Linkshoch Wonderful Movie

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Scarecrow-88 This time we got our very own Muppet version of the Dickens' classic about the ole skinflint, his miserable view of the Christmas season, and how he gets a good talking to by three ghosts that visit him during the night/early morn before Christmas Day. Michael Caine makes Ebenezer Scrooge his own, hitting all the right notes from how he begins as a grouchy, ill moneylender gradually eroded of his negativity when facing his past as a child neglected, gaining affection upon meeting his former fiancé at his old employer, seeing how he is viewed by his nephew, nephew's friends and family and Cratchet's family, and facing the potential of his own demise. As far as the Muppets go, all the favorites are here and accounted for: Gonzo as the "narrator, Charles Dickens" with Rizzo, the rat, as his companion, Kermit as Bob Cratchet, Miss Piggy as Kermit's wife, Statler and Waldorf as "the Marleys", Dr. Bunsen and Beaker as street charity merchants, Fozzy as Fezziewig (named Fozziwig for the adaptation), with the likes of Animal, Swedish chef, and Rolf appearing in bit parts as Scrooge journeys from one time of his life to another. The lavish production design of the city and some excellent camera-work following different walks throughout London as Scrooge makes his way to his place of business to his home (and then the ghosts carrying him from one era of his life to another) are definite highlights, while the heavily criticized Williams' songs weren't that bad to me I didn't exactly consider them the success of the film. Caine does have his own led song at the end when he is converted from the crippling rot of seasonal angst to joyfully celebratory charitable delight…he does show that transition from beginning to end as only a seasoned pro could. It is fun to see Kermit as Cratchet although the Tiny Tim part of the story that typically guarantees Niagara Falls for some reason just seems lacking this go-around. Piggy reacting to Scrooge on Christmas Day while he's trying to tell Kermit about his raise is one of my favorite scenes, although I thought Gonzo and Rizzo steal every moment they're on screen, (which are far more than I had anticipated) and are one of the main reasons to seek this out during the Holiday season. Another highlight: a younger Statler and Waldorf mocking Fozziewig from an upper floor balcony at his company party during the trip to Christmas Present. Caine wisely doesn't camp it up with the Muppets as Scrooge, deciding to play the character straight. A London filled with Muppets in a Dickens Christmas Carol, especially at the beginning and end with Scrooge first grim and glum then later blissful and bright makes the world a better place. I recommend this adaptation for early December viewing, as kind of a starter for the more serious and dramatic versions later in the month. Gonzo and Rizzo following along with us during Scrooge's trips keeps the tone light and slapstick alive; they certainly add some fun to the proceedings.

thesar-2 Spoiler alert, I know, but thank goodness Scrooge brought Bob and Emily Hartley, er, Cratchit (Kermit and Miss Piggy) a turkey instead of a ham. THAT would've been awkward. As much of a Muppets fan I am, I've only seen The Muppet Christmas Carol once or twice before, probably right around 1992-3 when it came out. At the time, I loved their original stories and wasn't pleased when they took on other fables, like 'A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost- Story of Christmas' or this movie's follow-up, 'Treasure Island.' I thought this was just okay back then.Insert Present Day Me, or in 1992-3 Me's case, Me Yet to Come (wait, that sounded weird…) and this movie isn't just harmless, it's cute, hilarious for all the inserted perfect Muppet humor and knows how to stick to the original source while intergrading basically a kids play. The humor can be appreciated by both adults and children and the story is timeless. Now, the bad part. I know, bah humbug. I'm not a fan of the musical numbers. They're okay, but to me, not catchy or memorable. One stood out – the last one, but overall, they worked but were quickly forgotten.The synopsis should be so well-known by now you would be the Ghost of Christmas Past not to know it. So, I'll spare you. What you might not know, this might very well be the first time it was co-hosted by a rat. Yikes!I liked it. I'm watching this for the first time in almost a quarter century on Decemeber 1st and it *is* getting me into the spirit. Well done, Muppets!And "A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!" (I didn't make that up, so I really can't take credit for it. Tiny Tim actually said that. Okay, not for real. It was Charles Dickens who originally wrote it. But YOU GET THE MEANING! Cheers!)***Final thoughts: Funny, the only thing I remembered about this movie from a nearly 25 year absence was the scene where Rizzo came through the bars after needlessly falling. Just as hilarious back then as it was now. Gosh, I love the Muppets!

NateWatchesCoolMovies Ahh the Muppet Christmas Carol. The decision to take in Michael Caine's disciplined, down to earth doctrine in his approach to acting and toss it in with the lovably loopy, varied psychedelic muskrats we know as the muppets is a stroke off juxtaposed genius that make for quite the charming outing. Caine makes a slight Scrooge, relieving us by never being totally committed to the initial nastiness that hallmarks the character, and being especially upbeat when it comes time for the old codger to make his legendary mood swing and dive into the spirit of Christmas. I've only seen Caine in a single film where he played an outright son of a bitch, and it's downright jarring. He's such a pleasant fellow, and makes the perfect companion to the critters that populate the show. Highlights for me: the talking vegetable that audibly protests upon being poached from a local muppet market, and Caine's delightful original solo 'Thankful Heart.'

slightlymad22 This movie is twenty years old, and I have never seen this, despite being a movie lover and having had two children now sixteen and nine, plus numerous nieces and nephews. Yet for some reason this movie has always passed me by. And it is my loss that is the case, as today I stumbled on a movie I wish I'd watched with my two kids when they were much younger than they are today. Plot In A Paragraph: In this adaptation of the Christmas story narrated by Charles Dickens himself (played by Gonzo the Great) , It is Christmas Eve in 19th century London. The merriment is not shared by Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine), a money-lender who is more interested in profit than celebration. He is so against it, that his staff, including loyal employee Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog), have to beg for Christmas Day off. Later that evening, Scrooge finds himself face to face with the still mean-spirited ghosts of his former business partners, Jacob and Robert Marley (Statler and Waldorf) who have been condemned to shackles in the afterlife as punishment for the horrible deeds they committed in life. They warn him that he will share the same fate, only worse, if he does not change his ways, and foretell the arrival of three spirits throughout the night. The Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.