The Muppet Christmas Carol

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.

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

Brian Henson does his dad proud in this, the first Muppet feature filmed after Jim Henson's death. All the things which have made the Muppets appealing--charm, humor, tenderness--are very much in evidence in this adaption of Charles Dickens' much-retold classic.

Michael Caine fills the central role of Ebeneezer Scrooge admirably, throwing himself into the part with much energy and gusto. Familiar Muppet faces take up several roles--Kermit and Miss Piggy as Bob and Mrs. Cratchit, Robin as Tiny Tim, elderly hecklers Statler and Waldorf as the Marley brothers (Dickens' character Jacob and original creation Robert)--with new Muppets designed for the roles of the three Christmas ghosts. The result is a somewhat fanciful 19th-century London where humans, animals, talking vegetables, and various undefinable creatures live side-by-side. In spite of potential complications the concept works very well, thanks to the spirited performances by both actors and Muppet handlers.

Gonzo (adopting the persona of Dickens himself) and Rizzo the Rat narrate the story and add a healthy dose of humor to the proceedings. But the film knows when to be serious--the climactic scene focusing on Christmas Yet to Come is as eerie and touching as it should be. And ultimately, the resolution leaves one with the warm, peaceful joy synonomous with the season. Definitely a movie which deserves a place among the family classics of the holidays.

A The Muppet Christmas Carol is the Muppet's take on the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish old man who cares nothing for anyone but himself, until on Christmas Eve he is visited by three spirits, telling him to change his ways. This is a well done version of the story, and it is the only Muppet movie I can look at as a real movie, rather than a movie starring Muppets.

The way the story is told in this movie is done really well. Having Gonzo play Charles Dickens as he narrates the story was a smart move. It adds more humour to the story. The different characters that Muppets pop up as are genius, for instance, changing Fuzzywig to Fozziewig so Fozzie Bear could play him. Also, the movie manages to remain dark like the story should be, while also staying tame for kids.

Micahel Caine is great as Ebenezer Scrooge. He's actually one of the best Scrooge's I've seen. It really speaks for his acting talent when he is able to talk and react to Muppets like they're people.

Overall, this is a classic children's film, and is probably one of the best versions of the classic tale on screen.

8/10

I recently rented this movie for my young son. I never imagined that I'd end up liking it more than he does. If you can get past the fact that most of the cast are muppets, this is actually a terrific version of A Christmas Carol. Michael Caine makes a fine Scrooge, one of the best I've ever seen in fact. I usually hate musicals, but all of the songs in this film are great (and the girl who plays Belle - this girl can SING!) The comedy is mostly provided by Gonzo, narrating as Charles Dickens, and his sidekick Rizzo the Rat. The humor is truly funny and appropriately placed (notice how a very good reason is created for Gonzo and Rizzo to exit during the serious Christmas Yet to Come portion .) This is truly one of those movies "for young and old alike", though it will probably go over the heads of very young children. But anyone who generally likes A Christmas Carol should like this version of it.