Review of The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) by Jon T — 26 Sep 2014

Sometime after Jim Henson's death, his son Brian would go on to direct two Muppet movies based on literary works. The first of these, THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, which recounts the familiar story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge's fateful Christmas Eve journey to his past, present, and future, respectively, is a genuine delight.

The marriage between Dickens' immortal tale and the Muppets' humor is perfectly realized in this 90-minute musical, highlighted by both a holiday-flavored score from Paul Williams, and especially a strong turn from Michael Caine as Scrooge.

His performance deserves a shout-out. Instead of mugging the camera or going for laughs, he plays the role both well and with enthusiasm, even treating his Muppet co-stars like real people. This helps make the atmosphere of people and puppets interacting believable and it lends credibility to the emotional arc of the story.

The film also has some surprisingly heartfelt, moving moments that are played very straight -- the scene in the future where the Cratchit's mourn their son's death is tearjerking, as is Scrooge's long-lost love's ballad "When Love is Gone" (cruelly cut from subsequent releases of the film).

As for the Muppets, they are perfectly assigned to the roles they are chosen to portray. Kermit the Frog, surprise, plays Bob Cratchit, and of course Miss Piggy is his wife (and yes, we get to see their offspring), and in a particularly amusing touch, Gonzo portrays Charles Dickens, who narrates the story (using actual passages from Dickens' book) to a skeptical Rizzo the Rat.

The chemistry between these two is hilarious and adds another layer of entertainment to the film. What's also fun is the way that they comment on the story's appeal for audiences and how storytellers are genuinely omniscient.

Not only one of the best holiday family movies of all time, but one of the Muppets' best movies ever.