Rating: 
Summary: Two beloved classics combined
Review: Charles Dickens' classic tale "A Christmas Carol" has probably been adapted for stage, screen, and TV more than any other story in the history of literature. Many have been really great -- the Mr. Magoo animated version, Patrick Stewart's one-man stage show, the George C. Scott version, etc. But one of the best is definitely "The Muppet Christmas Carol," directed with heart and intelligence by Brian Henson. This version is particularly noteworthy because it combines two beloved pop-culture icons: Dickens' story and the Jim Henson Muppets.It's been a long time since I read Dickens' original text, but from what I remember, the MCC is quite faithful to Dickens. Like the other Muppet films, MCC combines human actors with the whimsical Muppet characters (just in case you don't know what a Muppet is, it's a sort of puppet). The great Michael Caine plays Scrooge, and the Muppets play other Dickens characters: Kermit the Frog is Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy is Mrs. Cratchit, etc. One clever touch is having Charles Dickens (portrayed by Muppet Gonzo the Great) appear as a narrator in the film. Gonzo/Dickens is accompanied by Rizzo the Rat, and the two have some great comic banter and slapstick humor. This device nicely complements the main story without distracting from it. The film is enhanced by some lovely songs; my favorite is the one sung by the Ghost of Christmas Present. Dickens' original "Carol" is, at its core, a compassionate and life-affirming story, and the Muppet version is right on target in preserving the soul of the tale. There are some genuinely sweet and moving touches (such as one Muppets' gift to Scrooge) that combine well with the trademark Muppet humor. Add to this good special effects, fine performances (both human and Muppet), and impressive sets and costumes, and you have a true classic: a film for every member of the family. In "The Muppet Christmas Carol," Brian Henson and his Muppets prove that, with imagination and skill, new life can be breathed into a favorite old story.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of Laughs!!!!
Review: This story is about an old, selfish, money-loving man named Ebenezer Scrooge. He HATES Christmas and he's as worse as ever on that traditional holiday;he's a real old sourpuss. He hates it because everyone is so happy! So, on Christmas Eve, he is visited by 3 ghosts. Before that, his long-dead partner, Marley, comes back, tied up by heavy chains. He warns him that if he is is selfish, he would get these chains, much heavier chains, all around him. It'll be made by his own selfishness. Marley tells him that 3 ghosts are going to visit him: The Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. This movie is so funny and fun! Gonzo as the hilarious Dickens and Rizzo as his sidekick. The songs are fun to listen. You'll love this movie, especially in Christmas!
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Muppet Movie
Review: This movie has great songs. It is a wonderful movie to watch at Christmas; my family watches it every year. Gonzo is a hilarious Dickens, and Rizzo is really funny, too. This movie always makes me laugh. Besides this, it's full of Christmas spirit. If you liked the book A CHRISTMAS CAROL, you will love this!
Rating:
Summary: It's sung Christmas on Christmas...
Review: But this is one tale that never even approaches the sights of boredom. A truly fantastic film, personally by far my most favourite Muppets' caper, with the likes of Michael Caine as the tight fisted Ebenezer Scrooge; in search of the Ghosts of Past, Present, and Future. The Muppets are reassembled for this musical version of Charles Dickens' classical tale, and are out in force with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie and not forgetting Rizzo, all delivering hilarious and moving performances; the men up high, or rather underneath should be praised. Having thoroughly enjoyed Patrick Stewart's latest Television/Stage Version, it is great to just get back to the madness and fun of this Muppet outing. It makes me cry with tears of laughter and sadness everytime, ultimately an amazing film. Are you a Muppet fan... this is still their best yet.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Movie!!!!
Review: I have been a lifelong lover of the muppets. I grew up watching Sesame Street and the muppet babies then as I grew older I watched all of the original muppet movies. This movie is the greatest of them all. Brian Henson does a great job of directing this loveable movie. I think this is the way Dickens would want the movie to be portrayed. Well, at least I do. :)
Rating:
Summary: Lots of fun, good songs
Review: A fun adaptation of an old chestnut. Probably not for toddlers, but preschoolers and up--even high schoolers and adults--will have fun watching this. You have to view it several times to catch everything they're doing with Dickens. Michael Caine obviously has great fun with a role that's been done and redone, bringing just the right touch of seriousness. And of course, the muppets are great. The scene with "The Marley Brothers" (the old hecklers from the original Muppet Show on TV) is one of the best versions of the old haunting episode I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: You must see this movie!1
Review: This is my first review on Amazon. I feel as though I am on a one woman crusade for this movie. I have been a fan of every Muppet creation from the very beginning. This is by far the best Muppet movie ever made. Once you see this movie you will have a very hard time saving it for the Christmas season. The story is wonderful, the jokes are quite funny and the music is perfect. I defy you to not sing along with "One More Sleep 'Til Christmas"! Just in case you missed my point - this is a fantastic movie. To miss this movie as an adult is a tragedy, to not share it with your children is child abuse! :)
Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly delightful Christmas Carol
Review: Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol has appeared many times in various incarnations, in the movies, on television and on radio. I haven't seen or heard every version there is, but I would have a difficult time finding a version that is more enticing than this one. In fact, I am not currently aware of any Christmas video that touches me more than this outing by the Muppets, not even my other two favorites "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Yes, it is directed to an extent toward children, but it is also directed toward the child in each of us, and in this it succeeds 100 percent. In fact, being an adult is definitely a plus in catching some of the humor. Some of the better-known Muppet characters play important roles in this adaptation, including Kermit as Bob Cratchit and of course Miss Piggy as Mrs. Cratchit. These two are by turns comic and surprisingly moving as the situation requires. Gonzo in the role of Charles Dickens narrates and provides comic relief, along with his cleverly-named sidekick Rizzo the Rat, but the two wisely disappear from the film during the more somber Ghost of Christmas Future episode, to return, as they tell us ahead of time, for the finale. And Fozzie the Bear appears as Scrooge's old employer named, not surprisingly, Fozziewig rather than Fezziwig. There are certain plot changes to the story, but none of them are severe and none affect the tale's basic meaning. One of the changes is that Scrooge presides over an office of bookkeepers of whom Cratchit is the spokesperson. Perhaps the biggest change is that there are two Marley brothers, Jacob and the newly created Robert, played by those two hecklers whose names I don't know. This modification gives the two of them a chance to sing a darkly comic duet about their current situation. We do get to see the brothers one more time, as guests at Fozziewig's Christmas party, so our final impression of them is not as the suffering spirits. Another important change is that the final scene takes place at Bob Cratchit's house on Christmas day rather than at Scrooge's office the day after, thus allowing for a big finale involving most of the major characters. The Muppets and even the subtle changes in plot all add a little extra something to the show. However, it is Michael Caine as Scrooge who really brings this picture off. He is younger than most Scrooges, which gives hope that he will be able to benefit his community for many more years than he might if he were older. His portrayal of Scrooge is so full of subtlety that I find myself sympathizing with the character at a much earlier point than I do in most versions. For example, when he joins his former sweetheart in her good-bye song "Love Is Gone," I am genuinely touched, because I can see that he has repeated to himself many times over the years the words she said to him that day. And when he discovers that this Christmas he is the butt of his nephew's rather unchristian Christmas game/joke, I feel Scrooge's pain. So we are well prepared for his completely believable and indeed inevitable final transformation when he sees his tombstone. Caine is so good in fact, that I don't even begrudge him his appropriation of Tiny Tim's immortal final line. He surely deserves that much of a plum, especially after spending the film acting with a bunch of Muppets, which cannot have been the easiest assignment of his career. A wonderful portrayal from every aspect. I mentioned "Love Is Gone" as a touching representation of Scrooge's state of mind. But the fact is that each of the half-dozen or so songs in the movie sets an atmosphere and a mood, and each adds something to the film that would not be there if the song were omitted. The Muppet Christmas Carol can, of course, be seen merely as an introduction to Charles Dickens' famous story (and Gonzo does in fact advise the audience to read the book if they enjoyed the movie). But I think the film also stands magnificently by itself as a wonderful retelling of this particular Christmas tale. Either way, it's a Christmas film that is not to be missed, by young or old. 5 stars? 7 or 8 at the very least!
Rating:
Summary: Superb! Awesome! Wonderous!
Review: There aren't enough words to describe how wonderful this movie is! You watch the movie and don't think that you are watching a bunch of puppets, you become engrossed in the classic Dickens story in this totally wonderful retelling. The songs, oh the songs, they are wonderful too. If I could own only 1 movie, this would be the one I pick. I watch it over and over as if watching it (in awe) for the first time. I would gladly pay an outrageous sum of money for a DVD or a CD-soundtrack of this film.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE THIS MOVIE!
Review: I thought this was perhaps the best adaptation of the Dickens' tale yet. First of all, Micheal Caine delivers a wonderful performance worthy of an Oscar nomination. He plays along wonderfully with his co-stars. The Muppets themselves, especially Gonzo as Charles Dickens and Rizzo the Rat as himself, are equally wonderful. They have the Muppet zest, freshness and vitality featured in "The Muppet Show". The music is very good too, and most of the songs are quite memorable. All in all, I beleive this may be my favorite Christmas movie.
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