The Muppet Christmas Carol

               This is my favorite version of A Christmas Carol.  It is actually the only one I watch.  The only one that sticks pretty true to the story, I mean.  There are others that I enjoy that take the story and twist it.   Even when throwing those into the mix The Muppet Christmas Carol is still my favorite.  Blame it on The Muppets.  I love them.

                Michael Caine stars as the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge.  He has his dutiful worker Bob Cratchit played by Kermit the Frog and his other employees are rats.  Scrooge is his usual stingy self and must be warned about his ways.  Upon returning home on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by his old business partners, Marley and Marley.  In the original story there is only one.  As the business partners in this version are played by the two hecklers Statler and Waldorf, there was an adjustment.  They let Scrooge know three ghosts will be visiting him that night and if he does not learn from them and change, he will be doomed to have the same grim fate as their own.

                The Ghost of Christmas Past arrives.  She shows Scrooge his childhood with Sam the Eagle as the schoolmaster.  They then move some years on to a Christmas party held by his boss Fozziwig (Fozzie Bear) where he meets the love of his life, Belle.  The final scene of the past is where he loses Belle due to his money obsessed ways.

                Second is the Ghost of Christmas Present.  He is an absent minded giant, but very jolly.  This ghost takes Scrooge to his nephew’s house and to the home of Bob Cratchit.  Miss Piggy plays Mrs. Cratchit.  During the visit to the Cratchit house, Scrooge sees Tiny Tim and becomes concerned for his well-being.

                Finally is The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  He does not say anything but shows Scrooge all the sadness that is to come.

                Along the way the story is narrated by The Great Gonzo portraying Charles Dickens.  His sidekick is Rizzo the Rat, playing himself.  They are quite funny together.

                No matter how many times I see this movie, I laugh.  The dialogue and actions of The Muppets are very clever.  I have to watch this at least once every year.