I watched this again after a teen break from it; sad I know for a 25 year old to be watching a kids Christmas some months before the holiday season has started; but what is really sad is that this adaption is one of the most faithful adaps of Dicken's classic short story (aside from it being the Muppets of course). It also has one of the most memorable musical scores and has humour that suits both adults and the little ones alike.
I do feel stupid covering the story as I can't imagine a person not knowing it off by heartr but here goes (hopefully will tell you some things you didn't know): The Muppet Christmas Carol is an adaption of Charles Dicken's ghost story written as part of a collection of Christmas tales to expose the corruption of the upper classes which he did frequently in other novels such as 'Oliver Twist' & 'Nicholas Nickleby' and is so called a Christmas Carol because it is written over five staves as a song would be. This version seeing Sir Michael Caine on top form as the grouchy Ebenezer Scrooge; a hard hearted business man who sees Christmas as a commercial ploy to rob his pocket (Dicken's did not hold Christmas in high regard personally; although he respected the reverence of the day itself he hated the commercialism - how he would hate it today!) Gonzo guides us carefully through the story as the narrator (Dickens) with Rizzo the rat for company as Scrooge encounters the spectres which warn him of his evil path. When Scrooge's former partners Marley & Marley (Statler & Waldorf - the two old men who shout abuse in the original Muppet Series) appear to him on the eve of Christmas they give him the opportunity to mend his ways by allowing him to reflect on the shadows of his past including his time at his old school with his school master (Sam - love the joke about the American Way!) and his time apprenticed to Fozziwigg (who else but Fozzy Bear) and his brief romance with Belle (view the edited song 'When Love is Gone' here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfI_N0vyxaI well worth a look!); he also gets the chance to see how others see him by a walk through the present with a jolly giant catching up with familiar faces such as Bob & Emily Cratcit (Kermit & Mis Piggy) & Tiny Tim (Robin) as well as his own nephew and family; and finally a look at his future or lack there of.
All of your favourite Muppet Characters are here and this is probably the best Muppet movie they made. It doesn't have the old school feel of Henson's original Muppet Show but it does allow the characters to come into their own with some real touching moments and quirky humour as well as some pretty good songs.
Christmas Carol has had more screen adaptions than any other story it has been a musical more than once, a western, and has had numerous modern day adaptions such as 'Scrooged' with Bill Murray.
It's harmless enough and has a positive moral message which has nothing to do with Christmas but rather that the positives of giving and supporting those below us should be considered every day of our live and the chains we form in life are those we take with us to the grave.
Great Songs, Sharp Humour, Memeroable Performances - there's not a lot you can be negative about with this film.
Enjoy it again and don't feel you have to wait until Christmas comes around.
Special Features: None to speak of on my DVD but I do believe that a special edition DVD is available with some on!
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![Muppets Christmas Carol [Special Edition]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/100834457.jpg "Muppets Christmas Carol [Special Edition]")
Sep 24th, 2009
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