I'm trying
something different to get in the holiday spirit this year. Every
day, from now through Christmas, I will be watching a different
Christmas movie or television special. I have compiled the list of
features ahead of time and am drawing one, at random, from my
Christmas stocking everyday to determine what gets watched. Thank
you for joining me in this endeavor. Day twenty is coming in hot!
The Muppet
Christmas Carol (1992)
This pick represents a number of
milestones for this list. First, as stated yesterday, this marks
two-thirds of this project completed. I wasn't sure I would make it
this far when I first started out. Second, this is the last of the
four features that include Muppets. (A fact that my girlfriend will
be relieved by.) Lastly, it is the final feature to be an adaptation
of A Christmas Carol.
With a feeling of pride over tackling all of those milestones, let us
begin.
Synopsis
Sticking with the pattern that has
developed when it comes to adaptations of A Christmas
Carol, I am going to focus on
what makes this version unique rather than do a point by point
synopsis. The biggest difference from other versions is that the
film features Gonzo in the role of Charles Dickens (a blue, furry
Charles Dickens who hangs out with a rat). He acts as the narrator through the proceedings of
the film and works to bring in much of the actual text of the
original story. Like most other Muppet films, the movie is a
musical. The songs are fairly catchy, though there could stand to be
one or two more given its runtime. One extra song was filmed but cut
from the theatrical release; it appears on home releases and does
much to alleviate this minor gripe. (Though, unless you have the
Laser-Disc, it means you have to watch it in 4:3. So...) Other than
those, the changes are minor. Jacob Marley becomes Jacob and Robert
Marley to allow Statler and Waldorf to portray them. Fezziwig
becomes Fozziwig and so on. Beyond that it is a surprisingly
faithful adaptation given the fact that most of the characters are
puppets.
 |
| Rizzo is incredulous of Gonzo's claim of being Charles Dickens. |
Final Thoughts
As ridiculous as it may sound, this
is probably my favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
There are others that hew closer to the source material, the George
C. Scott version comes to mind. However, it is not like A
Christmas Carol is that long of
a read. If I want absolute accuracy, I'll just read the book. Given
that, this version is a fun, lively affair. Two things make it
really stand out for me. The first is Gonzo as Charles Dickens.
Having him tell the story and banter back with Rizzo really shouldn't
work as well as it does but it ends up being one of the most fun
parts of the movie. Adding in some of Dickens' actual words to set
tone and aid in scene transitions is unique in a really great way.
Gonzo and Rizzo are also the only characters that make fourth wall
breaking jokes or comments aimed at adults.
 |
| Michael Caine's Ebenezer Scrooge is imposing and, if 60's Batman camera angles are to be believed, crooked. |
The other part of The Muppet
Christmas Carol that really makes it stand out is Michael Caine as
Ebenezer Scrooge. He plays the role straight, treating his Muppet
co-stars as he would anybody else in their roles. His Scrooge is
wonderfully cruel in the beginning and he does a fantastic job of
making you feel the change in his heart that is wrought through his
travels with the ghosts. It is really impressive how far he melts in
to the role. All in all, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a family
friendly version of a classic story that has enough wit to make it
engaging for all ages rather than just safe for all of them. I'm
sure most of your schedules are already pretty packed this close to
the main event, but this one gets a strong recommendation if you have
the time. See you back here tomorrow.
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