134 The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Our Christmas extravaganza continues with The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is summarized by Samantha as “A bad dude is visited by 3 ghosts, it scares him, and he becomes nice.” It combines 2 beloved worlds and we discuss the existence of an afterlife, the birth of Christmas traditions, fantastic performances from Michael Caine and several muppets, and why this movie inexplicably works.

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 Christmas musical comedy directed by Brian Henson (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Jerry Juhl. Adapted from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, it stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, alongside Muppet performers Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, and Frank Oz. Although artistic license is taken to suit the aesthetic of the Muppets, The Muppet Christmas Carol otherwise follows Dickens's original story closely.[4] It is the fourth theatrical film in The Muppets franchise, and the first to be produced following the deaths of the Muppets creator Jim Henson and the performer Richard Hunt; the film is dedicated to both.

The film was released in the United States on December 11, 1992, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. It received modest box office success and mostly positive reviews. It is the first Muppets film to be produced by Walt Disney Pictures, whose parent company would later acquire the Muppets franchise in 2004.