The Muppet Christmas Carol
My wife and I are watching our favorite Christmas themed movies, the latest being 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol starring Michael Caine as Scrooge. The plot has been retold numerous times, an old, bitter man (Caine) is visited by 3 spirits on Christmas Eve and he questions his way of living and treating people. Muppets were created in 1955 by Jim and Jane Henson, had 3 films released between 1979-1984, and had another 3 films beginning with Carol and followed by Muppet Treasure Island (1996) and Muppets from Space (1999). Their humor pokes fun but is polite, it is kid friendly but can also raise eyebrows, and they have no problem breaking character knowing they are putting on a show. Some of the laughs in the film may not be noticed on a first viewing as there can be a lot of characters (Muppets) on the screen at once, one liners fly often, and there are plenty of songs with unique lyrics. Sight gags are interesting to see as the Muppets are mixed with live action actors, interchangeable with each other to populate the world of Charles Dickens’ classic, reinterpreted from the original book first published in 1843. Each of the characters gets their chance to shine, from the story telling of Gonzo and Rizzo, to the heckling of Statler and Waldorf, and the heart of the film with Kermit and Miss Piggy’s family. Released in December of 1992, the film debuted in #6 of box office draws after facing stiff competition in fellow new release and top earner, A Few Good Men (Tom Cruise), in addition to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (Macaulay Caulkin), The Bodyguard (Kevin Costner), Aladdin (Robin Williams), and The Distinguished Gentleman (Eddie Murphy). Director Brian Henson, who is the son of Jim and Jane Henson, had previously only directed 1 episode of Mother Goose Stories (1990) then went on to make Muppet Treasure Island in 1996 and is currently working on The Happytime Murders, which is a crime comedy about a series of murders of the puppet cast from an ’80s children’s tv show, (with voices by Elizabeth Banks and Melissa McCarthy). Jerry Juhl wrote the screenplay in addition to working on nearly all things Muppets from their first appearance on Sam and Friends (1955-1961) to Muppets from Space (1999). Michael Caine had previously been in Blue Ice (1992 action as a former British Secret Service Agent), Noises Off… (1992 comedy with Carol Burnett about a travelling theatre group), was next a villain in On Deadly Ground (1994 action with Steven Seagal), and was last seen in Going in Style (2017 comedy with Morgan Freeman about 3 seniors who decide to rob a bank). The DVD includes a commentary, a profile of the character Gonzo, a video on Christmas Around the World, and a gag reel.
1992, G, 1h 25m
Distributor – Buena Vista
Budget / Worldwide Box Office (in millions) – $12 / $27
Filming Location(s) – Surrey, England
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