Noël chez les Muppets

While the 1951 Alistair Sim version of A Christmas Carol is the most faithful to the original Dickens story, A Muppet Christmas Carol possesses heart, whimsey, and a joy that is so very much lacking in our evermore commercialized holiday season. Michael Caine's performance as Scrooge easily surpasses those of Reginald Owen (1938), George C. Scott (1984) and Patrick Stewart (2001). There is a more genuine degree of transformation and redemption in his characterization than has often been portrayed. This makes the story a truly wonderful experience both for adults as well as for children.

The use of the Muppets in the various roles makes for a lively film experience. Statler and Waldorf as Jacob & Robert Marley are appropriately heckling as they seek to convince Scrooge to change his ways. Kermit the Frog is a wonderfully sympathetic Bob Crachit just as Miss Piggy is appropriately and aggressively belligerent Mrs. Crachit. Perhaps one of the better-inspired comedy bits comes with the arrival of Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past at Scrooge's former workplace, described as "Fozziwig's Rubber Chicken Factory." Such bits are frequent and help to keep the story fun. Paul Williams' music score and songs are eminently singable and leave the viewer with a lasting memory.

A Muppet Christmas Carol has joined the pantheon of classic holiday films, easily ranking alongside Holiday Inn, White Christmas and A Christmas Story. It is the opinion of this reviewer that for those whom holiday films have become a part of holiday celebration should make this a part of their seasonal experience. One might even complete the film humming the tunes and thinking better of themselves as well as of their fellow humans. In other words, Henson and company have made Dickens story as memorable as Dickens himself wished it to be.

The two best Muppet movies after Jim Henson's death are this and Muppets Treasure Island. The worst, I think is Muppets Wizard of Oz. Muppets Christmas Carol is wonderful, and deserves the high rating. I also think the rating for Treasure Island is too low, as I loved that film too.

The Muppets are truly funny here, especially Gonzo and Rizzo, who have the funniest lines. Kermit and Miss Piggy were at their most touching here. Scrooge's encounter with the Marley Brothers was the highlight of the film for me. The high point of the movie is the performance of Michael Caine,(like Tim Curry in Treasure Island) who was the best he was in recent years, and his singing was passable. Very convincing! I personally think this is the funniest post Jim Henson Muppet movie, and was my favourite Christmas memory as a kid, and managed to stay true to the spirit of Christmas, and was heartwarming with the character of Tiny Tim. The songs, also, weren't that bad at all, but in comparison to the ones in Treasure Isaland, one or two of them are a little hit-and-miss, but that's just me, and that is my only negative! The incidental music was beautiful though.

All in all, a wonderfully entertaining film, that has enough to satisfy Muppet fans. 9/10. Bethany Cox

Over the years, there have been countless tellings and re-tellings of Charles Dickens' classic tale "A Christmas Carol". Who would ever have thought, then, that a version staring the Muppets would be the best one ever produced!

Basically, this version is narrated (quite comically) by The Great Gonzo and his sidekick Rizzo the Rat. They follow the story of curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine) on Christmas Eve night, when he is visited by three spirits that show him the meaning of Christmas. Central to Scrooge's emotional journey is Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and family (Miss Piggy), whose simple, hard-working lives prove quite inspirational.

The reason why this version of the story works so well is because not only does it provide the humor that one would expect from a Muppet performance, but it also brings the heavy emotional drama as well. You wouldn't think you could get teary-eyed over a Muppet, but that is exactly what happens. The comedy is on the fringes (mostly provided by Gonzo/Rizzo), while the story plays out about as expected.

The performance of Caine (now known for so many other projects!) is also a visual treat, again one of the best "Scrooge portrayals" ever put to screen! Caine is just such a great acting that he knows all the right beats to hit.

Overall, then, "The Muppet Christmas Carol" is a movie that will stand the test of time. Even if you don't particularly care for the Muppets in generally (this is, in all honesty, the only Muppet- based piece of media I have ever watched/owned in my entire life), the combination of comedy/emotion in this movie will boost it up near the top of your Xmas movie traditions.

I love this movie. I am a big muppet fan, and when this movie came out on video I had to get it. Of course I was in third grade. I watched this movie all the time, and still do around Christmas time. Every December I watch this movie twenty times. Everything about this movie is great. The plot to the music. I especially like the music. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes the Muppets, or the story of The Christmas Carol.

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