Review of The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) by Johnny T — 03 May 2012

Curious that Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol should be the most beloved of all fictional Christmas stories. It's a tale of Gothic gloom relieved only at the end by the warmth of holiday cheer. Like all the Muppet movies, this one is a musical, with original songs by Paul Williams (my favorite is the early chain-rattling duet by the Marley brothers). It could have done with a few more songs than it has, and the merrymaking at the end might have been carried on a little longer, just to offset the gloom of most of Scrooge's tour through his lifetime spent spreading misery. Caine is the latest of many human actors (including the great Orson Welles) to fight for screen space with the Muppets, and he sensibly avoids any attempt to go for a laugh. He plays the role straight, and treats the Muppets as if they are real. It is not an easy assignment. Even if it takes two dancing black-and-white Muppet Marleys, a passel of quill-wielding rats as Scrooge's office clerks and a collection of young frogs and pigs in the Cratchit household, this "Christmas Carol" makes a clear case for kindness and successfully warms the heart.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).