The Muppet Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens' original story did not feature a narrating rat, dancing penguins, or a tadpole on crutches as Tiny Tim: leave it to the Muppets to correct these grievous oversights. Brian Henson joyfully carries on his father Jim's legacy with this surprisingly faithful adaptation of the timeless holiday tale of miserly Scrooge (a game Michael Caine), who learns to stop with the "bah, humbug" and love Christmas after all. There is just the right touch of Muppet irreverence: for instance, when Scrooge threatens to fire his put-upon staff of rat accountants for complaining about the cold, they respond with a rousing version of "Island in the Sun." The mostly Muppet cast features Kermit as Bob Cratchit, with Miss Piggy as his wife (their brood consists of girl pigs and boy frogs), while hecklers Statler and Waldorf almost steal the show with a song-and-dance extravaganza as the ghosts of the gleefully greedy Marley brothers, Jacob and (get this, reggae fans) Robert. The story's gloomier aspects are lightened up a bit for young audiences, but as Gonzo self-importantly observes, "this is culture," after all. Originally released on DVD in 2002 in a full screen version only, this new release includes both widescreen and full screen versions, as well as an audio commentary by Henson, a gag reel, and a retrospective look at the film. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)[Blu-ray Review—Nov. 6, 2012—Walt Disney, 86 min., G, $26.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol features a nice transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Extras are nearly identical to the previous DVD release, with new bonus features including an audio commentary track by Kermit, Gonzo, Rizzo and other Muppet characters, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Extras carried over from previous releases include audio commentary by director Brian Henson, a “Frogs, Pigs, and Humbug: Unwrapping a Holiday Classic” retrospective featurette (22 min.), “Pepe Profiles—Gonzo: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Weirdo” (6 min.), a blooper reel (3 min.), “Christmas Around the World” with Gonzo and Rizzo (3 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: this classic Muppet holiday film makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]