Rating:

A Christmas Carol has, by conservative estimate, been adapted and dramatized about ninety billion times; everyone from Patrick Stewart to Mr. Magoo has taken their turn at the lead role. That’s no surprise, though. It’s easily Charles Dickens’ most imaginative and well told novel. Sure, it may seem obvious and unthinking to proclaim such a done-to-death story as Dickens’ best, but it’s true. You can take my word for it, too, cause I’m a big fan of the man, insanely roundabout though his words may be. Oddly, when one considers how formal and old-timey is Dickens’ style, of all the various adaptations this version with a cast full of irreverent Muppets is one of the best and most faithful to the original material.

They managed to pull this off by including Gonzo in the role of Dickens himself, acting as our narrator. Out of Gonzo’s mouth comes much of the genuine Dickens prose that is often left out when the material makes the transition to the screen. It’s through this use of Gonzo, and by partnering him with a sarcastic-as-always Rizzo the Rat, that The Muppet Christmas Carol most successfully stays true to the spirit of both Dickens’ work and the classic Muppets style.

Rounding out the cast are Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit and Miss Piggy as his wife; Fozzie Bear as Old Fozziwig; Robin as Tiny Tim; Statler and Waldorf as the two Marley brothers (okay, so it’s not completely faithful to the novel); and Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge. But it’s not just these starring Muppets you’ll encounter in the film, heavens no. Smaller roles are filled by luminaries as well. Sam the Eagle appears as young Scrooge’s schoolteacher while Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew are the two poor shlubs taking Scrooge’s abuse as they collect for charity. Countless other Muppet favorites make quick cameo appearances, including the Swedish Chef, Bean Bunny, Animal, Lew Zealand and his boomerang fish, and even Bobby Benson’s Baby Band, those creepy babies that sang Simon and Garfunkel on The Muppet Show. All of our old friends take to their roles with gusto and skill, as though they were born to play these parts. Oh, and legendary actor Michael Caine is good, too, I suppose.

There’s no real point in going over the story, as I’m sure you’re familiar with it and if you’re not it’s because you are retarded. Ghosts, time travel, poultry as big as a child, merry Christmas, that’s the gist of the piece. What is worth discussion is that this particular version of the tale was the first Muppet movie after the death of creator, head honcho and all around genius Jim Henson. The Muppet Christmas Carol was sort of a test run to see if his crew could sally forth without him–to see if, in fact, the Muppets themselves had died along with him. Fortunately for them and for Muppet fans like me, the people he’d trained rose to the occasion splendidly and made a movie that audiences could love and that Jim Henson would no doubt have been very proud of. After this picture the Muppets made a comeback and were given something of a second lease on life, giving us pretty good movies like Muppet Treasure Island and absolutely great ones like the made-for-TV It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. So aside from being a movie that works incredibly well on its own, we also have it to thank for the continuation of the Muppets as we know them today.

There are many great versions of A Christmas Carol. I personally am particularly fond of the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge, the one with Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit, and the one with Rich Little as everybody. Oh, and the Black Adder one, too. But perhaps above them all is this wondrous telling, full of puppets, comedy and magic. If you can only see one version of the tale this year, make it this one.

Completely Untrue Trivia Fact: To feel more comfortable with his costars, Michael Caine filmed all his scenes with someone’s hand lodged firmly up his backside.

If You Hated This, You Will Also Totally Hate:

• Mickey’s Christmas Carol
• It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
• Bah, HumDuck! A Looney Tunes Christmas
• Cricket on the Hearth
• Scrooged