The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Disney/Comedy-Musical RT: 86 minutes Rated G (some mildly frightening images) Director: Brian Henson Screenplay: Jerry Juhl Music: Miles Goodman and Paul Williams Cinematography: John Fenner Release date: December 11, 1992 (US) Cast: Michael Caine, Steven Mackintosh, Meredith Braun, Robin Weaver, The Muppets. Box Office: $27.3M (US)
Rating: ***
It may not be exactly how anybody envisioned Charles Dickens’ timeless classic, but The Muppet Christmas Carol has its own charms. For one thing, it manages to retain the same basic story without alienating the smaller children in the audience. The younger ones should have no trouble following the story, especially since Dickens narrates the story himself. Of course, it’s a Muppet movie so it should come as no surprise that Gonzo the Great depicts the late author.
We all know the redemption story of Scrooge by heart as it’s been adapted for the cinema many times over the years including a 3D motion-capture animation spectacle starring Jim Carrey. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas from three ghostly apparitions over the course of one fateful Christmas Eve. That’s the gist of The Muppet Christmas Carol except this version features the late Jim Henson’s Muppets.
Set in 19th century London, the miserable money-lender (Caine, The Cider House Rules) bullies his employees and refuses to donate so much as a penny to help the less fortunate. His head bookkeeper Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) must plead with him to close the business on Christmas Day by explaining it would be a waste of coal to heat the place when there won’t be a single customer the entire day. Scrooge refuses a holiday dinner invitation from his well-meaning nephew Fred (Mackintosh, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). He sends two gentlemen (Dr. Bunson Honeydew and Beaker) collecting money for charity away empty-handed with the justification that poor people’s deaths would decrease the surplus population. He’s obviously not vying for Humanitarian of the Year.
That night, Scrooge receives a visit from the spirits of his deceased business partners Jacob and Robert Marley (Statler and Waldorf) who warn him he must changes his ways immediately or risk sharing their awful fate in the afterlife. They further inform him he will be visited by three spirits that night: The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. And so it goes until the Christmas Day sun rises and a brand new Scrooge emerges from his cold, uninviting house.
Although adults already know the classic story, it’s the first time many children will be hearing about grumpy old Ebenezer Scrooge and his spiritual reawakening. The idea of introducing it to them through the magic of the Muppets is positively delightful. The smaller ones will love watching their favorite characters cavort through 19th century London in a lighter version of the dark tale. The best thing about The Muppet Christmas Carol is that it might inspire bigger children (around 8 or 9) to ask about the original story and maybe even read the original book. Anything that encourages children to read can’t be a bad thing, especially since the illiteracy rate continues to increase and reach appalling heights.
Directed by Brian Henson (son of Jim), The Muppet Christmas Carol plays exactly like one of the Junior Illustrated versions of classic works of literature that grade school children used to have lining the bookshelves in their bedrooms right beneath the old Funk & Wagnalls encyclopedias their parents handed down to them. Admittedly, it’s a bit strange seeing Kermit and Miss Piggy portraying Bob and Emily Cratchit and even weirder envisioning Dickens as a…. well, have we ever determined exactly what Gonzo is? The subplot about sickly Tiny Tim (Robin the Frog) is still touching as he brings joy to his family in the midst of their poverty. On the other hand, it’s pretty funny seeing the character of Fezziwig (Scrooge’s first boss) become Fozziwig, portrayed by none other than Fozzie the Bear himself. Brian respects his father’s legacy and creates a movie that should please Muppet fans of all ages even if it doesn’t have the all-star cast of the previous outings.
Caine deserves a lot of credit for being such a good sport. Not every distinguished British actor would be willing to play second fiddle to a bunch of puppets. But not only is he willing to join in on the fun, he actually delivers a performance that’s as dignified as it is light-hearted. We’re talking about one of the most respected actors of the late 20th century, the winner of two Academy Awards and a perfect example of an artist of his craft. He could portray the same character in a serious adaptation and it would be equally convincing. He lends an air of gravitas to every role he undertakes even if it is opposite a bunch of Muppets.
However, the target audience isn’t seeing the movie because of the lead human actor. Most of them are so young it wouldn’t matter to them whether Scrooge is portrayed by Michael Caine or Michael Gross. They want to see their favorite Muppet characters and each one gets at least a walk-through over the 86-minute running time. My favorites are Statler and Waldorf, Animal, Beaker and the Swedish Chef. They each show up at some point, so I wasn’t disappointed.
It would be easy to dismiss The Muppet Christmas Carol as a movie for children only, but many adults have fond memories of watching The Muppet Show on TV in their childhoods. It’s likely they’ll be joining their offspring in the audience. It’s even possible they’ll enjoy it more as they’re more familiar with the various characters and their unique personalities- good-hearted Kermit, temperamental Miss Piggy, wise-cracking Fozzie, pompous blowhard Sam the Eagle, etc.
The filmmakers include a few jokes that only the grownups will catch like the additional Marley brother Robert (as in Bob Marley!). The songs are pretty nice; it’s always cool to hear lyrics by composer Paul Williams who also contributed to The Muppet Movie soundtrack (“The Rainbow Connection”).
In short, The Muppet Christmas Carol should appeal to children of all ages even if it’s not quite as good as its predecessors. At least these wonderful characters didn’t die with their creator. It’s nice to see them again and remember the magical legacy left behind by Jim Henson, God bless his soul.
