The first reviews for the Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell-led Christmas comedy, Spirited, are now in. So, is Spirited a modern Christmas classic or a festive failure? Well, it sounds like it might be a bit of both, with reactions so far being decidedly mixed, though largely praising the pairing of Reynolds and Ferrell.

Jude Dry of IndieWire found much to enjoy with Spirited, and while the movie is somewhat lacking in certain areas, Spirited will fill you with wholesome festive feelings.

The warm feelings continue courtesy of Variety’s Peter Debruge, who praised director Sean Anders for his use and combination of the comedy stylings of Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.

“To borrow one of its sung sentiments, “Spirited” is sure to send out ripples of joy this holiday season. Though it may not make any waves, it’s enough to spread a little good cheer.”

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The applause for the leading duo is echoed by David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, who also found more than enough to enjoy in the Christmas outing.

“Anders makes sly use of his co-leads star personas, contrasting Ferrell’s doofy guilelessness with Reynolds’ relatively sardonic sensibility. And he has a secret weapon in Octavia Spencer, who’s sincerity personified.”

Collider’s Ross Bonaime commended Spirited for telling such a well-known story with just enough differences and genuine heart to make the movie stand out.

“Spirited owes its buoyancy primarily to the lively rapport of Ferrell and Reynolds, ultimately playing out the movie’s most convincing love story.”

“Spirited knows they’re telling you a story you’ve heard countless times before, yet at least it imbues its version with enough heart and unique ideas to make this one worthwhile.”

Spirited Will Land on Apple TV+ on November 18

     Apple Studios

Sadly it’s not all comfort and joy, with some finding Spirited to be a festive misfire. Benjamin Lee of The Guardian gives Spirited just 2/5, criticizing the movie’s tonal inconsistency.

The criticism continues courtesy of Slashfilm’s Josh Spiegel, who concluded that Spirited is a “mixed bag of Christmas cheer, snark, and songs.”

“Anders, also serving as director, never seems confident enough in what his film should be and so we’re never confident enough in what we’re actually watching, an atonal grab bag of inharmonious notes.”

Finally, TheWrap’s Alonso Duralde, while finding much to enjoy and even declaring that it “might become a holiday go-to in certain households,” found the whole experience to be overstuffed and a little overwhelming.

“A movie like “Elf”, as its opening credits suggest, seemingly sprung to life out of a children’s book. “Spirited” evokes the sense that it sprung to life out of a series of focus-group sessions among corporate executives.”

A modern musical reimagining of the classic Christmas ghost story A Christmas Carol, Spirited follows a miserly man who treats everyone around him with terrible selfishness and finds himself on a fantastical adventure into the three phases of time: past, present, and future, in order to discover how he ended up so miserable and alone.

“It’s not so much whether or not you like what “Spirited” has to offer but how much of it you can take in one sitting.”

Spirited is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 11, 2022, and will later be available on Apple TV+ from November 18, 2022.