That question pretty much sums up my reaction to "The Muppet Christmas Carol", a hilarious, yet touching film.
What did I like about the movie? Just about everything! Michael Caine made a great Scrooge, and this film showed us, possibly better than just about any other version I've seen, just how Scrooge came to be such a miser (although that could partly be because the versions I saw which really go into Scrooge's childhood were clearly adult versions, which meant they could be more subtle in their explanations). To Caine's eternal credit, he made Scrooge very believable, which is no small feat considering most of his fellow cast members were puppets.
And what about the Muppets? They were also brilliant! Kermit made an excellent Bob Cratchit, loyal and humble, and he had a wonderful tribute to Tiny Tim which also served as a brilliant tribute to Jim Henson. Miss Piggy was a great Mrs. Cratchit, feisty yet very loving toward Bob (the worst of her temper was thankfully muted by the story). Fozzie the Bear was a hilarious Fozziwig, and The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat made a great team, having some of the best lines out there (my favorite is Rizzo's "Light the lamp, not the rat! Light the lamp, not the rat!"). The ghosts were definitely believable (and in the case of the two Marley Brothers, hilarious as well). Incidentally, the original text had only one Marley -- Jacob, but to get the two comedians from the balcony in the story, Robert Marley was added.
Finally, the songs were rather good, with the best one (in my humble opinion) being "When Love is Gone".
So, I firmly recommend "The Muppet Christmas Carol" to one and all.
Belle Book
