A Christmas Carol Retrospective: Part 10
By: Brett B
Tags: A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, Film Reviews, Movies, Christmas

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

This version was released into theaters in 1992 and features veteran actor Michael Caine in the role of Scrooge, who many might know as Alfred from the recent Batman films or from one of his many other supporting roles. Of course, most of the other cast is filled in by various Muppet characters and in a take that I have yet to see replicated in film, a character actually playing Charles Dickens himself observing and narrating the events of the movie. The movie is 86 minutes long and is available for streaming on Disney+.

We are first introduced to Muppet characters Gonzo the Great and Rizzo the rat. Gonzo informs the audience that he is Charles Dickens and will be telling the story of Scrooge, even though Rizzo doubts that Charles Dickens was “blue and furry”. Some of Gonzo’s narration is taken straight from the book, others are original descriptions of what is occurring on screen. Dickens starts his narration as the book begins with a minor change “The Marleys were dead to begin with.” “Marleys” being plural, as to better fit the Muppets into this version they made Scrooges partners into brothers rather than just one man. Dickens accurately predicts that Scrooge will be coming around the corner, and the first song of the film, “Scrooge” is sung by the various Muppets on the streets of London, who sing about how cruel and cold Scrooge is.

Scrooge makes his way to the door his business and we are introduced to Bob Cratchit (played by Kermit the Frog) and in this version, Scrooge also has a number of other bookkeepers played by a bunch of Muppet rats. Bob and the rats ask for more coal for the fire and Scrooge angrily asks if they’d prefer to be unemployed. And in one of my favorite gags, a quick cut reveals the rats in tropical native gear who briefly sing “Island in the Sun”.

Fred arrives, played by human performer Steven Mackintosh, and he and Scrooge go through the typical argument. The charitable gentlemen arrive, played by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his assistant Beaker (Meep Meep Meep!). Fred antagonizes Scrooge by suggesting to them that he is capable of donating, and Scrooge still rudely dismisses them. At the door he hears a carol being sung by Bean the Bunny, who asks for a penny for the song, and Scrooge slams the door in his face, before reopening it to throw Fred’s wreath at him.

Bob and the rats ask for Christmas off and Scrooge eventually relents and leaves. As they close up for the night Bob sings “One More Sleep till Christmas”. As they leave Bob enjoys sliding on an ice patch with some penguins.

As Scrooge arrives at this door, we see the door knocker slowly turn into the head of Jacob Marley, performed by Statler and we’ll later see the other Marley, performed by Waldorf, who most will know better as “the old hecklers who sit in the balcony of the theater”. Jacob lets out a wail (this part used to honestly scare me as a kid) and Scrooge is put off, but continues on. As he gets into his chambers, he thinks someone is in the room and attacks a shape that just turns out to be his clothes on a coat rack.

As he sits in his chair, the two ghosts of the Marleys rise up from the bottom of the staircase. Here they are given the names Jacob and Robert (which some have noted that naming him Robert may be a joking reference to musician Bob Marley). They talk about their past with Scrooge and sing the song “Marley and Marley”, which pretty much replaces the typical speech that Marley gives in most versions. Scrooge says his “more of gravy than of grave” line and the Marley’s say it’s a terrible pun and to leave comedy to the bears (referencing how Fozzie Bear’s awful comedy was their usual favorite heckling target). It’s a simple joke, but I think it speaks volumes about how good this adaptation is. As a kid I thought that it was silly enough that they wrote that line for the movie and I was surprised to find that it was in the book! The Marleys end their song with the warning of three visiting spirits and one final word, “Change!”

We get a comedic moment where Dickens and Rizzo try to get to the other side of Scrooge’s house to watch, but Rizzo must jump from a gate he climbed. After he falls he realizes he left his jelly beans on the other side and simply squeezes through the bars to get them.

Meanwhile Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas past, who appears as a feminine child-like wispy-looking ghost that is some early example of CGI work, but it looks decent enough as an ethereal and strange being. The Spirit takes Scrooge to his boyhood past at school, with Dickens and Rizzo hitching a ride via grappling hook.

We see him as briefly as a lonely schoolboy, and a quick montage ages him up a little to a scene with the headmaster of his school, portrayed by Sam the Eagle, who gives him a pep talk about being a man of business. “It is the American way!”, he says, but is quickly fed a corrected line by Dickens and switches to “It is the British way!”

Scrooge is warped to his apprenticeship, “Fozziwig’s rubber chicken factory”. We get to see Fozziwig, who is played by Fozzie Bear. Fozziwig gives a very brief speech and the Marley Brothers are even present to heckle him for it. The party is lively, with Electric Mayhem members as the band and the Swedish Chef (one of my favorite characters who gets far too little screen time in this movie as the cook), and Rowlf on the piano.

Young Scrooge runs into Belle, who he is meeting for the first time. The Spirit tells him there was another Christmas Eve with her years later. Scrooge begs not to be show that Christmas, but is taken there anyway. Young Scrooge tells Belle that business is poor and he cannot marry her yet when they do not have enough money. He says he loves her, but she said he did once.

Now here is where things get interesting, because the movie changes completely depending on how you are watching it! When this was released in theaters (which I was way too young to see) the movie goes straight from her saying “You did once” to Rizzo crying with Dickens consoling him and Scrooge asking the Spirit to show him no more. But, when it was released to home video on VHS and LaserDisc an entire missing song was restored called “When Love is Gone” which Belle sings to the Young Scrooge and eventually Old Scrooge sings along with her as well.

As a kid, this scene was infamous in my family, as I would usually make a joke that it was time to get ice cream or popcorn because I found the song slow and boring. (It’s about 3 minutes long). According to interviews with director Brian Henson, it was cut due to others having my exact childish reasoning. Kids in test audiences became bored and fidgety and Jeffrey Katzenberg (then chairman of Disney Studios and a bit of a controversial figure from Disney history that the documentary I previously mentioned, “Waking Sleeping Beauty” dives into a bit) suggested cutting the song.

Now it is mildly difficult to find a version that has “When Love is Gone” in it. My VHS copy as a kid did, but when they moved to DVD and Bluray, most used the theatrical version that is missing the song (Although some DVDs do feature a formatting option that keeps the song). Even on Disney+ the song is omitted, which is how I watched it this year. This was my first time watching the movie without it, and I have to admit, my kid-logic was dumb. The scene is too fast without it, Rizzo crying makes little sense, and Scrooge’s emotional reaction seems too extreme without it there. The original footage was considered lost so it was suggested that it may never be added back into the movie, however, literally two weeks ago this article made its way around the internet. Apparently the original negatives of the scene were found and it is going to be restored in a newer release and may eventually be put back on Disney+ as well. Merry Christmas, indeed!

With that done, the Spirit takes Scrooge away and he awakens in his bed at the strike of 2:00. A jolly Ghost of Christmas Present appears, played by a large Muppet suit (sort of like the Muppet Sweetums) that has the green robe and holly crown. He has an added gag where he repeats himself a few times, since he is always in the present. He takes Scrooge to the streets, where a number of Muppets are celebrating Christmas and the spirit and cast sing “Feels Like Christmas”.

He’s then taken to Fred’s party, where they start a game of “Yes and No” where the answer ends up being the “unwanted creature” that is Scrooge, which Scrooge is dismayed by.

We’re taken to the Cratchit house, where Mrs. Cratchit is of course played by Ms. Piggy, Tiny Tim is Kermit’s nephew Robin, and we get another Frog and some pigs as Peter and daughters Betina and Belinda (who Mrs. Cratchit confuses for each other). Tiny Tim gets too excited at the food and has a coughing fit, to which Scrooge shows pity. Bob offers Scrooge a toast and Tiny Tim begins the song “Bless Us All” and the other Cratchits join in.

Scrooge is touched and asks about Tiny Tim’s fate. The Spirit’s hair is starting to gray, showing that his time as Christmas Present is growing short (a detail many of the films do not add). He takes Scrooge to a cemetery and disappears, while a massive bank of fog rolls in, revealing The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a hooded grim-looking Muppet figure. Dickens and Rizzo express that it’s getting too scary and they’ll see everyone at the finale.

Scrooge is taken to a bunch of business-pigs discussing the funeral and how no one will attend. One jokes that he’ll go, if lunch is provided. (Again, this joke fits so well I thought it was only in this movie, but it’s in the book). We then move to Old Joe’s (who is portrayed as a large spider Muppet) and the three sellers give him some of Scrooge’s possessions. Scrooge is taken spirited to the Cratchits, who we see mourning Tiny Tim. I feel the need to point out that Kermit the Frog mourning someone is so much more emotionally devastating to me than I think any human actor could pull off.

Scrooge is shown his own grave and awakens when he grabs the Spirit and finds it transformed into his own blankets and is happy to be given a new chance. He opens his window and the boy below is Bean the Bunny, who he threw the wreath at earlier. He asks him to purchase the prize turkey. As he heads out, he runs into the charity guys played by Bunsen and Beaker again, and offers them a large donation with back payments. Bunsen is so impressed he wishes there was something they could give to him. Beaker meekly offers the scarf he was wearing to Scrooge, and Scrooge is touched that he was given a gift with a nice little musical motif playing. If that doesn’t bring a joyful tear to your eye, I don’t know what will!

Scrooge and a chorus of Muppets sing “A Thankful Heart” as he makes his way down the street, leaving coal as gifts for his rat bookkeepers, and even stopping in an old folks home to see old versions of Fozziwig and his headmaster. He makes his way to the Cratchits, where he gets everyone to hide while he pranks Bob and raises his salary (but not before Mrs. Cratchit jumps in to defend Bob. “And I’m about to raise you right off the pavement!”). Scrooge brings in the entire cast with the turkey and other food as Dickens narrates. Rizzo asks about Tiny Tim, and Dickens says “And Tiny Tim…who did NOT die!” (I also thought this was an emphasis joke as a kid, but it is actually written in the story with all caps!) Dickens to continues with the final words of the written story, and Scrooge joins in for a “God bless us, everyone!”

The whole cast of Muppets join Scrooge in singing “The Love We Found” which is set to the same tune as “When Love is Gone”, which makes removing that song make even less sense! As the camera pans up showing the city, Rizzo says “Nice story, Mr. Dickens” and he replies “Thanks, if you like that, you should read the book!”, which is a perfect endorsement to end with!

I’m extremely happy to say that this movie still holds up fantastically. The songs are all quite catchy and they do what a good musical does by actually enhancing the plot. “It Feels like Christmas” covers the moments in the story where Scrooge sees how much joy Christmas brings, “When Love is Gone” shows his heartbreak, “Marley and Marley” shows his need to change his ways, etc. I’d say the only superfluous song might be “One More Sleep til Christmas” and it’s not bad by any means.

The Muppet characters fit into the story so incredibly well it almost seems pre-ordained. Kermit as a meek, but loving and caring family man is perfect for the role of Bob, and Mrs. Cratchit, who in the written story begrudgingly toasts to Scrooge really fits Miss Piggy’s sassy nature. Fozzie as “Fozziwig” is such a good fit it seems too good to be a coincidence. The addition of Gonzo and Rizzo adds some somewhat distracting humorous moments, but I think it weighs out with his often book-accurate narration.

I’ve seen a number of online articles or postings that say this is one of the most accurate versions of a Christmas Carol, and while I could gush about this movie for awhile, I can’t really agree with that. While it hits the major notes of the story, there are a number of side scenes or details missing and even though Gonzo gives a good amount of narration, a lot of it isn’t from the book. In watching it again in this slew of other Christmas Carol movies, I was a bit taken aback by how short it is. I understand it’s a kids movie and at the time it was released most kids movies aimed at a little around an hour for a run time, but this movie went by so fast and I was shocked at how little screen time Scrooge himself really gets. It’s mostly reaction shots of him watching the Muppet performers. While I understand it is a Muppet movie, the story is about Scrooge and he should have had more focus and time to interact with characters.

Criticisms aside, I love this movie and even in trying to give it an un-biased look, I can’t help but be charmed by it. It may not be the most accurate adaptation, but it is one of the best!

Brer Rabbit’s Christmas Carol (1992)

Well, to go from the Muppets to this was quite a shift. For those unfamiliar with Brer Rabbit, he is a folk-tale character passed down from oral storytelling that originated in the South of the United States by African American storytellers. The stories usually feature various other “Brer” animals, some friendly and some antagonistic. Brer Rabbit is a “trickster” character, a common archetype throughout many cultural folktales and in many stories he gets in over his head and learns a lesson. Fiction writer Joel Chandler Harris (who was publishing his works around the same time as Charles Dicken coincidentally) would collect many of these oral tales and publish them in his “Uncle Remus” story collections with the framing device that they are told by fictional freed-slave Uncle Remus. These stories served as the basis for the controversial Disney film “Song of the South” which has never been released on physical media in the US, but did serve as the basis for the theme park ride “Splash Mountain” at Disney World and Disneyland, which is now being re-themed.

This version was produced by Canadian animator Al Guest who had set up an animation studio in Dublin, Ireland and then moved around to various animation studios around the world. It’s available to watch for free on Amazon Prime and it is (thankfully) 56 minutes long.

I’m glad this is not a straight adaptation, as it would be painful for me to have to watch it enough to do a play-by-play write up. The general synopsis is that Brer Fox is the mean and cruel Scrooge character of the animal’s town. He refuses to donate any of the wood he owns to help the “needy critters” and spends most of his time bossing around Brer Bear, who is kind, but dumb. The animal’s community theater is putting on a production of a Christmas Carol, and Brer Rabbit gets an idea to trick Brer Fox into changing his ways.

He gathers a number of animals, including a bird that can impersonate voices, and a group of beavers to physically move the bed, who all sneak into Brer Fox’s house and impersonate his dead friend, Brer Wolf, by using some shadow puppets and the impersonating bird. They are successful and scare him into hiding under his covers so they can “fly” him to the theater, where they put his bed hidden on stage and act on the past, present, and future scenes to make him see the errors of his ways. A subplot has Brer Bear seeing the “ghosts” and trying to find help by going to Brer Alligator for something to get rid of ghosts, but he accidentally comes back and destroys the theater in the process. Brer Rabbit takes responsibility, but to his shock, the plan works and Brer Fox has changed his ways and agrees to pay to rebuild the theater.

First off, this one is hard to look at. All the character designs look like they came from a knock-off coloring book you’d see at a grocery store. The music sounds like MIDI files from an old PC. The animation is stiff, the colors are dull, and the voice acting ranges from boring to mildly offensive. There are a few times where Brer Rabbit reads dialogue directly from the novel in the “play” to convince Brer Fox, but that’s as good as any closeness to the real story can get. There’s some attempts at humor throughout, but even though the plot isn’t that poorly written, I think only really young children would find this one interesting.

Next time I look at some more animated adaptations, including the Flintstones! Thanks for reading and have a merry Christmas!