Culture Planet | Fresh | — | 2022-11-13T16:47:30.000Z | 2022-11-13 16:47:30 | With big laughs and epic spectacle song-and-dance numbers, Spirited is a new holiday classic that gives a modern and surprising twist to A Christmas Carol. Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, and Octavia Spencer have great chemistry. |
| 286511 | Rachel Wagner | rachelsreviews.net | Fresh | 8.5/10 | 2022-11-13T07:42:06.000Z | 2022-11-13 07:42:06 | This bright and bubbly musical is just what you need to get into the Christmas spirit this season |
| 286512 | Sean Price | The Spool | Rotten | — | 2022-11-12T15:03:42.000Z | 2022-11-12 15:03:42 | [Ferrell and Reynolds] drag their feet through a convoluted story without any holiday magic between the performances. There’s barely any chemistry to be found here. |
| 286513 | Pete Hammond | Deadline Hollywood Daily | Fresh | — | 2022-11-11T23:43:55.000Z | 2022-11-11 23:43:55 | Spirited is ripe with contemporary references and smart-alecky lines, perfect for the screen persona of Reynolds, who knows how to deliver them, and for the Elf -like sweetness and confusion of Ferrell who is in his comfort zone here. |
| 286514 | Kyle Smith | Wall Street Journal | Rotten | — | 2022-11-11T23:29:26.000Z | 2022-11-11 23:29:26 | Fans of Mr. Ferrell and Mr. Reynolds have likely never seen them in anything this earnest and tacky before, and are liable to feel somewhere between betrayed and stunned. |
| 286515 | Samantha Nelson | IGN | Rotten | 5/10 | 2022-11-11T23:07:42.000Z | 2022-11-11 23:07:42 | Bombastic musical numbers cause tonal whiplash in a script pulled in too many directions. Even archetypes need some character development, and Spirited fails to make its happy ending feel earned. |
| 286516 | Todd Jorgenson | Cinemalogue | Rotten | — | 2022-11-11T20:45:49.000Z | 2022-11-11 20:45:49 | ... a lively yet predictable crowd-pleaser putting a fresh coat of glaze on a stale cinematic fruitcake. |
| 286517 | Nick Allen | RogerEbert.com | Fresh | B+ | 2022-11-11T20:21:10.000Z | 2022-11-11 20:21:10 | When Spirited has so many of its ornate pieces in sync, it can be a joyous cinematic treat like very few others of past or present. |
| 286518 | Brian Tallerico | RogerEbert.com | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2022-11-11T18:15:24.000Z | 2022-11-11 18:15:24 | It’s almost like a community theater production of an original musical—so very rough around the edges but also pretty easy to root for in the end. |
| 286519 | Anna Menta | Decider | Fresh | — | 2022-11-11T16:47:34.000Z | 2022-11-11 16:47:34 | What really makes Spirited sing isn’t the singing at all—it’s the script. In addition to an entertaining story, believable characters, and several fun twists that I won’t spoil here, Spirited comes with a surprisingly nuanced social commentary. |
| 286520 | Cameron Frew | Dexerto | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-11-11T11:13:09.000Z | 2022-11-11 11:13:09 | Spirited dares to make itself the plaything of critics with a song titled Unredeemable, but in the end, it does more than a little good. |
| 286521 | Lynn Venhaus | PopLifeSTL | Fresh | B | 2022-11-11T06:30:58.000Z | 2022-11-11 06:30:58 | This bros-meets-Scrooged affair, co-written by Sean Anders and John Morris, is funny and clever, blending the 19th century behaviors with 22nd century attitudes, and Ferrell and Reynolds are quick with the quips and the wisecracks |
| 286522 | Brian Orndorf | Blu-ray.com | Rotten | D+ | 2022-11-11T05:02:04.000Z | 2022-11-11 05:02:04 | While Anders delivers choreography and holiday sentiment, he’s not making a movie here, he’s chasing one. |
| 286523 | Richard Roeper | Chicago Sun-Times | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-11T01:23:54.000Z | 2022-11-11 01:23:54 | A jolly, bouncy musical...showing skills in both sarcasm and sincerity, the two funnymen sing their way through a new adventure of the Ghost of Christmas Present. |
| 286524 | Mick LaSalle | San Francisco Chronicle | Rotten | 1/4 | 2022-11-11T01:21:41.000Z | 2022-11-11 01:21:41 | “Spirited” was never going to be any good, but it would have been slightly better — and a change of pace — if Reynolds and Ferrell had switched roles. |
| 286525 | Gary Goldstein | Los Angeles Times | Fresh | — | 2022-11-10T22:07:11.000Z | 2022-11-10 22:07:11 | Such an amusing, buoyant and good-natured entertainment that it’s not hard to forgive this flashy musical-comedy-fantasy’s missteps. |
| 286526 | Lindsey Bahr | Associated Press | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2022-11-10T18:50:46.000Z | 2022-11-10 18:50:46 | Though Spirited comes up short as a musical, it is still pretty enjoyable. Perhaps that’s because it is just so stuffed with everything else: If one part doesn’t totally work, there’s plenty else in the four-quadrant buffet to sample. |
| 286527 | Maya Phillips | New York Times | Rotten | — | 2022-11-10T18:22:52.000Z | 2022-11-10 18:22:52 | It looks expensive and attempts to do everything at once, but it’s more shine than substance — and about as funny as the market price of a new iPhone. |
| 286528 | Mark Dujsik | Mark Reviews Movies | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-11-10T16:03:23.000Z | 2022-11-10 16:03:23 | [T]he film is a fun and funny riff on a familiar conceit. |
| 286529 | Brent Simon | AV Club | Fresh | B- | 2022-11-10T13:24:52.000Z | 2022-11-10 13:24:52 | While not without some issues, the movie lands as a modern-day fable whose colorfully packaged and exuberantly pitched life lessons carry an undeniable timeliness. |
| 286530 | Jude Dry | IndieWire | Fresh | B+ | 2022-11-09T21:44:35.000Z | 2022-11-09 21:44:35 | To borrow one of its sung sentiments, “Spirited” is sure to send out ripples of joy this holiday season. Though it may not make any waves, it’s enough to spread a little good cheer. |
| 286531 | JimmyO | JoBlo's Movie Network | Fresh | 7/10 | 2022-11-09T21:32:30.000Z | 2022-11-09 21:32:30 | Spirited is a goofball comedy that warms the heart. The cast is game for the experience, and Ferrell, Spencer, and Reynolds bring it to life when they get to the song and dance. |
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