It seems as though everyone has their favorite version of A Christmas Carol. Many like the classic 1951 Scrooge starring Alastair Sim as the title character (which we reviewed last week). Others prefer George C. Scott in the 1984 made-for-television version. There are those that enjoy the updated Bill Murray version, Scrooged (which we’ll get to next week). Some people actually like the 2004 made-for musical version starring Kelsey Grammar (just like Pop Rocks blowing up Mikey’s stomach, I think it, too, is an urban legend). For my mom, and like a number of others as well, there’s no substitute for the 1992 feature film version done by Brian Henson and his crowd, aptly titled The Muppet Christmas Carol.
“Bah humbug,” storms Michael Caine as he takes on the part of miserable old miser Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s a role he tackles with admirable grimness, despite being surrounded by hordes of Muppets for the duration.
Based on the Dickens novel A Christmas Carol, this is a liberal but fun adaptation of a classic. The beak-nosed Gonzo takes on the role of Dickens and narrates the tale, along with the help of Rizzo the Rat. They take us on a journey through a dank London, filled with all your favorite Muppets and a lot of talking vegetables too!
The device of having Gonzo tell the story to Rizzo allows for the tension and scare-factor to be cut, making this more enjoyable for young ones. Not that there aren’t moments that younger audience members may find unnerving, but Gonzo and Rizzo do help, at least until they both get too frightened and leave the viewers to fend for themselves until the end of the movie.
If the movie does get bogged down at any moment, it is in the telling of Ebenezer’s losing the love of his life, Belle during the Ghost of Christmas Past sequence. The movie is a little laborious at this point, even giving Belle an unnecessary song, “When Love is Gone.” It’s not that the sentimentality doesn’t work on its own, it just feels to be at odds with the rest of the film. As for the song Belle gets to sing, the setting and inspiration feel forced, the only time in the film that a song feels this way. Despite this minor misstep, upon ending the Ghost of Christmas Past portion of the film, things pick right back up with the incredibly funny and warm Ghost of Christmas Present. He manages to be, at turns, both warm and wonderful and incredibly upsetting and touching.
Outside of the addition of the narrator, one of the more interesting changes from other filmic versions of this story to the Muppet rendition is the addition of a brother for Jacob Marley, Robert (see the name “Bob” for the in-joke). The Marleys are played by the classic Muppets, Statler and Waldorf (or the old dudes that mock everyone). These two crusty old codgers are the perfect Marleys, and watching the story unfold with two Marley brothers seems so natural that it will be hard to recall whether or not Dickens’s tale has two initially.
The Muppet Christmas Carol is not without the wonderful Muppets sense of humor, for the most successful element of Caine’s lead performance is that the contrast between Scrooge’s miserable ways and the general cheery disposition of the Muppets in the story’s various roles creates a lot of funny situations. Take a scene near the beginning at the counting house. It’s cold, dark, and dreary–very much leaping out of the vivid descriptions of Dickens’ written word. Why, the bleakness is nearly palpable! And yet, the exchanges between Scrooge and Bob Cratchit (Kermit) and the team of working rats are comic gold. The set design and cinematography of this piece is filled with life, as are the wonderful songs written by Paul Williams.
Overall, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a delight for all ages, and is one of the finer Christmas films of the nineties, or any time for that matter. Filled with laughter, warmth, and lovely holiday music, this is one excellent film, and the perfect blend of a timeless story and the classic Muppet charm. Plus, you know, there’s fish for sale. That alone will always get me to buy a ticket.