When I was a kid I did not go see The Muppet Christmas Carol. Each year I said I’d watch it come Christmas. As the years rolled by (really quickly looking back!) I never did. Well not this year. I saw it was on and jumped at the chance to finally check out this 1992 Muppet version of the Charle’s Dickens novel. Boasting a whole host of Muppet faves such as Gonzo, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear. Also, a fun performance from none other than Michael Caine as Scrooge!
The story of Christmas Carol is timeless but just in case you live outside of time (!) I’ll recap. Scrooge hates Christmas and ain’t too fond of his fellow man. He’s a money lender who thinks nothing of feeding off the misfortune of others, over working his staff and tossing people out onto the streets. Whether it’s Christmas or not. In steps fate and three Christmas ghosts visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve. The ghost’s of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. Each taking Scrooge on a journey through his life and presenting him with snapshots of questionable roads taken and those he may yet have the chance to change.
The film is a lot of fun. It’s done well with good direction from Brian Henson and game performances from all involved. The true stars of the film are the Muppets and the work on display is fantastic. The skill level that went into bringing this version of Christmas Carol to life is excellent. The songs are a good addition and memorable, I didn’t even realize this was a musical until everyone started singing! I should have known with the Muppets!
I love the look of the film too. It’s timeless. The effects work on the ghosts is well done, especially the Ghost of Christmas Past and Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. The later looks scary, haha, not something I’d want to see in my bedroom in the early hours of the morning!
The Muppet Christmas Carol is a fun Christmas movie for the family and I can see why it’s appeal has endured. It’s one of the stronger Muppet movies and I’m happy I finally got around to seeing it this Christmas. The book is really good too. It’s a classic for a reason so do check that out if you never have.
'Hella Movies' 