Animated Christmas Carols: The 10 Best (According To IMDb)

Charles Dickens’s immortal classic, A Christmas Carol, is one of the most adapted and retold stories the literary world has ever known. The story has been adapted for radio, film, television, and even the world of animation. There are dozens of animated versions of this story, some sensational and some downright strange.

We’ve lost count on how many different styles, companies, and characters have been used in presenting the classic Christmas tale, but with the help of IMDb, we’ve gathered a list of films, episodes, and specials that bring a little color into Scrooge’s holiday haunting. Here are 10 animated Christmas Carols from IMDb we recommend.

10 A Christmas Carol: The Movie (5.5)

Though it’s pretty low on the scale, we do have to admit we admire its animation style, visuals, and a few of its casting choices. How could we not talk about a movie with Nicholas Cage as Jacob Marley, right? It’s a bit of a mixed bag of an adaptation, but it’s worth at least some recognition.

Though some elements are definitely hit-and-miss, the effort put into this version is definitely as impressive as some of the names behind it. Simon Callow, Nicholas Cage, Kate Winslett, Michael Gambon all make appearances as Scrooge and the spirits. Not the best version, but not the worst either.

9 Bah Humduck: A Looney Tunes Christmas Carol (6.5)

Putting famous animated characters in the famous Dickensian roles is nothing new, but some versions go completely bombastic with how they get their story across. Bah Humduck brought to us by Bugs, Daffy, and the Looney Tunes crew is definitely a good example of how loony things can get.

Mixing modern settings with the familiar plotline, Daffy Duck’s businessman archetype receives the three ghostly visits when his tirade on Christmas goes too far. What ensues is definitely a wild and crazy Christmas night with all the antics and gags we can expect from the Looney Tunes cast.

8 Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol (6.8)

Though this version has absolutely minimum to do with the book by Dickens, it’s a great excuse to see Bugs Bunny borderline abuse Ebeneezer Scrooge (as played by Yosemite Sam). It’s basically a typical looney tunes episode painted in Christmas Carol colors, but it’s definitely one of the rabbit’s best.

Where the original story was a scared-straight type of deal, Bugs Bunny prefers to beat the spirit of the season into his target, much to the strangely sadistic delight of us viewers. Traditional it is not, but it’s definitely some side-splitting fun for fans of classic cartoons.

7 Stingiest Man in Town (6.8)

Rankin/Bass is to holiday specials as Tim Burton is to overly-quirky gothic films, it’s just that simple. The studio behind Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Peter Cottontail also dipped their toe into the Christmas Carol game with their animated adaptation, The Stingiest Man in Town.

Based on the Alcoa Hour’s musical version of Dickens’s story, the animated version sees Walter Matthau as Scrooge, known as the titular “Stingiest Man in Town,” and it has its share of catchy tunes and ghostly visions. If you can find it, give it a watch. But you might have some difficulty locating this rare version.

6 Disney’s A Christmas Carol (6.8)

The main reason for this version’s rating is more than likely due to the weird motion capture CGI animation used to bring the story to life. That being said, Disney’s Jim-Carrey-led version is perhaps one of the best and most book-accurate versions you can possibly find. So many lines, sequences, and visuals are pulled straight from the text. Dickens would be proud.

Disney’s version recognizes the original’s ghostly routes and treats it as such, sprinkling in more haunting elements than most other versions. That’s pretty big coming from the happiest place on earth, don’t you think?

5 A Flintstone’s Christmas Carol (7.0)

We have to give Fred, Barney, and the gang credit, this version is pretty interesting. Casting Fred as Scrooge in a Bedrock production of A Christmas Carol makes for an interesting framing device, especially when accompanied by some of his friends in title roles, giving that play element a more grounded feeling.

It’s essentially the exact same story, just with some comedic caveman elements thrown in for good measure. It’s not the most traditional version in the world, but it’s still entertaining, to say the least. For a little yabba-dabba-doo in your happy holidays, give this one a watch.

4 The Real Ghostbusters: Xmas Marks the Spot (7.6)

This is more of an honorable mention, but how could we miss out on the Ghostbusters taking on one of the most famous ghost stories of all time? Venkman, Egon, Ray, and Winston are coming home from a job on Christmas Eve when they suddenly find themselves spirited away and face to face with Scrooge and his holiday haunters.

When the Ghostbusters accidentally trap the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, it’s up to them to pull Scrooge back to the straight and narrow before Christmas is ruined for the entire world. It’s got little to do with the source material, but it’s still a decent watch.

3 A Christmas Carol (1971) (7.6)

This is perhaps our personal favorite version of a word-for-word animated adaptation. Directed by the late Richard Williams, animated by the legendary Chuck Jones, and starring classic Scrooge actor Alistair Sim, this TV version from 1971 won the Oscar for Best Short Subject and definitely needs a higher rank than 7.6.

This is a near-perfect animated adaptation of the book. The sketchbook style feels right at home on the illustrated pages, the dialogue and lines come right from passages written by the author, and the haunting atmosphere and chilling visuals are definitely spot on. The film is currently available on YouTube, and we recommend an immediate watch.

2 Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (7.7)

When he isn’t stumbling about into comedic adventures due to his eyesight, old Magoo is staring in theatrical performances like Frankenstein, Cyrano De Bergerac, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The special that inspired these leaps into the theatre was his own take on the Dickens’ classic with himself in the title role.

Surprisingly, the physical jabs at his sight are cast aside in favor of a more faithful telling of the story, but with one or two clever jokes thrown in. The short is also a musical with some pretty catchy tunes to lift up your spirits, pun totally intended.

1 Mickey’s Christmas Carol (8.0)

It’s a Disney version of A Christmas Carol starring Mickey Mouse, of course it’s going to take the number one spot. For those select few of you who haven’t seen this classic piece of Disney Animation, it’s a shortened, but solid version of the original featuring Disney characters in the main roles, namely Scrooge McDuck in the role he was born to play.

For most viewers, this was our first introduction to the story, even if it mainly featured Disney characters. For a long time, if the name Ebeneezer Scrooge was mentioned, this is the version we thought of. Simply put, it’s as timeless now as it was then.

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