The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)


 

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

“Quickly, it’ll be warmer in there.”

“Mr. Scrooge I. Presume?”

“A life can be made right.”
-The Muppet Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is almost synonymous with the better parts of our human nature. The tale of a wretch of a man who is visited on Christmas Eve by three spirits in the hopes to unearth his dormant humanity. Ebenezer Scrooge's journey from a miserable sinner to a siren of goodwill, may be as much a staple of the Christmas season as Jesus's Nativity, at least in the nonreligious sense of the season. A Christmas Carol represents humanity at its highest potential. This little novella achieves an aspirational view of the human condition without ever downplaying its hardship. In short, A Christmas Carol is humanity in almost perfect microcosm. That may be the reason for its longevity and its countless adaptations into other media. We will always need the aspirational humanity that A Christmas Carol provides us. Honestly, can you ask for more than that, I suppose not. Though, let me ask you this question: is there a way to improve upon that which seeks the ultimate betterment of the human person?
You may be surprised to find out that there is indeed a way to improve the most human of stories. You make it more human. It's striking how human The Muppet Christmas Carol is. For some intangible reason those anamorphic puppeteered animals bring A Christmas Carol to life in such a way that they elevate Dickinson's Christmas classic to new delightful and charm filled heights. Come to think about it, the Muppets elevated "humanity" may come from the fact that they are tangible, in the created sense of the word. In turn that tangibility breaks free of the barrier of the camera lens even more so than a flesh and blood human being. You may ask, how is that possible, puppets more real than human beings? Therein lies your answer: we are more To seeing humans through the medium of film. Puppets on the other hand are a rare breed when it comes to the visual narrative space. Even considering the pedigree of this well-respected ensemble of character actors.
That said, I hesitate to lead you down the path of tangible versus computer-generated images, because the magic of movies isn't solely contained in the craft of a puppeteer and/or the artistic prowess of a computer and its operator. Far from it, movie magic contains all of that and much more. The Muppet Christmas Carol succeeds to the highest degree because its heart lies in the sheer fact that it wants to tell you a story. A story, for that matter, of redemptive power and meaning. The Muppets shine here, without question they are at the top of their thespian game. With a tinge of the unique irreverence that only The Muppets can provide, director Brian Henson and his team bring A Christmas Carol to life with an exuberant heart. Reminding us that we are worthy of redemption no matter how wretched we may seem.

Merry Christmas!

Rated G

I found The Muppet Christmas Carol to be enormously entertaining, meaningful and thought-provoking. I hope in some way you do too.

The Muppet Christmas Carol can be streamed on Disney Plus with a subscription. Is also available to purchase and rent on any other digital video streaming service. It is available physically on DVD and Blu-ray disc.

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