Welcome to the Galactic Theater, where we'll explore the works of master manipulators of light waves, examine the themes brought to play, and critique the final products of months of hard work.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the movie.
That said, on to the review!
Adaptations of Charles Dickens' timeless classic, A Christmas Carol, are many, but mixing live actors with the famous Muppets is definitely a unique version. What's more, you can count on the Muppets to add humor and emotion to their roles.
Famous actor Michael Caine tackles the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, the cold-hearted miser who sacrifices his potential joy and happiness for the false comforts of money. He is, with only three notable exceptions, the only human character with generous stage time. The others are his nephew, a younger version of himself, and Belle, the young woman who fell in love with him and left him when he proved more interested in money than in her. Unfortunately, I don't know the names of the actors who fulfilled these roles. However, their portayals of their characters goes a long way to establishing the character of Scrooge in all his dark glory.
We musn't forget the Muppets, for they must naturally make up the rest of the cast, right? Of the named characters, only one of them retains his original name: Rizzo the Rat. All others have their own roles to fulfill. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are the Cratchits, Bob and Emily. Those two annoying critics from the Muppet Show--you know, the ones up in the balcony--whose names I have never been able to catch are the Marley brothers, Jacob and Robert. Fozzie the Bear is Fozziwig, owner of a rubber chicken factory; what else? Oh, and I musn't forget to mention the Great Gonzo, who becomes omniscient storyteller Charles Dickens. I must say, he does an excellent job in narrating the entire story and ignoring Rizzo's skeptical remarks--well, a good job for a weirdo or whatever he is, anyway. Other well-known characters fill supporting roles. Notables include the pigs from the "Pigs in Space" segment, a host of rats, penguins, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem (you know, Animal and the rest of the band), Honeydew and Beaker, and Sam Eagle.
There are also a number of Muppets who may or may not have ever appeared on the regular shows. Outstanding among these are the three spirits of Christmas. I especially liked the ethereal quality bestowed upon the Ghost of Christmas Past. She--I think it was a she--consisted of white gauzy cloth and some sort of inner illumination. Of course, the other spirits were similarly respectable. The Ghost of Christmas Present had a jolly demeanor as he should, and the way he aged over the course of the night--in case you weren't aware, the Ghost of Christmas Present lives for only one night--was wonderful in its progressions. The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come was everything he/she/it should be: tall, foreboding, relentless, and dark. I loved the way he implacably pointed towards Scrooge's gravestone in the cemetery.
I also like the way each Spirit of Christmas had a special way of travelling across distances. The intense light the Ghost of Christmas Past traveled through was blinding, but it made the journey across the years seem real somehow. The Ghost of Christmas Present seemed to just jump from place to place, but that also seemed appropriate. The one who's method of travel I really liked was the last spirit's way. That strange, dark vortex was visually captivating and aesthetically amazing. The only problem I had was the way Scrooge and the Spirits passed through walls but Gonzo--excuse me, Mr. Dickens--and Rizzo had to go through doors and,in one case, chimneys. It made for humor, but I thought that since they were hitchhikers through time, they should have no more substance than Scrooge and the Spirits had. But, that is only my opinion.
There are naturally moments of humor of comedy; you can't expect otherwise when the Muppets are involved. As usual, the pigs in the Cratchit family knock down the frogs in sudden stampedes. By the way, what is it about Kermit that has all the women--the pigs, anyway--flocking to him? Anyway, you can expect humor from Mr. Dickens and Rizzo, naturally, and it was only a matter of time before Animal acted up (when you see it you'll understand). Still, this is a serious story, and there comes a time when humor must give way before sobriety and grief. In one of the last scenes of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come segment, I felt my eyes watering and my throat clenching as Scrooge visited the Cratchits minus Tiny Tim. The message about partin was especially heart-rending. Yeah, I cried. It just shows that good storytelling will always get you right there.
I can't say much more about the movie, except that I really enjoyed it. Humor abounded, lightening the storyline immensely, but I think it made the central themes stand out in sharp relief. The famous cast--human and Muppet alike--did a fine job giving life to this holiday classic. If you can only see one version of Charles' Dickens' timeless masterpiece, let it be this one.
You can purchase The Muppet Christmas Carol on videotape at just about any video store and, since it's a presentation of Walt Disney Pictures, any Disney Store as well.
Interested in buying this video? Maybe you can! Just follow the link for information on ordering the VHS version. You can also visit the Stellar Video Store for other titles.
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