The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Director: Brian Henson
Starring: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire
Synopsis:
Gonzo takes on the role of Charles Dickens to deliver a Muppets telling of the classic tale.
Impressions:
I didn't feel particularly compelled to check this out when it was first released, but in recent years, hearing praise heaped on it in certain corners was enough to get me to check it out. If you're a Muppets fan, that should be reason enough to like this. Gonzo and Rizzo's running commentary adds some comedic relief and may serve to make the material more accessible to contemporary audiences (though they do when to pipe down and let the story speak for itself). Given the sort of production this is, you could imagine Michael Caine hamming it up and not taking things seriously, but he plays the role of Scrooge perfectly straight, which helps preserve the story's sincerity and makes for a nice contrast with the Muppets while simultaneously granting them a measure of legitimacy skeptical viewers might not otherwise afford them. The songs are pretty good, in line with what you would expect from a Henson production, so if you like the Muppets' musical sensibilities elsewhere, you should like them here as well. I wouldn't put this on the same level as the '84 version, but it's still quite nice and well worth a watch.
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