A Muppet Christmas Carol
Who knew foam rubber could be so heartwarming?

A couple of years ago I got heavily into the Muppets. I watched the TV show on cable everyday, I rented every Muppet movie I could get my hands on... you get the picture. That's how I discovered this movie. And on a sunny afternoon in June, after watching all the snow and cheer filling my screen, I found myself filled with the Christmas spirit. Which is a frustrating thing to be filled with in the middle of June, you understand. Kinda difficult to find a wreath to put on your door, or anyone outside of a mental ward who shares your sentiment. However, it came in very handy that December, when I was working in retail hell during the holiday season. Even after the worst day of dealing with idiot customers, all I had to do was pop in this video and I was as cheerful and bubbly as any one of the Muppets on the screen.

And the Muppets are very bubbly, bouncing down the Victorian streets with their customary sass. This retelling of Charles Dicken's classic tale is relentlessly heartwarming. Well, except during the appearances of the ghosts of the Marley brothers, Ebenezer Scrooge's former (and dead) business partners, and during the sequence with the Ghost of Christmas Future. That guy gives me the major wiggins, making this the creepiest movie featuring frogs and pigs I've ever seen. The songs, and there are lots of songs, are cheesy in the most wonderful way. I dare you not to hum along when Kermit the Frog, as Bob Cratchit, sings that there's "only one more sleep 'til Christmas."

Brian Henson made this movie after his father (Jim, like you didn't know) died a cruelly early death. For all that he has plenty of opportunities to let the film sink into sentimentality or sappiness, he keeps a pretty even keel. He filled this film with funny touches and great characters, staving off the sugar shock. With the Great Gonzo playing Charles Dickens and Rizzo the Rat playing... well, himself... the quips come fast and furious. Michael Caine's performance as Scrooge shows the skinflint character to be by turns odious and pathetic.

All of the Muppet favorites make an appearance, right down to Bean Bunny, The Cutest Bunny In The World (TM). You'll have almost as much fun playing Spot-the-Muppet as you will laughing at Rizzo's one-liners. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be reminded to keep Christmas in your heart all year 'round.

DROOL FACTOR: Steven Mackintosh as Scrooge's nephew Fred and Edward Sanders as Young Scrooge prove that some men just look good in lace collars and big capes.

GROSS-OUT FACTOR: Dude. It's the Muppets. And A Christmas Carol. The only gross out is how mushy I get watching it.

STRONG CHICK FACTOR: Ms. Piggy's reading of Emily Cratchit is hilarious. Not exactly a strong chick, more like a strong pig, but the concept applies. Of course, Ms. Piggy has always been an icon of getting what you want, and karate chopping the people who get in your way.

-- Jen Hopper

A Muppet Christmas Carol is currently available on video.

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