Well, will you look at that? Today is Christmas! And it just so happens, for Holiday-Palooza, we have to put up a review on this very same day! So, while I generally prefer to take a long, hard look at more “unconventional” Christmas movies like Gremlins and Die Hard 2, I just can’t bring myself to do that on this exact date. This did lead to a dilemma of what legitimate Christmas movie to review.

Not only did I want to review a holiday classic, it had to be something I have not seen before to make it special for myself. So, I went through the various streaming sites and I went to Disney+. And it turns out they had precisely what I needs… and wanted!

I never actually watched The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is strange because, growing up, I really liked the Muppets. Well, now’s as good a time as any to take a look at this popular Christmas movie! So, let’s go check out The Muppet Christmas Carol!

The Muppet Christmas Carol is basically a retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens… but with the Muppets featuring in a lot of the roles. The story and the film focuses on Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Michael Caine), a wealthy but misery man. He has no friends and doesn’t care for Christmas. On one Christmas Eve, however, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by his deceased partners and is told that the three Spirits of Christmas will visit him because of his attitude that contrasts drastically with what Christmas is supposed to be.

First off, if you’re looking for a laugh a minute movie with the Muppets, this isn’t it. For the most part, the story is played straight. There are some jokes and gags mostly from Gonzo the Great and Rizzo the Rat, who play Charles Dickens and… Rizzo the Rat. But, in general, the entire film feels more like a drama and an actual real faithful interpretation of A Christmas Carol. There is a lot of focus on Ebenezer Scrooge, the human, and not the Muppets, which is, well, kind of the point. Still, while this is good for adults, I’m not sure if young children will enjoy it. I mean, less Muppets, less enjoyment for the children.

I do have to give Michael Caine huge props for his performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in a Muppet movie. He doesn’t come off as goofy and silly like you would expect from a human character in a Muppet film. Instead, he plays it seriously and ignores he’s performing with puppets instead of actual human beings. He’s not playing the straight man while all the humorous moments surround him. No, he is performing to his full skill and I really appreciate all the effort he put into it. Okay, maybe there are one or two moments where he does come off as silly. But those moments are definitely few and far between.

Despite the Muppets not being front and center for the majority of the movie, I do have to admire how well they managed to blend in the puppetry with the locations. Although it’s very obvious everything was filmed on a sound stage, the sets do look impressive. The only real issue I had with the sets would be Bob Cratchit‘s house. He’s supposed to be severely underpaid yet his home is extremely huge! I know I’m supposed to suspend my disbelief and this is a Muppet movie. It’s just… it’s so roomy!

The Muppet Christmas Carol is also kind of a musical as there are song numbers. Unfortunately, none of them are memorable. They are nice to the ear while you’re watching it. But I honestly forgot what any of the songs sound like just a few minutes after watching the film. They’re fine but nothing that will make me want to run out and buy the soundtrack.

I’m also kind of weirded out how the main Muppet characters weren’t in the film for all that long. Sure, we had Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit and Gonzo the Great as Charles Dickens (even if Charles Dickens wasn’t actually in the original story). But the rest of the Muppets were mainly bit players in a Muppet movie. Fozzie Bear is in, like, what? Five minutes of screen time? That’s a shame, isn’t it?

Even with all of that being said and all of the issues I’ve mentioned so far, I actually enjoyed The Muppet Christmas Carol. But that’s only because I’m older and can appreciate what they were trying to do. I don’t think, if I were younger, I would like the movie too much as it is generally bereft of the Muppet humor. There is still that Muppet magic. The puppetry is still brilliant and the puppet performances work well with the human characters, especially with Michael Caine playing it straight. It just has a very different energy. So, if you have younger kids and you think they’ll have a fun time, I would caution you that they might not.

But, if you’re older or you have older kids who can appreciate deeper storytelling, I do think The Muppet Christmas Carol is more than just a worthy watch. It tells the story of A Christmas Carol seriously enough to give what the original story was trying to say.

Have you seen The Muppet Christmas Carol? How old were you when you did? Let me know in the comments section below!