It's probably the most well-known Christmas story in the world, apart from the one that started it all. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has warmed hearts for over a century, and it has gone on to be presented in a multitude of forms. This semi-comical version of the Dickens classic is one of my favorites. It's very hard to go wrong with the Muppets, and they certainly don't disappoint here. The movie is a mixture of music, comedy and schmaltz...and I mean this in the very best sense of the word.

Ebeneezer Scrooge is played marvelously by Michael Caine, the actor who revealed his generous nature to the world once and for all with his eloquent speech at this year's Academy Awards. He is a grumbly old curmudgeon who often wears a bewildered expression on his face and tries to hide a light that threatens to flicker in his eyes. It is easy to sympathize with this man, especially during a scene with the Ghost of Christmas Past, an ethereal angel-like figure, in which the woman to whom he is engaged leaves him because of his all-encompassing concern for money. (She does this in the form of a song, the depressing The Love is Gone.)

Our narrator is Gonzo, who claims to be Charles Dickens. Along with his sidekick Rizzo, he clumsily trails Ebeneezer Scrooge in his adventures, providing slapstick comedy all the way. Just about all of your favorite muppets are here. The grouchy geezers who always sit in the balcony put in an appearance as the Marley Brothers, Scrooge's ex-partners. They warn Scrooge of his impending doom in the grotesquely amusing Marley and Marley. We also get a glimpse of them at Fozziewig's Christmas party. Fozziewig was Scrooge's first employer, the jovial owner of a rubber chicken factory. And it's not too hard to guess which muppet plays this furry fellow.

Bob Cratchit is none other than the gold-hearted Kermit the Frog. Tiny Tim is a miniature version of his father, as is his older brother. Miss Piggy plays the missus, and the family also has twin daughters who are the spitting image of their mother. The crippled Tiny Tim makes up for his waning health with his loving nature. It is truly heartwarming when Kermit tells his wife, "Tiny Tim wanted to be in church tonight so he could remind the people how Jesus healed the crippled."

When the gigantic, cheery Ghost of Christmas Present shows this scene to Scrooge, following a rousing song proclaiming that "wherever there is love it feel like Christmas...the message if you hear it is make it last all year," the miser's heart begins to melt. But the real clincher comes when the silent and foreboding Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge what will happen if he continues to live as he has his entire life...and it isn't a pretty picture. The movie ends joyously on the first day of Scrooge's new life after finally catches the Christmas Spirit.

This is a wonderful story to begin with, but coupled with the Muppets, it takes on an entirely new dimension. Scrooge's headmaster's advice (Sam the Eagle) which he justifies by saying "it is the American way," whereupon he is informed by Gonzo that this is England. Fozziewig's announcement at the Christmas party that "it is traditional for me to make a little speech" being greeted by the younger Marley Brothers with "it's traditional for us to take a little nap!" Comedic gems like these abound, and keep your eyes wide open because some of the funniest moments can easily go unnoticed in the flurry of activity. But the hilarity is equaled by that warm glow that only the Muppets can bring. So by the time Tiny Tim says "God bless us, everyone" for the final time, you would have to be a Scrooge yourself not to be filled with the glow of Christmas. As the holiday season fast approaches, pick up a copy of this Christmas classic and let Charles Dickens and Jim Henson bring a smile to your face that you can carry throughout the year.



Recommended: Yes