The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

by Jason Koenigsberg

The Muppet characters take on Charles Dickens’ beloved classic of a bitter and lonely miser and his redemption learning the true meaning of the Christmas and the importance of family and friendship is the best cinematic incarnation of Jim Henson’s Muppet’s. A bold statement especially considering this was the first Muppet movie since the untimely passing of Jim Henson and his son Brian’s directorial debut. The Muppet feature films have been inconsistent to say the least but Muppet Christmas Carol captures all of the magic of the Holidays and the infectious comedy stylings the Muppets are known for. Two time Academy Award Winner Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge and acts as if there are no Muppets in the movie at all, which works to the films advantage making their take on Dickens with Gonzo and Rizzo’s narration stand along any other film version. 

It was a modest hit when first released in December of 1992 losing a lot of business to Aladdin which was raking in the big bucks from family audiences that season. Ironically Disney released both of these films, Muppet Christmas Carol a few weeks after Aladdin. Due to an odd financial issue Muppet Christmas Carol was never aired on any premium networks until HBO acquired it in 2016. A very unfortunate fate for such a wonderful holiday picture that should have been played on cable TV as much as Home Alone, Elf, or all the other retellings of A Christmas Carol. Now is the perfect time to discover or rediscover Muppet Christmas Carol with your family and loved ones. 

It is currently available to stream on HBO GO. Instead of embedding the trailer, here are the curmudgeonly Statler and Waldorf as the ghosts of Scrooge’s deceased business partners in a great scene and an example of the charms Muppet Christmas Carol contains.