Everything about "The Muppet Christmas Carol" is pretty much perfect. Michael Caine gives one of the best human performances in a Muppet film ever. Watching his Scrooge be cruel to the Muppets is both shocking and hilarious, and the way he slowly lets their joy seep into him is a beauty to behold. "Scrooge" is a perfect little villain song for the townspeople to sing about him. Kermit's Bob Cratchit is so tender with his Tiny Tim (played by Robin the Frog), and the movie has the best interpretations of the three ghost characters. The creative team took the time to match the Muppets with the characters that match them best (Fozzie the Bear as "Fozziwig" is deeply inspired).
But what brings this one really over the top is Gonzo and Rizzo's performance as the narrators, with Gonzo technically portraying Charles Dickens himself (and Rizzo just being his hilarious friend). It gives the movie irreverence and humor that embody the spirit of Dickens's original work, as Ethan Warren argued in his 2019 essay in Bright Wall/Dark Room.
At the end of the film, Gonzo tells Rizzo what happens to everyone in the story, and his delivery of the line "Tiny Tim . . . who did not die!" gives me enough Christmas cheer to get me through the next 12 months.
Watch "The Muppet Christmas Carol" on Disney+.
