| 30th | Top Disney film soundtracks: 1990s |
| 81st | Top Christmas films |
| Released | December 11, 1992 |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Director | Brian Henson |
| Written by | Charles Dickens (author) Jerry Juhl (screenplay) |
| Original music by | Paul Williams (songs) Miles Goodman (score) |
| Studio | Walt Disney Pictures |
| MPAA Rating | G |
The Muppet Christmas Carol is the fourth feature film to star the Muppets, and the first produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. Released in 1992, it was one of many film adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Gonzo, claiming to be Dickens himself, narrates the story, with the help of Rizzo the Rat. Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge, with Muppets taking the rest of the parts -- including Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim, and Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig.
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In this adaptation of the timeless story, as told here by Gonzo and Rizzo, it is Christmas Eve in London. The merriment is not shared by Ebenezer Scrooge, a surly money-lender who is more interested in profit than celebration. So cold to the season of giving is Scrooge that his book-keeping staff, including loyal employee Bob Cratchit, has to plead with him just to have the day off work during Christmas.
Later that evening, Scrooge find himself face to face with his former business partners, Jacob and Robert Marley (Statler and Waldorf), who have been condemned to shackles in the afterlife as payment for the horrible deeds they committed under Scrooge's employment. They warn him that he will share the same fate if he doesn't change his ways, and foretell the coming of three spirits throughout the night.
Scrooge is first visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, a child-like specter who takes Scrooge on a journey back through time to his youth. He recalls his early school days, during which he focused on his studies; the meeting of a young girl named Belle (Meredith Braun), with whom he would later fall in love; and the final parting between Belle and Scrooge, despite Scrooge's protests that he would marry her as soon as there was enough money. Later, Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Present, a somewhat forgetful entity who lives only for the here and now. He gives Scrooge a glimpse into the holiday celebrations of others, including Bob Cratchit and his family. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come reveals the most chilling revelation that young Tiny Tim will not survive the coming year, thanks in no small part to the penniless existence of the Cratchit family. Furthermore, it is revealed that when Scrooge's own time has passed, others will certainly delight in his absence from the world. It is this final epiphany that jolts Scrooge back into humanity, and vows to celebrate with his fellow man. Scrooge plans a feast for Bob Cratchit and his kin, and learns to adopt the spirit of Christmas throughout the year.
Like many films, when The Muppet Christmas Carol was going through production, many concepts, ideas, and even songs were conceived which did not make it into the final film. The song "When Love Is Gone" was originally planned to be part of the film; however, it was dropped when film makers found that the test audiences (mainly family viewers with younger children) become restless during the scene. Its reprise at the film's finale, "The Love We Found," and the pop version over the closing credits, were retained. Producers felt the song slowed the film down, and was not Muppet-focused; plus the film was already pushing the limits of many younger viewers' attention spans in the test screenings. The producers decided to cut the song from the theatrical release of the film. It was not until the film was released on home video that the song was presented to the viewers. They felt that the song worked better in a home-viewing context, and audiences would be more accepting, understanding and appreciative of its inclusion. Since they regretted cutting the important song from the theatrical edit, they decided to add it back in to the film for all subsequent home video and DVD releases in the USA, along with all subsequent TV airings of the movie. The film retains the cut in the UK and Region 2 DVD release. The issue of this cut was discussed by director Brian Henson in the film's DVD audio commentary recorded in 2002 (again, except on the UK DVD release, which omits the commentary as well).
There are common misconceptions and confusion surrounding two other songs written for the film that weren't seen the final product. The songs "Room in Your Heart" (sung by Bunsen and Beaker) and "Chairman of the Board" (sung by Sam Eagle) were written by Paul Williams for the film. The two songs were recorded and mixed. However, they didn't move further into development because the filmmakers felt the film was already going to be quite lengthy, that the songs didn’t help progress the story, and that they would hurt the overall pacing and feel of the film. The two numbers were dropped from the script early on. These musical sequences never made it to production and were never filmed. Yet, since the filmmakers did not just want to waste the two unused Paul Williams tunes, the songs were included on the soundtrack album.
The movie, like the three previous Muppet films, was done as a musical. The songs were written by Paul Williams and the score by Miles Goodman. A soundtrack album was released including the film's songs along with instrumental tracks of Goodman's score. In addition, recordings of two unused songs were also included on the album.
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It's hardly suprising that the Muppets look more comfortable than the humans in this Victorian London heritage ride. It's like a department-store Xmas grotto after lights-out with the toys taking over and sending up the tawdriness of the whole thing simply by indulging their cynicism and sentimentality, while Michael Caine's Scrooge wanders round like a disgusted caretaker. The film's best joke is its ongoing symposium on the problems of narration, between "Dickens" (The Great Gonzo, neither bird nor beast but a misbegotten bendy-nosed thing) and his skeptical stooge Rizzo the Rat. They have to keep climbing walls and hitching lasso rides to get the story told.
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...There's a sense that the film-makers, overawed by their classic source, are reining back the anarchic exuberance on which the Muppets' appeal always rested. Cult acts like Fozzie Bear (Fozziwig) and Miss Piggy (Miss [sic] Cratchit) are seriously constrained by their Dickensian characters -- although at least the long-delayed union between Kermit and Miss Piggy, celebrated in The Muppets Take Manhattan, has finally borne fruit (two female pigs and two male frogs --- the opportunity for a pog, or even a frig, has sadly been passed up)... All the same, The Muppet Christmas Carol achieves the odd genuinely chilling moment, along with a lot of fun. The sets are detailed and charming, there are the usual lively, instantly forgettable songs, and several favourites (the Swedish Chef, Rowlf) show up in cheerful cameos. As lead guest human, Michael Caine makes a respectable stab at Scrooge, but never for a moment challenges the memory of Alistair Sim.
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