Metascore

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 14 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 11 Ratings

  • Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen
  • Summary: High-spirited high jinks on Christmas Eve put Frank Cross in a ghostly time warp in this take-off of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Cross, who has made the meteoric rise from the depths of the mailroom to TV network president, is mean, nasty, uncaring, unforgiving and has a sadistic sense of humor - perfect qualities for a modern-day Scrooge. Before the night is over, he'll be visited by a maniacal New York cab driver from the past, a present-day fairy who's into pratfalls and, finally, a ghoulish seven-foot-headless messenger from the future. (Paramount Pictures) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 14
  2. Negative: 8 out of 14
  1. 75
    The film works very well, providing lots of laughs, in its first half, setting up the Bill Murray character and his callousness. For a Christmas Eve special he wants to staple antlers on a mouse. [25 Nov 1988, p.A]
  2. Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    60
    Murray doing what he does best, if you like that sort of thing.
  3. Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    38
    Neither Scrooged nor Murray, who is front and center throughout, is particularly funny.
  4. 25
    Scrooged is one of the most disquieting, unsettling films to come along in quite some time. It was obviously intended as a comedy, but there is little comic about it, and indeed the movie's overriding emotions seem to be pain and anger.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. RonnyG
    10
    This is a Christmas classic. For the millionth time, this only proves that Critics stick their noses so high in the air, they can't even watch the movies the review. I never have, nor never will, have ANY respect for movie Critics. Some of the best movies get the worst reviews, all because the Critics are too busy receiving bribes to give horrible movies great reviews, and great movies horrible reviews. They also lack the ability to say WHY it's a bad movie. New York Times and Los Angeles Times = Epic Fail. Expand
  2. DavidG.
    10
    A 38 rating? Seriously? This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. For the first half of the film, the jokes are fast, sharp, and timeless. It's dark humor at its best, and Bill Murray's best role by a landslide. The critics were out of their damned minds. Expand
  3. BenK
    9
    Simply awesome. Fun. Critics expect too much and find too little.
  4. Late 80s version of A Christmas Carol with Bill Murray as the President of a TV network.
    Not as good as some of Murray's other stuff but certa
    inly some funny moments here & there.
    I'd also forgot how awful that Annie Lennox/Al Green song was.
    Expand

See all 5 User Reviews

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