Two Ghosts and a Bear of a Comedian NOT seen in "Haunted Mansion"
Written: Nov 29 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: The usual outstanding sculpts and likenesses we expect from Palisades...
Cons: Not as strong a character selection as the first set.
The Bottom Line: Some Muppety ghosts come along to lift your Christmas spirits.
|
|
|
| JediKermit's Full Review: Palisade Toys Marvel Enterprises Mini Muppets PVC ... |
Something that intrigues me about the various versions I’ve seen of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is just how dark the story is. And maybe that says something about us—that we need to reflect on the darkest corners of our own lives in order to make changes and accept the very best in us—represented of course by the message of Christmas. But man, as Marty McFly would say, “this is HEAVY!” There are children dying, you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a ghost, and even the most jovial characters seem to have a pallor about them. Maybe it’s just a British thing.
The darkness even extends to the Muppet version of “A Christmas Carol,” and although it’s a version near and dear to my heart, I think there are some Muppet characters that suffered in their translation to Dickens’ work. Some fit like a glove, like those geezers from the Balcony, Statler and Waldorf. They’re perfectly cast as Jacob and Robert Marley, the first ghosts who haunt Ebenezer Scrooge. Kermit and his nephew Robin are fine as Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, and even Gonzo makes a fine appearance as narrator Charles Dickens. And then there’s Fozzie. Poor Fozzie Bear gets a bit role as “Fozziwig,” Scrooge’s former employer. We see him at a party…and that’s about it. Which makes his inclusion as a part of Palisades Toys “Mini Muppets” Christmas Carol line a bit odd, and a bit underwhelming.
The first set included Kermit and Robin, Statler as Marley, and 2 Muppet Penguins: http://www.epinions.com/content_120237952644 . This set includes Waldorf as the “other” Marley, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig, and the gigantic Ghost of Christmas Present. The set’s not as strong as the first set, but makes a fine companion piece.
My favorite figurine in this set is Waldorf as Robert Marley, simply because he completes Statler as surely as Jerry Maguire completes whats-her-name. The shorter of the old men is dressed nattily for a dead man, in a Victorian waistcoat and knickers. He’s also cast in a pale grey translucent plastic, giving him a ghostly appearance. He’s also got the real metal chains attached to manacles on his wrists, which are free and can be wound around his arms, chest, neck, wherever his past crimes may need shackling. He’s nice by himself, but paired up with his partner Statler becomes a true work of art.
The Ghost of Christmas Present is the largest figurine in the series, a giant of a Muppet Man, apple-cheeked and welcoming Christmas constantly. He’s robed and has a red beard, as we see him when Scrooge first meets him—you’ll remember that the Ghost of Christmas Present grows older as Christmas Day goes on, eventually becoming a white-bearded old man. The figure is certainly jolly enough, and the detailing on his beard and robe is nice, but since he’s a “one shot” character, he seems sort of out of place with the other characters in the line. Hopefully with additions to this Mini Muppets Christmas Carol line next year we’ll see the childlike Ghost of Christmas Past and the spectral Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Then I think I’d feel better about this guy. As it is, he’s impressive, but hardly my favorite in the line.
Now we come to my least favorite in the group: Fozziwig. I can’t place my finger on it, but he just doesn’t engage me. I’m not Fozzie’s biggest fan as it is, and in this role in this movie he’s particularly misused. So the figure of him leaves me cold. Palisades did their usual excellent job with his likeness and all the details; he’s got a fine red coat, candy cane-striped vest, and his trademark polka-dotted tie has made it in as an ascot. I guess my problem isn’t as much the figure itself (which is executed quite well) as it is that I’d rather see other characters in its place. Gonzo (who played Charles Dickens) with his sidekick Rizzo the Rat for example, or Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, may have been better companion pieces to the first set of figurines. As it is, I have Fozzie and I like him, but someone had to be my least favorite, and it’s the bear.
Taken together, these make a fine Christmas display for any home, and whether you’re buying for someone who’s a Muppet fan, a Dickens fan, or just a fan of Christmas, you’ll be making someone happy. Get them early so they’ve got them to enjoy through the month of December—that’s what I did, and I can’t get enough of them.
You can find these in special display boxes at Barnes & Noble, but also at retailers like Media Play, Sam Goody, and Suncoast; smaller retailers are also carrying them, and if you’re shopping online, I wholeheartedly suggest Boxingcow.com and Bean’s Toys. Both are smaller guys, but have unmatched customer service.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 14.99
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
JediKermit
|
 in Movies, Kids & Family, Books |
 - Top 100 |
|
Member: Quinn
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Reviews written: 2120
Trusted by: 597 members
About Me:
Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.