Showing all the signs of a major holiday movie event, "A Christmas Carol" is halfway to a great gift.

It's certainly something different, even if we have seen its intriguing motion-capture technology in the films "The Polar Express" and "Beowulf." The writer-director of those films, Robert Zemeckis, here simplifies with "A Christmas Carol," perhaps too much, even if the results are decent.

The story, of course, is based on the classic Charles Dickens tale, the saga of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, the 19th-century Londoner who prefers not to waste a penny and has no use for such holidays as Christmas, an excuse for what he regards as phony cheer.

On Christmas Eve, though, Scrooge receives visits from several ghosts, reminding him of what was, is and could be, shaking the old man out of his misery and inspiring him to become a better person. The story is familiar to most everyone, but the delivery in this version is new.

In motion-capture technology, the actors perform their roles on a sound stage, then are given further life later by computer animators, creating a hybrid of live action and animation. The process gives versatile and flexible actors such as Jim Carrey the chance to show off different styles, playing Scrooge and three of the ghosts who visit him.

The process also allows "A Christmas Carol" a presentation it has never experienced, sending Scrooge on a true whirlwind journey not allowed by previous film incarnations.

What that means is that much of the film is spent sending Scrooge on an airborne roller coaster, of sorts, flying through the air ----- and time itself ---- at breakneck speed. It's Scrooge on a zip line, in a way, without the line. The effect is breathtaking at first, but as it continues, Scrooge's lengthy rides through the sky begin to take precedence over the meaning of his journey. It's not easy to find any strong emotional resonance.

That comes mostly from smaller moments, as when we see the Tiny Tim story played out, with the always-good Gary Oldman making the most of his roles as Bob Cratchit and others. The ensemble, including Bob Hoskins, Colin Firth and Robin Wright Penn, play multiple roles, most of them memorable.

The film itself may not ultimately become memorable, one of those treasured holiday films, perhaps because of its emphasis on the wow factor. That factor does bring "A Christmas Carol" some mileage, though, especially for anyone interested in its new and ever-improving effects technique.

"A Christmas Carol"

2 1/2 stars

Starring: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Bob Hoskins

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Rated: PG (for scary sequences and images)

Running time: 96 minutes