The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Simply Perfect

Powerful

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

SOMEONE NEEDS TO DUST OFF THOSE PUPPETS! THE GRIME IS MAKIN' MA EYES WATER! Dickens and Muppets are such a great combo; the biting dialogue, meta-textual storytelling, the mixture of heart and humor. The best Christmas Carol film adaptation ever. Deal with it.

In my house, we watch The Muppet Christmas Carol every Christmas Eve. When Kermit the Frog sings the song "One More Sleep 'Til Christmas", we cuddle together and sing along, knowing that Santa's on his way and the next day is the most special day of the entire year. My parents told me that when this movie was released in the theaters, it didn't do well, but I can't seem to believe it. How can one of the most adorable versions of A Christmas Carol, one that remains one of our all-time favorites—and we've seen every version known to man—not be treasured by everyone in the world? Paul Williams wrote the memorable and lovely songs in the film, and when Miles Goodman's music flows during the opening credits, it instantly puts the audience in the mood for Christmas. The cast is announced, and as Kermit the Frog is listed as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, and other well-known Muppets and human actors are credited, the best is saved for last. Michael Caine gets the "and" in the credits; he plays Ebenezer Scrooge. He's truly heartwarming in the film, playing the iconic role as a sensitive man. While other versions of the story portray Scrooge as unwaveringly mean until the memorable ending, Jerry Juhl's fantastic script shows Scrooge affected by the early scenes.The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat speak to the camera in the opening scene, introducing themselves and the story. They're the continuous narrators of the film, and the running commentary is absolutely hilarious. Too many of the lines from Juhl's screenplay have become household phrases in my family for me to list, but there is one part that is worth mentioning. When the Ghost of Christmas Future appears, there is the usual ominous setting. Gonzo and Rizzo remark how spooky it is and tell the little kids in the audience that they're going to leave and come back when it's not scary anymore, which is not only a considerate warning but is kind to the kids who choose to hide their eyes so they don't feel embarrassed. When the Muppets reappear, they say, "We're back! We promised we would be!" Every time I used to come home and greet my kitty, I said that phrase.There's really too much perfection in this movie to keep my review short, but I'll try to keep it relatively brief. The sets and costumes are beautiful and look very authentic. The smaller roles—Steven Mackintosh as Nephew Fred, Meredith Braun as Belle, and the incredibly cast Raymond Coulthard as Young Scrooge—are lovely and put just as much of their hearts in their performances as the main leads do. And the songs, which I've already praised, somehow make the listeners' hearts lighter and spirits brighter. In "It Feels Like Christmas", the production number started by the Ghost of Christmas Present and continued by the ensemble, Michael Caine actually dances along as his Christmas spirit is rekindled. The back-and-forth rocking is forever known in my house as "doing the Michael Caine" and it's a dance move we love to imitate. Speaking of the Ghost of Christmas Present—have you noticed that sometimes this jolly spirit isn't always nice in other film versions? In The Muppet Christmas Carol, he's incredibly sweet and caring.If it's at all possible you haven't seen this version, buy a copy. I guarantee it'll become a staple in your household during the Christmas season. Whether you watch it the first night you put up the tree or wait until there's only one more sleep 'til Christmas, it'll be one of your favorite parts of the most wonderful time of the year.

If you ever wanted to see how a classic piece of literature should be adapted to form which children can watch and really enjoy, while keeping the essence of the story intact, this is it. The movie, considering its stars, is surprisingly faithful to Charles Dickens novel, Michael Caine turns in a brilliant performance as Ebeneezer Scrooge, one who wouldn't look out of place in any version of the story. The other characters from the novel played by the Muppet's, Bob Cratchit and his family, Jacob Marley etc are really well done, and don't diverge from the original novel too much, and including Charles Dickens himself as narrator was a clever touch as it gave my favourite Muppet character Gonzo a role which 'he' did really well, as was bringing in Jacob Marley's brother so Statler and Waldorf could essentially play themselves, hilariously. The three ghosts, past present and future are all well done, maybe the Ghost of Christmas Present was a bit too jolly as the character is really serious under his jolly persona. The Ghost of Christmas Future is one of the few times this character has been portrayed correctly, with more emphasis on subtlety and less emphasis on fear, as was that scene when Scrooge realizes the consequences of his actions, and scene of the death of Tiny Tim was genuinely moving when the Cratchits are on the verge of tears, you can see the sorrow and sadness in the characters, not an easy task when working with puppets. The music numbers help to move the story along and add to the story, again, no easy task when dealing with classical literature. This adaptation of Charles Dickens classic novel is well done, very faithful and just plain enjoyable for all the family, not just children, even if you haven't read the novel, a perfect place to start for children to enjoy classic literature.

This is a masterpiece. Not because it follows Dickens' marvelous story to the letter, but because it uses the Muppets to take the story to a wonderfully creative level. Michael Caine is Scrooge and he plays him really well. He never flinches at the fact that his clerk is a frog, that Tiny Tim is also a frog, and so on. Jacob Marley is played by those two old guys who carry on a commentary on the Muppet Show. As Scrooges wades through the famous story, meeting the ghosts of past, present, and yet to come, we are starting to believe that what we see on the screen are real characters. There are some wonderful songs that move the plot nicely along. Of course, the Muppets are incredible jokester, punning and dropping one-liners at will. Of course, we have to accept that Scrooge was apprenticed by old Fozziwig at a rubber chicken factory. Make this an annual event at the holidays.