Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»1589. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

    1589. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on December 20, 2016 1992, 6 - 7.9, 80-89 mins, Christmas, Comedy, Dec 16, Kids', Movies Of 2016, Review, United States
    7.3 Enjoyable, but not so original
    • Acting 7.3
    • Directing 7.3
    • Story 7.3
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire

    Director: Brian Henson

    Running Time: 85 mins


    The Muppet Christmas Carol is an American film about the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a grumpy old man who hates Christmas who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve to show him the error of his ways.

    You know the story, it’s A Christmas Carol, so what we’ve really got to be looking at here with The Muppet Christmas Carol is how it uses that classic story to create laughs, as well as its own original ideas. On the whole, I’d say that the movie isn’t half-bad, and its light-hearted atmosphere makes for an enjoyable watch, thanks also to some great performances, but the adaptation of the story is often so direct that, for anyone who knows it, it’s not so engaging.

    Let’s start on the bright side, and say that this film does the job of being a Muppets movie pretty well. I never really found myself laughing out loud, but the presence of the Muppets within the 19th Century setting was funny enough to keep me entertained time and time again. Also, there are a few good jokes that interrupt the flow of the classic storytelling, and that makes for some properly good laughs.

    The performances are also a huge positive from the movie. At the centre of it all, Michael Caine does a great job as Scrooge, playing everything just slightly over-the-top, so as to make Scrooge, particularly in the opening act, a lot funnier and sillier than in the original story. What’s more is that Caine provides the deepest bit of emotion of the entire film. Although I wasn’t so impressed with how the film took on the Christmas Carol story, there are moments when Caine, alongside one of the ghosts, brings across Scrooge’s sadness and regret very well, some of the most engaging moments of the film for me.

    The directing in this movies is pretty good too. As far as mixing Muppets and 19th Century London go, I think you can say this is one of the best films out there. Seriously though, Brian Henson does a great job as always of directing the Muppets on screen, making them fit in surprisingly well with the human characters and setting, all the while retaining that silly nature that gives the film its light-hearted and more enjoyable vibe.

    Despite all that, however, the one issue I do have with The Muppet Christmas Carol is that it all feels a bit too safe. It’s enjoyable, yes, but more often than not, I felt like I was just watching a bog-standard movie adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and the Muppets weren’t always adding much to the experience. Whilst there are a good few moments that stand out and move the film away from a typical Christmas Carol adaptation, on the whole, we spend most of our time with Scrooge throughout, and the Muppets don’t really ever get a look in.

    Overall, whilst I definitely enjoyed The Muppets Christmas Carol, thanks to its strong performances, directing and light-hearted vibes, I can’t help but feel that it was just lacking in one key ingredient: more Muppets. The film often feels too much like Dickens’ Christmas Carol, and not enough like a Muppets’ take on it, and that’s why I’m giving this a 7.3.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    9.5
    Review
    September 25, 20140

    700. Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

    8.1
    Review
    March 21, 20140

    495. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    8.0
    Review
    January 7, 20220

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    8.4
    Review
    September 8, 20170

    1883. Train To Busan (부산행) (2016)

    8.7
    Review
    May 12, 20200

    2953. Before Sunrise (1995)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.