Buy The Muppet Christmas Carol
My favorite holiday movie (and there are several that I love), The Muppet Christmas Carol is one of the finest examples of the magic that has come from the Muppets, especially in recent years.
Having been a fan of the Muppets for many years now, it’s no surprise that I’m well acquainted with this feature film that transports the Muppet characters into the world of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. All the familiar Muppet characters are here, playing parts appropriate to this tale: Kermit takes on the role of Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Bob’s wife Emily, Fozzie Bear as Mr. Fozziwig (a revamped version of Scrooge’s old boss), and Gonzo plays the Narrator, Charles Dickens.
With rousing and sometimes poignant songs that will surely leave you humming along well after the movie is finished, the cast of the Muppets weaves this tale about a old British gentleman who seems to look upon Christmas with disdain, until three ghosts that visit him make him change his mind.
Some highlights of the film:
There are many awesome moments in this film, but I’ll try to narrow it down to just a few. Bean Bunny makes a couple of appearances in this film, as a little caroler who gets spurned by Scrooge early on in the film, and then is seen later, shivering in the cold, dark night. He appears at the end of the film as Scrooge hires him to get the biggest turkey from the butcher. True to Muppet physics, somehow Bean can hold on to the turkey (that’s as big as he is, or bigger) with little to no problem as he, Scrooge, and many other townsfolk wind their way towards the Cratchit household.
Another highlight is the banter that Gonzo, who is joined by Rizzo the Rat, engage in throughout the film. These two characters break the fourth wall and talk to the audience as if you are sharing the ongoing tale with them. One such moment occurs towards the end, where the third, and most frightening, ghost to visit Scrooge appears. Gonzo and Rizzo echo the fright the audience is no doubt feeling at this moment, and tell you that they will be back for the end of the story – they don’t want to stay for the scary part! When they return, they again talk to the audience, proclaiming, “We told you we’d be back!” While involving the audience in the story in this manner, they also provide some added humor, which is a delight to experience.
Whether you are young or old, The Muppet Christmas Carol will surely get you into the holiday spirit as only the Muppets can.