A Christmas Carol gets a Muppet Makeover

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)   

I admit that I was always a big fan of The Muppet Show and tuned in when ever it was shown, but I can't say that I have been a fan of the various Muppet movies; they just failed to really entertain me. Thankfully The Muppet Christmas Carol is different as it takes the well known story by Charles Dickens and adapts it into Muppet world in a hugely entertaining, musical journey full of Christmas cheer and delivering that feel good message associated with the classic story.

To be frank most people will have seen at least one version or another of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" and this is basically the Muppet version of the classic tale with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and many other familiar faces from the Muppet world joining together with Michael Caine to give their take on it.

Lets get the obvious over and done with. Being a Muppet adaptation of what is quite a dark story The Muppet Christmas Carol is a very much lighter, less frightening adaptation where we have characters played by puppet frogs, pigs and rats amongst various other Muppet creations. The only human in the movie is Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, well actually that's a lie as there are other humans in it when we go back to Scrooge's youth, but Caine is the principle actor. Some may say that The Muppet Christmas Carol has ruined a brilliant tale by watering it down but then you have to remember this was never going to be a serious adaptation rather one which is not only family friendly but also introduces young people to Charles Dickens. I personally really enjoy that the emphasis of this adaptation has been put on making it entertaining rather than a dark brooding tale.

So why for me is The Muppet Christmas Carol so enjoyable well every scene will have you laughing whether you know the story or not. When the Muppet rats which play Scrooge's staff complain that they are too cold they switch immediately into summer gear and start singing "This is my Island in the Sun" when Scrooge threatens to sack them. It is this sort of thing which makes The Muppet Christmas Carol much lighter hearted and the movie is packed with similar moments which raise both smiles and laughs a plenty. Plus of course you have the majority of the characters played by Muppets, including Charles Dickens who narrates the movie being played by Gonzo the Great, which aids the laughter.

As with most Muppet movies The Muppet Christmas Carol is very much a musical affair with various songs appearing throughout the movie. Again this adds to the light hearted nature of the movie and also helps it move along at a nice even pace. Without a doubt the introduction to Scrooges old partner Marley, well in this cases Marley & Marley played by Statler & Waldorf features probably one of the most memorable songs which remains with you long after you have watched the movie.

As for the acting, well the Muppets do what each of the Muppets do best and it works in each of their characters. But Michael Caine does a stand out job of not only acting with these fluffy puppets but also for playing it straight through out the entire movie. It works well the distinction between the serious Scrooge and the other fun loving characters and although Caine plays it straight it certainly doesn't feel like an over bearing dark performance.

All in all The Muppet Christmas Carol is a very magical movie, it may lack some of the finer touches which Jim Henson achieved with The Muppets before he died, but his son Brian has done a very good job of keeping the Muppets alive. Of course being what is basically a Christmas feel good story it will get rolled out an the lead up to the festive season but is enjoyable no matter what time of the year you choose to watch it.