There are certain movies that people consider to be Christmas classics that are wheeled out every year for nostalgic enjoyment. Chances are, Elf and Home Alone make that list for you. I’m not here to tell you those are bad movies by any means—certainly the adventures of Buddy and Kevin have their place. However, I am here to tell you to give another movie a try this festive season. One that is simultaneously funnier and darker and does a much better job at capturing the Christmas spirit.
This movie stars British icon Michael Caine, who plays a greedy character who hates Christmas. His character is visited by three spirits in an attempt to help him change his ways. It also happens that he’s surrounded by puppets, many of whom tell silly jokes and break out into song. I’m talking about The Muppet Christmas Carol.
The Muppet Christmas Carol is the ultimate Christmas movie
The Muppet Christmas Carol is an adaptation of the 1843 Charles Dickens novella, which tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old and miserly businessman who despises Christmas and all of its festivities. Set on Christmas Eve, Scrooge refuses a dinner invitation from his nephew and only reluctantly allows his worker Bob Cratchit to take the day off.
That night, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, who is bound in chains and warns Scrooge that a similar fate awaits him. Scrooge is then visited by three spirits—the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come—who show him how his attitude has and will affect others.
It’s a surprisingly dark tale, full of ghosts, poverty, and death, and one that is a pretty faithful retelling of Dickens’ work. This description may not spark feelings of warm holiday joy, and it may sound like odd material for the usually absurd and bright Muppets, but this is one of the main reasons why The Muppet Christmas Carol is so brilliant and a true Christmas classic. It combines that darkness with light to great effect.
Caine, as Scrooge, gives a masterful performance; he plays it entirely straight as if he’s acting with humans. However, you’ll often be laughing out loud, especially when the Muppets are around. Gonzo inhabits the role of Charles Dickens, guiding us through the story with Rizzo the Rat by his side. The pair get into all sorts of chaos along the way, like when Rizzo’s tail is accidentally set on fire and Gonzo pushes him into a bucket of icy water, or when Rizzo pauses the story because he left his jelly beans behind.
Elsewhere, Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker play two charity collectors, Fozzie Bear appears as factory owner Fozziwig, and Kermit and Miss Piggy are Bob and Emily Cratchit. It’s a joy seeing which Muppet is going to pop up next. While some only appear briefly, they all get their chance to shine.
And then there are the songs! Kermit’s delightful tune One More Sleep ‘Til Christmas, sung as he walks home after a long day of work, is heartwarming. Statler and Waldorf’s Marley and Marley is funny and catchy, while the finale When Love Is Found is bound to have you grinning from ear to ear—if a bunch of Muppets singing and dancing with Michael Caine doesn’t spark joy, I don’t know what will.
Elf and Home Alone are good, but they’re not The Muppets
Home Alone is a decent movie, but I wouldn’t call it a great one. I know that might be controversial to say. Macaulay Culkin is good as the young Kevin MacCallister, left at home to fend for himself after his family go on a trip and forget about him. The contrived chaos that ensues is amusing enough, but I’m not sure the slapstick sustains the runtime. As a light and simple watch, it’s fine.
Elf has a more interesting story, about a human raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole who travels to New York to meet his biological father. Will Ferrell’s shtick is sometimes wearing, but it works well here, and the film is full of jokes and festive imagery.
Nevertheless, I believe The Muppet Christmas Carol to be the superior Christmas movie. It’s a timeless story that will have you laughing one moment, singing the next, and then wiping away tears. It doesn’t outstay its welcome, and it stands up to countless rewatches, as you appreciate background details you hadn’t noticed before or pick up on a throwaway joke in the dialogue. Plus, neither Home Alone nor Elf have a group of mice that say “no cheeses for us meeces.”
You don’t have to take my word for it. The Muppet Christmas Carol has a higher popcornmeter (86%) on Rotten Tomatoes compared to Elf (79%) and Home Alone (80%).
Stream the best version of The Muppet Christmas Carol
If I’ve convinced you to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol, make sure you watch the right version. Disney+ includes a full-length version that includes a song between Scrooge and his fiancé Belle that was cut from some releases. Not seeing it is a loss because it helps make what comes later in the film even more impactful.
As such, when on the Muppet Christmas Carol page on Disney+, switch to the “Extras” tab and select the “Full Length Version”. Happy viewing!
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