The Muppet Christmas Carol

Somehow, I’d never seen this in full. I thought I had, but as my wife and I watched it, I realized I had not. I was eager then to see what many consider to be among the best adaptations of this classic Christmas story. What struck me most positively about this version is the balance it maintains throughout. The familiar Muppet characters play roles in the story, and some of their Muppet personality shines through, but not enough to derail the movie into the zany, madcap antics of the Muppet Show. Kermit The Frog plays Bob Cratchett, and there’s equal amounts Kermit and Cratchett. The humor is also balanced, never making fun of the story, but making jokes within it. Doing this allows the movie to have reverence for the source material but still be fun, but not so much fun that the message is lost. Most importantly, though, is Michael Caine here. He is NEVER funny, and he is never the butt of the joke. His Scrooge is cold and cruel and miserly. He is 100% serious, no matter how silly things are around him. He never even acknowledges that the world around him has talking frogs and rats. It’s presented at straight forward as can be. This, more than anything, preserves the moral of the story. Without him grounding the movie, it would come off the rails. It’s hard to believe this much artistic balance can be found in a Muppet movie, but here we are. So, yeah, happy to report this lived up to all expectations. A charming movie through and through, and one of the best renditions of A Christmas Carol you can find.