There are many adaptations of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel Christmas carols Over the years. Turns out, some of them are better than others – Comedy Musical Starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell Full of energy There’s certainly a unique style and some catchy songs – but as a society, I think we can all agree that there’s one version that’s proven to be far superior to all the others, and that’s the 1992 classic The Muppet Christmas Carol. Starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge (one of the few truly human actors in the cast), the film follows Scrooge’s rise from miserable miser to The quintessential redemption journey of a generous man of the people – all narrated by Gonzo. (Genius, right?) As the saying goes: If you want something done right, bring in the Muppets.
While the film has become a must-see for children and adults during the holiday season, recent revisitations The Muppet Christmas Carol Made me realize how horrific some of these scenes actually were, even now looking through an adult’s eyes. Indeed, the fun musical sequences and the ubiquity of cute, lovable Muppets do a good job of distracting you from fully absorbing some of the darker moments throughout the story. But when you really stop and think about it, you realize there’s a sordid underbelly to this children’s movie that I feel so few people talk about. Will this stop me from falling in love with it in any way, shape, or form? Absolutely not! But upon closer inspection, I think you’ll also realize that this Muppet family favorite is a lot scarier than you remember.
knock knock knock
After a long day of talking nonsense and throwing stuffed animals into the snow, Scrooge goes home for the night. As he went to open the front door, the knocker transformed into an image of Jacob Marley, one of his late business partners. In theory, this may not sound that scary, but in practice, it proves to be quite unsettling, especially after the giant hair’s loud, eerie screams. Not an ideal way to start your night! While it could be argued that Scrooge probably deserved it, young Kelly certainly didn’t.
with friends like this
Soon after, Scrooge is visited by his first ghosts of the night, his former business partners (now deceased) Jacob Marley and Robert Marley. Now in shackles and chains, they explain that if Scrooge’s greed and selfishness continue, he may find himself facing some serious consequences in the afterlife, which is what happened to them.
They then sing a creepy song called “Marley and Marley,” warning Scrooge to change his ways before it’s too late. “Doomed, Scrooge! You are always doomed. Your future is a horror story written by your crimes,” they sang to their former friend. “Your chains are forged by your words and actions, so enjoy it. When life is over, a nightmare awaits you.
Certainly, it paints a powerful picture, especially when their chains and shackles begin to wrap around and strangle them while dragging the two ghostly figures away as the music fades out. Talk about creepy! This alone is enough to convince Scrooge to change his ways. But alas, he (and we) have more to fear.
hello dolly
Porcelain dolls are usually creepy, but when they appear as ghosts in your bedroom in the middle of the night, they’re downright scary. For some reason, Scrooge honestly didn’t seem bothered by them, but to this day, I still can’t look at the dolls the same way. Anything with glass eyes is an instant no for me, thank you very much.
dig one’s own grave
It turns out that “The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come” is a ghost who speaks very little (okay, okay, zero words), but that only enhances his fear factor. Well, actually, he looks like the inspiration for the Dementors of Azkaban. As a kid, I always wondered what it looked like under the hood, but as an adult, I realized I never wanted to know. Even Gonzo, the film’s narrator, doesn’t want to stick around for these scenes. That was enough to scare Scrooge away from his dastardly behavior, so I guess it worked, but at what cost to my sanity? This guy will haunt my nightmares for years to come. (See what I did there?)
Every year, we spend a lot of time debating whether The nightmare before christmas Is it a Halloween or Christmas movie. But if you think about it, the same argument can be applied to The Muppet Christmas Carol. On the surface it looks like just a heartwarming Christmas movie, and in many ways it is. But those dark moments have earned it a place in the Halloween/Christmas debate, with no “ifs,” “ands,” or “bah.”
