Director: Brian Henson
Writers: Charles Dickens (Novel), Jerry Juhl (Screenplay)
Release Date: 11 December 1992
Running Time: 85 minutes
MPAA Rating: G
Editor’s Rating: 3 out of 4 Frozen Rizzo the Rats

You know, it’s really hard to think of a cast of comedic performers as omniscient and prolific as The Muppets. And don’t for one second tell me that they’re not real. THEY ARE. I will hear no more on this. They’ve been in business since 1955, and it looks like they haven’t aged a day.

Now, I do not make these statements to take the emphasis off of the late Jim Henson, the group’s founder. There are few people in this world deserving of your respect. Jim Henson is one of them. He’s what makes the Muppets the Muppets, and his family have been excellent stewards of The Muppets brand since his passing in 1990. And there’s no better example of this than The Muppet Christmas Carol, released in 1992.

This was the first Muppets movie since Henson’s passing, and it turned out to be quite a gem. Featuring Michael Caine as the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge, and The Muppets as everyone else, this adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel is wonderful. There’s an expression that you see with so many of the celebrities who’ve had the honor of working with The Muppets. It’s a sort of meek smile, always seen from the side and with the person looking down, since so many of The Muppets are, for a lack of a better word, diminutive. I’ve always attributed to the fact that everyone who works with The Muppets always suffers a severe case of stage fright. I like to call it “The Muppet Face.” However, Michael Caine seems to be the only human being on the planet whose acting abilities are on par with the talent The Muppets bring to the table. He is never intimidated, making the role of Scrooge seem natural and effortless.

The only problem I can find with the movie is its music. What’s my problem with it? I don’t really remember it. The songs don’t get stuck in my head. They try pretty hard, but in the end, I just don’t care about them. I want to, I really do. But I just saw this movie a couple weeks ago, and do you want to know what I do remember? Rizzo the Rat on fire then frozen in a bucket of ice. Gonzo as Charles Dickens. Kermit and pygmy Kermit as Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. The Muppets being amazing, and Michael Caine being equal parts charming and a butthole.

The Muppets may not have the best musical team, but their comedy is always on top notch, and the celebrity talent they draw is always amazing. That’s why The Muppets are relevant almost sixty years after they were founded: they continue to be hilarious, a little off, and downright adorable in some cases (I’m looking at you, chickens). There’s really no movie they’ve made that doesn’t deserve a watch, so do yourself a favor and check this film out this Christmas. It’ll be great.

**This movie is part of my personal collection, and I was not reimbursed for this review.**