Kildare Live's Christmas film pick: The Muppet Christmas Carol

It would seem that Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol has been adapted a near-infinite amount of times, but it truly warrants it: it is such an iconic story.

Recycling the same story over and over again can be a challenge, but if you're going to do it, putting everyone's favourite band of animal-puppets together is certainly an original way to do it.

1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol gave the Dickens classic a new lease of life, while still being surprisingly accurate to the source material, even using much of the dialogue from the book verbatim.

It also sprinkles in some genuine ear-worms: they're so catchy that even someone like me, who isn't overly keen on musicals, found myself tapping my foot to at many points during the film.

The film also features a genuinely engaging performance by Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge. Both Caine and the film's director, Brian Henson, agreed behind-the-scenes that he should play it straight.

It pays off, in my opinion, as he acts as a good counter-balance to the Christmas joy; you get a really good feel of the solitary and bitter life Scrooge leads.

This time, the tale is narrated by the Great Gonzo as Charles Dickens, and Rizzo the Rat as... well, himself, because why not. The duo's slapstick sibling-like rivalry offers a good counter-balance to the film's darker scenes.

Speaking of which, I respect how faithful the film, despite being aimed at children, is to the book: the eerily mute Ghost of Christmas Future is undeniably creepy, and Tiny Tim still dies from an illness (in the Ghost of Christmas Present segment), and Scrooge still suffers his massive guilt-fuelled breakdown near the end of the film.

They even nail the oppressive, gloomy Victorian atmosphere down right from the get-go.

Also, props to whoever found a way to incorporate Statler and Waldorf, the grumpy critics, as Scrooge's former business partner, Bob Marley (this time as Marley & Marley), who trade insults right back at a sceptical Scrooge, in a different yet at-the-same-time similar way as the original story... whoever thought that up deserves a pay-rise.

The film also has one famous fan: Guillermo del Toro, the Academy Award-winning director of films such as The Shape of Water, Pan's Labyrinth, Cronos, Hellboy, and the newly released Pinocchio on Netflix, which itself has been met with acclaim.

Ultimately, in my view, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a great digestible introduction for children to the story (which includes little eight or nine-year old me) and it also serves as a fun, 85 minute adventure for the rest of the family; with one or two cleverly orchestrated jokes thrown in for the adults for good measure too.

In addition to being dedicated to the memory of puppeteer Richard Hunt, The Muppet's Christmas Carol is also dedicated to the director's father: Jim Henson, the artistic genius who created the Muppets (and the original voice of Kermit). The film marked the first venture with the Muppets to be made following Jim's death.

Well, Brian, I have no doubt you made your father (and of course, the late Mr Hunt) proud with this feel-good festive flick that's suitable for the whole family.