The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Dir: Brian Henson
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Somewhere, during the early 90s, somebody had a fever dream in which legendary British actor Michael Caine played the seemingly indomitable Ebenezer Scrooge, in an entirely serious manner, except in this version of the classic Charles Dickens ghost story, he was surrounded by singing and dancing puppets. Somehow, that actually happened.
Brian Henson's musical adaptation is one of my favourite films ever, and easily one of the best Christmas films ever made. The film is full of hearty, merry joy from start to end, and has plenty of cheeky and silly comedy to laugh at, while also telling the traditional Dickens tale very effectively.
I really enjoy the visuals of the film. Sure, some of the green screen scenes are a little bit dated, but it's easy to look past. I think that the way false perspective and the foreground were used in the film was really clever - they mixed puppet with human actor seamlessly, which made the film so easy to be invested in, especially if you're a child.
All the quintessential and beloved Muppets appear; be it Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Rizzo, Fozzie Bear and even Animal! It's impossible not to love these characters portraying Victorian-era characters with a fun twist.
The musical numbers are all really fun, ensemble affairs that rouse the spirits and balance silliness with furthering the plot pretty well. They were really useful tools for getting messages and exposition across in a fun and interesting way for the audience. Furthermore, they're just really enjoyable to listen to, which, I would say, is the most important thing.
Michael Caine gave a Shakespearean performance full of dramatic acting for the first half of the film. In hindsight, it's actually really impressive how much he committed to a character whose main dialogue is all with puppets. He also does get to have fun a lot too, with some jolly moments where he honestly looked like he was having the best time of his life. I don't think anyone could have played this version of Scrooge better.
The characters are, of course, voiced by real people - I know, I was as shocked as you were to find out - and each of them give a set of varied and wonderful performances, often while portraying multiple characters! The man faces that deserve credit are Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson and Frank Oz - famously the voice of Yoda.
Overall, I have so much sentimental love for this 90s Christmas classic - it's a film I watch every year with my family, and each time I do, I love it even more. It's so wonderfully funny, heartwarming and entertaining; the perfect seasonal film!
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