The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Muppet's update of Charles Dicken's classic holiday standard doesn't exactly do justice to particular elements of the well-worn story (although Michael Caine makes a serviceable Scrooge and I suspect an even better one in a more reverent rendition) but works best with the imaginative infusion of Jim Henson's beloved creatures (Henson died not too long before the films release and his son Brian is credited as director). Major characters are grossly underused, notably Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as his wife, and Fozzie Bear as Mr. Fezziwig (or Fozziwig for our purposes) and the original songs are mostly forgettable but the minor characters supply a share of hearty laughs and Gonzo steals the show playing the Dickens as he clumsily narrates the festive proceedings. *** out of ****