Johnny Depp returns as the miser in Ebenezer, a new film version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, according to two reviews published on November 12. The New York Times and The Guardian both assessed the production, and their assessments differ in emphasis and tone.

The New York Times reported that Depp is not playing Scrooge so much as trying to mount a comeback resting on "a get-up and déjà vu," according to a review by Brandon Yu. The summary of the review says Depp returns as the miser of the Dickens holiday classic.

A review by Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian, published through The Guardian's film section, called the film "decent enough." The review said the new version is aimed at lovers of Dickens and fans of subtext, and that its star is rather better as the legendary miser before redemption arrives.

The Guardian also described Depp as top-hatted and heavily made up in the role, while the Times focused on the performance as a bid for renewed attention rather than a straightforward portrayal of the character.

The two reviews differ on the film's overall appeal. The Times presented the production mainly as a comeback built on familiar material, while The Guardian placed the film's strongest element in Depp's performance as the miser before his character's redemption.

The summaries of the Times and Guardian reviews reviewed for this report do not include release dates, box office figures, or the full text of either review, so this report relies only on the points stated above.

Sources: The New York Times: ‘Ebenezer’ Review: Holiday Humbug; The Guardian: Ebenezer review - Johnny Depp’s Scrooge tries to exorcise ghosts of business past.