With the release of "Spirited," a big-hearted but clunky spin on Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol starring two of the most likable movie actors alive, Apple TV is hoping it has a new holiday classic. Adore a giant silly puppy, "Spirited" really wants you to like it, which is its greatest strength and vulnerability.

The other ghosts (Sunita Mani as Past and Tracy Morgan as Yet to Come) are pushed to the background as Ferrell's spirit fixates on rescuing Clint. The story in "Spirited" unexpectedly shifts to The Ghost of Christmas Present, as Will Ferrell's character wants to give it all up and become human again, especially after discovering an unexpected motive to do so.

This is all relayed with the frenetic vigor of what, in structure and execution, at times resembles a rough draft for a musical. Choruses of backup singers/dancers perform to one side of a set as though they were on a stage during musical moments.

The production design, which frequently consists of cheap sets or green screen backgrounds instead of genuine physical venues, adds to the impression that you see a recorded stage show. This overlong musical runs for more than two hours, and the script suffers from the Broadway problem of repeatedly returning to the same few beats in the film's last scenes.

Despite these issues, "Spirited" is an imperfect but difficult-to-criticize film. The performances of Reynolds, Ferrell, and Spencer have an infectious "let's put on a show" spirit. No one is turning in a phony performance (although Ferrell could have benefited from a few more singing lessons), and that type of enthusiasm may rub off on the audience. Films released around the holidays aren't expected to be flawless.