by Robbie Jones
There are some stories that will just never stop being told. We see them over and over, all in different shapes and sizes, different interpretations and casts. But no matter how well we know it, we never get tired of seeing it. The best example of this is A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens’ novel (Perhaps his most famous) about a bit old man who is visited by three spirits at Christmas time is a story that everyone knows off by heart. There have been countless films made, from comedies like Scrooged with the excellent Bill Murray, to the more heartfelt ones, like the 1999 TV film starring Patrick Stewart. Of course the visually amazing, such as Disney’s 2009 remake starring Jim Carrey.
But here is no better adaption than The Muppet Christmas Carol.
There are some stories that will just never stop being told. We see them over and over, all in different shapes and sizes, different interpretations and casts. But no matter how well we know it, we never get tired of seeing it. The best example of this is A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens’ novel (Perhaps his most famous) about a bit old man who is visited by three spirits at Christmas time is a story that everyone knows off by heart. There have been countless films made, from comedies like Scrooged with the excellent Bill Murray, to the more heartfelt ones, like the 1999 TV film starring Patrick Stewart. Of course the visually amazing, such as Disney’s 2009 remake starring Jim Carrey.
But here is no better adaption than The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Is it accurate? No. Is it a serious adaptation? Absolutely not. Do we care? Not even a little bit.
The Muppet Christmas Carol is an absolutely wonderful film starring Michael Caine as bitter old Ebenezer Scrooge; an elderly workaholic who despises Christmas and those who enjoy it. Turning down an invitation to Christmas dinner from his nephew Fred, Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Marley and Marley (Statler and Waldorf) where he is warned of visits from three spirits. Soon, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future show him what went wrong in his life, what repercussions his actions have and where he will end up, all narrated by Gonzo and Rizzo.
As you can guess, the film boasts a fantastic Muppet line up replacing the original characters from the book, including Fozzie Bear as “Fozziwig”, Scrooge’s old boss, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, and the man himself, Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s underpayed employee who struggles to look after his ill son Tiny Tim (Robin the Frog).
The Muppet Christmas Carol is an absolutely wonderful film starring Michael Caine as bitter old Ebenezer Scrooge; an elderly workaholic who despises Christmas and those who enjoy it. Turning down an invitation to Christmas dinner from his nephew Fred, Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Marley and Marley (Statler and Waldorf) where he is warned of visits from three spirits. Soon, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future show him what went wrong in his life, what repercussions his actions have and where he will end up, all narrated by Gonzo and Rizzo.
As you can guess, the film boasts a fantastic Muppet line up replacing the original characters from the book, including Fozzie Bear as “Fozziwig”, Scrooge’s old boss, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, and the man himself, Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s underpayed employee who struggles to look after his ill son Tiny Tim (Robin the Frog).
Whilst quite a dark and brooding story, the film injects the story with happiness and joy, as they turn it into a musical of fantastic songs. Highlights include the Marley’s song and Scrooge’s song 'Thankful Heart.' But nothing quite beats The Ghost of Christmas Present’s “It feels like Christmas”. If that song doesn’t have you feeling Christmassy, nothing will.
It’s in the singing of the street corner choir, its’ going home and getting warm by the fire, it’s true wherever you find love, it feels like- Um, sorry.....
The Muppet Christmas Carol is an absolutely magical film packed with laughs, emotion and best of all, Christmas spirit. Make sure you fit in this December.
Merry Christmas everyone!
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It’s in the singing of the street corner choir, its’ going home and getting warm by the fire, it’s true wherever you find love, it feels like- Um, sorry.....
The Muppet Christmas Carol is an absolutely magical film packed with laughs, emotion and best of all, Christmas spirit. Make sure you fit in this December.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Follow Robbie on Twitter!
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