Critics posted their reviews Thursday of Ebenezer, Johnny Depp's first Hollywood film in nearly eight years. The movie is a horror-tinged take on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Ti West directed it, with Depp as Scrooge and Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley. On Rotten Tomatoes, the score hovered around 50 percent. Paramount opens it in U.S. and U.K. theaters Friday. Studios had dropped him before this. Warner Bros. pushed Depp out of the Fantastic Beasts films, and Disney dropped talks on another Pirates movie. Depp has denied the abuse allegations against him. In 2022, a Virginia jury mostly sided with him in his defamation suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. In the film's teaser, Depp says, "It's good to be back."

Depp Is the Worst Thing in It

Several critics say his Scrooge drags the whole movie down.

He's a bad Scrooge. The Boston Globe's review said that "under all that makeup, Depp is easily the worst Scrooge I've ever seen." Consequence critic Liz Shannon Miller called his performance "a sad joke" next to Michael Caine's. IndieWire critic David Ehrlich called it insufferable.

He's doing the same act he did 15 years ago. The Independent's Louis Chilton called the performance "stylised and cartoonish" and said that's how Depp played roles 15 years ago. IGN's Tom Jorgensen said Depp's over-the-top Scrooge clashes with West's more grounded film.

Even a critic who liked the film calls him its weak spot. Vulture's critic liked the rest of the movie but still wrote that "Johnny Depp is the worst part of Ebenezer, but he's also the reason it exists."

The movie oversells how much people missed him. The New York Times review said the film sells itself on "the empirically shaky idea of a beloved Depp that was taken away."

But Plenty of Critics Say He's Good and the Comeback Works

Several major reviews say Depp's charm comes through and he's ready for a comeback.

He's actually good in it. The Guardian's review said that "as Scrooge himself, Depp is in fact rather good." The Hollywood Reporter said "the actor's charisma and star power eventually come through." MovieWeb's Rob Sperduto called it Depp's "best showcase in years."

He's ready for big movies again. The Times of London wrote that Depp, "like the character he is playing, is eminently redeemable and ready again." The Daily Beast said the film shows he "isn't ready to relinquish his A-list status just yet."

Fans and Early Tracking Are on Depp's Side

Depp's fans say critics are judging him, not the movie. Early box-office tracking looks good for him.

Fans say the critics watched a different movie. YouTuber Valliant Renegade wrote "What movie did these ass clowns watch?!" in a post on X about the reviews. Fans replying to him said critics are out to punish Depp. One wrote, "They hate Johnny. Therefore they must downgrade him."

He's on track for his first No. 1 in eight years. Box-office tracking projects a $20 million to $23 million opening weekend. Gold Derby says that would make it his first No. 1 since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018. The film reportedly cost $38 million. World of Reel's Jordan Ruimy wrote that "given the low budget," the film "will probably amount to a win for Depp."

Test audiences liked him more than the film. Puck reported that the film scored 80 out of 100 at test screenings. Depp himself scored 86, and a lead actor typically scores 67.

Moviegoers want to see him. Moviegoers ranked him seventh among the stars they most wanted to see in theaters, in an April National Research Group survey. At the London premiere this week, Depp called his fans "my bosses."

Where This Lands

Critics at the Boston Globe, Consequence and IndieWire say Depp's Scrooge drags the film down. The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter say he's good in it, and The Times of London says he's "ready again." His fans say critics are judging him, not the movie. Box-office forecasts have him opening at No. 1 this weekend.

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