Come on, we all knew it was going to be building up to this.
Like many films which have since gone to become cult classics and even get trotted out every December for a brief cinema showing at repertory cinemas (and with a singalong version no less), The Muppet Christmas Carol was not a hug critical success at the time. Critics found it to be so-so and it’s only on its subsequent home release that it's managed to find a dedicated fanbase.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
In A Nutshell:- Michael Caine plays Scrooge as if he were working for the RSC (his words apparently) surrounded by a cast of familiar Muppety faces in unfamiliar roles.
The Background:- This was a tricky film for the Henson Company. It was the first theatrical Muppet film to be released following the death of Jim Henson and was a departure from previous films in that the Muppets themselves would be playing characters within the story. It was originally proposed as a TV special for ABC but execs at Walt Disney Pictures offered to bump it up to a theatrical feature (their first for 8 years).
Muppetrivia:- There are a couple of versions of the film. The song “When Love Is Gone” was deemed too sad for children and removed prior to theatrical release (which does make the reprise at the end “When Love Is Found” less resonant). It was subsequently reinstated on some VHS and Laserdisc (remember those??) releases of the film but, in the currently available versions of the film, has been removed again.
This is the first time that Gonzo (as narrator Charles Dickens) and Rizzo (as, well, Rizzo) are a major pairing and it pays off big time.
The mouse family from Mr Willowby's Christmas Tree first appear in a couple of the songs here.
Is It Any Good? Oh absolutely. It’s a strong blend of humour and emotion with Caine’s decision to play it absolutely straight being the correct one. It also has what the subsequent It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is sorely lacking - heart. I realise that seems like a very vague thing to say but I can illustrate with one example - at one point in the film, Rizzo offers Gonzo some jellybeans, Gonzo is exasperated with him, there is a small beat while they look at each other and then Rizzo kisses him on the nose. It’s the little loving character interactions that make this film work in the broader sense. So if you’re going to watch one Christmas themed film this year, you could do a lot worse than sticking on The Muppet Christmas Carol.
I could have popped in a few more here - there's The Christmas Toy, John Denver And The Muppets: A Christmas Together, Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas and the Fraggle Rock episode "The Bells Of Fraggle Rock" - but I reckon that’s enough holiday cheer for one year. Go eat, drink and be merry and we’ll reconvene back here on the other side of Christmas. Off you pop.
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