The film tells the much loved story of cold hearted Scrooge, who undergoes a transformation thanks to the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Two new characters have been added to the well-worn story: Gabriel and Ellen, mice, who join Scrooge on his journey back to the future.

The hand-drawn style of the animation adheres beautifully to the period. The artwork as a whole is fantastic.

Far from the Toy Story style digital animation that kids have become used to, this takes them back to the classic style of high-level cartoons but to an even better, more realistic effect.

The explanations of what Christmas means are intended to educate both the protagonist in the film and the children watching.

American director Jimmy T Murakami wanted to stay faithful to the story but also to create a new vision to inspire movie-goers.

He said: "This new version of Dickens' classic Christmas story will preserve the original story everyone is familiar with.

"By adding some new characters, and expanding the drama and humour of the story we hope we have created a film that will be entertaining for children and adults alike."

The script and characters couldn't be more Dickensian and the overall effect is beautiful.

Courtesy of of its original writer this is a story with depth, intrigue and many magical moments.