Will Ferrell deserves our eternal thanks for refusing to make an “Elf” sequel.
The “Saturday Night Live” alum squanders some of that goodwill with “Spirited,” a Christmas musical pining to be the next yuletide staple.
Nothing doing.
While “Elf” embraced timeless trappings, “Spirited” goes for today’s pop culture jugular. Give it a few years, and many references will be dated, or worse.
The best Christmas movies are light on their feet and share essential truths. “Spirited” is so busy, so frantic to be all things to all viewers that it ends up leaving everyone behind.
Ferrell stars as Present, as in the Ghost of Christmas Present. Yes, “Spirited” is another spin on “A Christmas Carol,” but it uses that template as the starting point for a soul...