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It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Carol

Over thirty years ago, on December 11th, 1992, The Muppet Christmas Carol, arguably one of the best film adaptations of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, was released in theaters. My older brother and I frequently watch this adaptation nearly every Christmas (next to The Polar Express (2004)). However, this movie's thirtieth anniversary is notable for a particular reason I will get to as soon as I complete my review of this modern holiday classic.


The Muppet Christmas Carol faithfully follows the Dickens story of Ebenezer Scrooge (masterfully played by Michael Caine) and his transformation from a bitter, cruel, and greedy miser to a kinder and more generous man, with the Muppets filling in for the various supporting roles while providing amusing comic relief. For instance, the narrator of this adaptation is the Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens, Kermit the Frog takes on the role of the humble-hearted Bob Crachit, Kermit's nephew Robin as Tiny Tim, Fozzie Bear occupies the Fezziwig role as Fozziewig, and the ever-salty hecklers Statler and Waldorf as the Marley brothers, Jacob and Robert (a fun play on the name of legendary reggae artist Bob Marley).


Caine is wonderful as Scrooge, for not only does he deliver an award-worthy performance through his low-key menace and callousness in the first act that should make Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life (1946) grimace, but he never phones in or dumbs down any aspect of his performance to accommodate the younger viewers. Part of what makes his performance as Scrooge so captivating is his gradual transformation into a changed man by reliving his past, present, and future via the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, which at times leaves him in tears, adding a much-needed layer of tragedy and thematic maturity to what one would have expected from a family movie. My only gripe with these scenes is that I wish they contained a stronger emotional punch for the grownup movie enthusiast in me (more on that later).


Moving on to the Muppets, watching this movie is a bittersweet experience as a long-time fan of them, for it was the first Muppet movie to be filmed shortly after the untimely passing of both Muppet creator Jim Henson and fellow Muppeteer Richard Hunt in 1990 and 1992, respectively. During Henson and Hunt's lifetimes, there was an infectious collaborative spirit shared between fellow Muppeteers like Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, and the late Jerry Nelson that showed through the screen. However, that spirit appeared to have evaporated after both Henson and Hunt's passing. As a result, their once-seemingly effortless collaborative kinship became, and has since been, a shadow of their former collaborative showmanship. The surviving Muppeteers are clearly doing their best in the face of the tragedy, and their efforts are highly commendable.


In his directorial debut, Jim Henson's son, Brian, took on this project, and the final product delivers in spades. Combined with long-time Muppet collaborator Jerry Juhl's screenplay, Henson expertly balances the dual tones of the seriousness of Caine's fully committed performance as Scrooge with the zany quips and antics of the Muppets and the original songs written by Paul Williams (who had previously written the Oscar-nominated tune, "Rainbow Connection" for The Muppet Movie (1979)). While not quite as timeless as the aforementioned "Rainbow Connection", some of my all-time favorite Christmas tunes to listen to during the season are from this movie, like Kermit's "One More Sleep 'Till Christmas", Statler and Waldorf's "Marley and Marley", the Ghost of Christmas Present's "It Feels Like Christmas" and Robin's "Bless Us All".


One thing I was surprised by when re-watching this film was the level of technical skill and maturity the filmmakers had regarding the approach to the movie's visual, stylistic, and thematic storytelling. For instance, the cinematography and lighting could have easily taken an approach like those seen in made-for-television Christmas specials that the Muppets may have appeared in, with plenty of brightly lit scenes and visually inviting color palettes. Such is not the case here, as both John Fenner's cinematography and the lighting crew go for a gothic style, complete with tight close-ups (often filmed at Dutch angles) and high and low angles, with theatrical (and, at times, horror film) lighting to not only maximize tension and suspense (especially during the scenes leading up to Marley brothers' entrance and during the scenes with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come). In addition, the color palettes are highly diverse in their range from cold shades of blues, greys, and blacks during the first act and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come's scenes, to warm and cozy during the Ghost of Christmas Past and Present's scenes.


For as mature as the film looks technically, it never forgets that it is a family movie without skimping on its overall technical abilities. For instance, the movie's use of high and low camera angles lend themselves to completing the illusion of creating a world where Muppets and live-action humans co-exist (almost the entire film is shot looking up at the humans mimicking a Muppet's point of view). Also, the films' production design, which heavily uses forced perspective (complete with miniature sets and buildings in the background to accommodate the Muppets), helps complete that illusion.


While the end result is a funny, heartfelt, and at times, heartwrenching movie that (for the most part) doesn't shy away from the more mature themes that come with A Christmas Carol and its characters, the theatrical version of the movie does feel slightly incomplete on an emotional level. That brings me to Henson's director's cut, which originally included a song entitled "When Love is Gone", sung by Belle (played by Meredith Braun), Scrooge's former love interest, as she leaves Scrooge upon realizing that his love of money has replaced his love for her. However, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the then-CEO of Walt Disney Studios, demanded the song be cut from the theatrical version as he believed it would not resonate with children, despite Henson's objections. The song would live on in early home video releases and as a bonus feature on DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming until two years ago when Brian Henson announced that during a 4K restoration of the movie, and after having been believed to be lost, the original negatives for the deleted scene had been found and was re-inserted into the film in time for the movie's 30th anniversary in 2022.


Seeing the full version of The Muppet Christmas Carol with "When Love is Gone" is absolutely heartbreaking as the older Scrooge tearfully duets with Belle, unable to undo his past actions and is forced to relive the moment when a part of his humanity died. This song and sequence provide a stronger emotional resonance at the end when the characters sing "When Love is Found", completing Scrooge's emotional arc and highlighting his connection with his newfound friends and family. I highly recommend seeing the director's cut (which can be found in the "Extras" section of the film on Disney+) along with the theatrical version for comparison and historical sake.


As I stated earlier, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a modern holiday classic. Its faithfulness to the original story, combined with the lovable antics of the Muppets, make this a memorable holiday experience for both young and old viewers. While not the Muppets' finest hour (that honor goes to The Muppet Movie), this film is a perfect addition to one's holiday movie tradition. This film gets a definite recommendation from me and from my family to yours; Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year!


Final Score: 9 out of 10

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