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Michael Caine said that he took this role because his daughter was too young at the time to watch most of his works and wanted to make something she could do. He ended up having a great time making it, and has said that this was one of his favorite roles.
Aw... How sweet. Come on though, who doesn't have fun with puppets as your co-stars. As long as they're not those freaky uncanny valley puppets. *shivers*
He missed one of the best bits, where Sam the Eagle is talking to Young Scrooge, and as always with his patriotisum, says "It's the American way!", Gonzo leans over, whispers to him, and he goes "It is the BRITISH way!" then looks around slightly confused.
The Muppets (at least used to) treat kids of all ages with respect. Sesame Street, while for preschoolers, never talked down to its audience. This movie gives just the right amount of scary for the kids.
Something about the climax that's worth pointing out: In this version, Scrooge knows it's his name on the gravestone even before asking the spirit who the evil dead man was. Caine's acting is pretty fantastic as he tries to stall before looking at the grave and confronting the truth. When he begs for his life, it's not meant to be from a man suddenly shocked into getting his ass in gear, it's meant to be from a man who genuinely hates who he's become and what his legacy will ultimately be. It's much more subtle than other versions, and the music reflects this (although the music could still probably be better). That's probably why Doug doesn't feel a surge of emotions from this climax: because the film is trying to convey different emotions than the ones he's looking for.
@@dsilva369 Also the line "Spirit, I know what I must ask. I fear to, but I must... Who was the wretched man who's death brought so much glee and happiness?"
Honestly ive seen as many different versions of A Christmas Carol as i can, and IMO I rarely see a version that convincingly shows Scrooge changing after seeing his future. He never struck me as the kind of person who cared what people thought about him, or afraid of death. Maybe its just me
I agree. I got less of him being afraid of death and more of him sad that he'd wasted his life being a horrible asshole. Him seeing that he'll die soon means that he can't repent and change his ways, which makes him sad that he can't escape his horrible legacy.
@@ISBuckley8Another man of great talent lost to AIDS. Just like Howard Ashman, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful.
"Work hard, lad! And one day you'll be a strong as this very building! (Gonzo and Rizzo crash to the ground on a broken shelf) "Hmm...I've been meaning to fix that shelf"
I think it fits if Scrooge dances awkwardly. He's probably not done it in like 30 years. I am kind of sad he didn't really talk about the Marley and Marley song.
The Marley and Marley song _legit_ has some chilling lines: “Your future is a horror story written by your crimes”, “As freedom comes from giving love, so prison comes with hate” and “So have your fun when your life is done a nightmare waits for you”. The guy who wrote “Rainbow Connection” everybody!
Wow....surprisingly....yes, you’re right. The grape bunch hair, the classic top hat and dark waistcoats of 1840s soot covered London.... they even change the style fairly accurately to reflect the more Georgian fashions of Scrooge’s younger years. Haha omg can’t believe I’ve never noticed that.
@@kmb6296 yea no one really notices but it’s so cool that it’s accurate, especially because they didn’t have to do that. It’s the Muppets. They could’ve worn anything and we would have believed it.
The fact that Caine underplays it REALLY helps the character though, it shows how Scrooge is just SO UNCOMFORTABLE doing these things, that his body looks like it's trying to resist him.
@@geoffreyfyfe2248 when did he say that? I doubt he said that when the movie came out. It flopped. I guess if I were in a flopped movie that went on to become a huge cult favorite that I'd remember it more fondly too. Whether he says he loved this role or not, his performance is subpar for an actor of his caliber. The cause escapes me: bad direction, or a lack of commitment? I can't say. But I can say, without controversy, that I just don't like his performance in the movie. It lacks sincerity, conviction, or passion. Its not a BAD movie. But Michael Caine is a better actor than this.
@@creativecatproductions You're an idiot who doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. Caine took the role because he and his daughter loved the Muppets and he deliberately played the role as if all the actors WEREN'T the Muppets, with no winking at the audience. And it worked. He's the best Scrooge and you're a fool.
The fact it has Muppets aside, The Muppet Christmas Carol is the closest rendition to the original. Rizzo quotes more from the original story than any other version of the story.
@@WULDORI Surprisingly, no. The First Edition prints of A Christmas Carol actually include moments like forgetting jelly beans on the other side of a gate, landing on a flaming hot goose, and telling Gonzo that the ending is too scary and that they'll return for the finale. Charles Dickens was oddly prescient. And a blue, furry whatever.
Scrooge: How can I change my fate, Spirit? *The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come removes his hood to reveal Wilkins.* Wilkins: Just try a cup of Wilkins Coffee. Scrooge: What? I don't drink coffee! I'm British! *A firey grave opens up and Wilkins pushes Scrooge in.* Wilkins: A life without Wilkins Coffee is no life at all.
Scrooge wakes up and unwraps a present. Inside he finds a teacup full of tea with the word “Wilkins” on it. He hesitates and sips the tea as the camera zooms out to show Scrooge is in a cup of Wilkins coffee, surrounded by multiple cups of Wilkins. The movie end with a jump scare of old commercial mascots as the screen cuts to black and the credits roll.
Well too bad for him I don't drink coffee and I would tear him up if he did that too me... Come back and he would be terrified... And the who fuck cares about him...
I think portraying Tiny Tim is so hard because there has to be this deep, underlying sadness to him. Of course he's finding joy in the little things but that doesn't erase the fact that he's dying and he knows it. I think if more adaptations made his sweet smile a little harder to keep up and his voice more earnest rather than just sweet it would hit harder.
Yes, well said! I can relate to trying to stay hopeful despite health issues, and it’s that “trying to” part I need to see before I really connect with Tim.
I haven't seen _Arrietty_ myself, but when Doug reviewed it for Disneycember (since Disney was in charge of dubbing and distributing Studio Ghibli films at the time), he described the human kid in that movie as having a certain manner of talking and looking at life due to his terminal illness, which... if more _Christmas Carol_ adaptations captured that with Tiny Tim, they'd prolly be in the clear.
The part with visiting his nephew always breaks my heart. Scrooge actually joins in on the game and begins to instantly have fun and getting excited, just to find out they were making fun of him. His face going from joy to sadness just gets to me...
Yeah, it really hurt to see Scrooge heartbroken like that, but seeing as how he was so cold the last time Fred saw him, you can't say he didn't have it coming.
Yeah, but it was nice later in the story when Scrooge joins Fred's party, just when they're playing the game and about to mock him, altering their outcome with surprise instead of laughing at his expense.
I don't care what anyone else says, the Muppets is EXACTLY what makes this rendition so perfect. What better way to tell one of the most wholesome Christmas stories of all time than with one of the most wholesome group of kids TV characters? The tone of this movie is pitch perfect, such a classic!
Apparently the costuming is super accurate too. UA-camr Abby Cox has a video breaking down the costuming details, time periods they're from, and even how the poor characters wear older clothing about 10 years out of fashion because they wouldn't have had money to update.
@carlotta4th 😧 that's what I read, too. I was pleasantly surprised reading that the Muppets have the most accurate when it comes to the costumes compared to other Christmas Carol adaptations
I personally think the Muppets should go back to this kind of film-making if they ever do versions of well-known stories again - this and Muppet Treasure Island worked because they didn't just use the basic plot as backdrop for Muppet shenanigans, they did a good mix of the original setting and their trademark zaniness. Not so much so with Muppet Wizard of Oz, and is it any surprise they haven't done any more Muppets-do-Classic-Tales films since? Plus, I think the problem with Tiny Tim is more from the fact that he isn't really a full character in his own right, it's the family and Scrooge's reactions to him and his potential fate that's important. Dickens was actually trying to make a socially-important point with this - nobody is just a number in the system, nobody is disposable as part of the "surplus population", everyone will leave behind grieving friends and family if they die and if you can do something to prevent this kind of tragedy you probably should.
Oh yeah. There's a Muppet Classic Theatre you can find on youtube where they did a similar thing. When the stories are told with just the muppets in the roles it's great! But when they do wacky things, like making the shoemaker's elves elvis, it just doesn't. . .
Yeah the Muppets Wizard Of Oz was a hit and miss. I'm actually surprised the Muppets haven't done any other classic tales but then again.... they're not the same anymore 😕
@@LilyZerep They did have a special where they did a bunch of classic tales you can find it on youtube 'Muppets Classic Theatre' but those are pretty hit and miss as well.
@@LilyZerep muppets wizard of Oz had potential if they treated it like the other. Have Dorothy and her family be human, then everyone in Oz as a muppet, and going for a more book accurate version instead of the MGM movie. And the muppets could pull off the return to Oz tone that was in the original book.
From IMDB: This was the first major Muppet project after creator Jim Henson's death. The role of Kermit the Frog was handed down to Steve Whitmire. He said he was incredibly nervous about taking over such an iconic character. The night before he recorded Kermit's songs for the movie, he had a dream where he met Henson in a hotel lobby and told him how unsure he was. In the dream, Henson reassured Whitmire that the feeling would pass. After waking up, Whitmire was confident and able to do the part.
There are 2 versions of it. Of course the proper version is tucked away in the extras. You click on Muppet Christmas Carol and it shows the cut version.
@@phoebelajoie5466 I feel like it makes less sense to not have it in the regular version from a business standpoint, personally. Shouldn’t it be considered the “definitive” version?
"Does anyone find it strange that one of the most popular renditions of a 19th-century novella written by one of England's most celebrated authors has talking socks in it?" Does anyone find it strange that one of the most popular renditions of a 19th-century pirate adventure story by one of Scotland's most celebrated authors has a Carribean tribe of pigs, a rock band, and a bunch of pleasure-cruising rats? Not really, because the Muppets are so awesome and fun that the strange thing would be for their interpretations of famous, beloved works to *not* be popular!
Seriously! The Muppets versions of A Christmas Carol and Treasure Island are actually my favorite adaptations of both. Michael Cain and Tim Curry just nail their roles as Scrooge and Long John Silver respectively.
Wilkins: Would you like a cup of Wilkins coffee? Scrooge: Ba hum bug!! Wilkins strangles Scrooge with a ribbon from a present Wilkins: You either celebrate Christmas with Wilkins or you just don’t celebrate
Dom Noble did a rundown of the adaptations of Christmas Carol. He basically said that this is the best because it showed a progression of Scrooge's character
Nah theres a third type those who think the muppets should be Muppets and not touch a classic story about the harshness of the human condition during a time meant to be full of love and how kindness and be the most beautiful thing when shared with others Aswell as a commentary on the way the poor are treated by those who are better And how being treated poorly can make others harsh and cold to the world around them Seeing Kermit play Bob makes me smirk and enjoy the movie but I will never take it seriously
There is something about the way these older Muppet moves have that "grainy" look and warm feel that just lures me in every year. It is the visual equivalent of a heated blanket and hot cocoa. They can't match it with the cgi style stuff of today.
Fun fact, basically up until the star wars prequels, feature length movies were always shot on film. With digital cinema came the ability to make things less grainy, but there is such an artistic appeal to how film captured light and color that many camera companies as well as color correction software now try to come up with algorithms to replicate film as much as possible, sometimes even adding grain. I guess this movie is a good example as to why!
You just described what I’ve never been able to put into words. I’ve always loved the older, nostalgic look that movies used to have, especially from the 90’s. The colors always seemed brighter despite the grainier look to them. Digital is great, but when everything now looks so clean and perfect, it’s hard not to get bored by it.
Regardless of personal feelings about When Love is Gone, it feels almost necessary to the plot. It's her break-up, in song form. Without it, it feels like we're forced to guess what happened to them.
I agree. When Scroog sings with Belle, you could clearly tell her words stayed with him all these years. He regrets his decision choosing money over his one love and it's the beginning of his change in becoming a better person.
It's like a big changing moment for him too I almost wish they would have at least added a brief moment where we see her break up with him so we as an audience know why heading to that moment was so painful for him
I really love this version. It incorporates the Muppets but in a way that honours the source material and doesn't completely pander to kids. As a kid the Marley's scared me as well as the spider and the Ghost of Future Yet to Come.
What i love about the Marley brothers bit is how they gleefully sing about how cruel and greedy they were only to instantly shudder and be instantly reminded why they’re cursed as their chains weigh them down.
That’s why I don’t like Muppet Treasure Island as much. Christmas Carol felt like just a regular adaptation of Christmas Carol that just so happened to have muppets in it, the human cast took everything 100% seriously, the songs felt like they could be in just a regular musical version of the story and it rarely deviates Meanwhile Muppet Treasure Island feels like a Muppet retelling with weird visual gags, the pirates being comedic instead of threatening, Ben Gun being Miss Piggy, the songs being more Muppet like that Treasure Island like (Cabin Fever being a good example) and it deviating in many places from the source material such as keeping Mr Arrow alive, having Jim become captain at the end and having Rizo and Gonzo play themselves instead of having Gonzo play Robert Lewis Stevenson like he did with Charles Dickens
@@mrcritical6751 my guess is it's mainly due to the source material ...Treasure Island is a much more adult story with lots of death and violence involved in near every chapter and it's pretty much impossible to adapt into a children's movie without greatly overhauling the original story.
I heard they cut the “When Love is Gone” song because they thought kids would not be able to sit through it. Just like in Pocahontas when they cut out “If I Never Knew You”.
That's so weird because as a kid, When Love Is Gone was actually my favorite song in the film. I knew it was sad, but I loved how beautiful it was. So imagine my major disappointment to find it cut from the DVD version years later. It just felt so incomplete without it.
I mean, as a kid who watched the VHS version. I really couldn't sit through it. The music and singing was nice, but the woman's acting didn't hold enough emotion to actually entertain me.
27:00 My heart rate shot through the roof when it clicked. The Wilkins Coffee proto-Kermit is insatiable. I love when Critic throws in just a small continuity joke like this. It's really rewarding for regular viewers.
I remember seeing A Christmas Carol performed on stage with my family and that version made Tiny Tim the narrator when he’s all grown up. In my opinion, it was a good twist. While it may not have added a lot to the story, it gave the message more depth that the child who would have died if not for Scrooge was keeping his name and memory alive many years later. It’s up to you if it makes Tiny Tim’s character better if you don’t like how he is portrayed in the adaptations.
That’s actually a really good twist. It reminds me of an Off-Broadway show called A Sherlock Carol, which also has an adult Timothy Cratchit, who in this show has become a doctor. He recruits Sherlock Holmes to investigate the death of Ebenezer Scrooge.
I think it surprisingly work, since the narrator in the book is very conversational. It’s pretty similar to the compromise that Muppets did, where they have Gonzo and Rizzo as the narrators of the movie.
Yeah totally. Not the, dramatic emotional moments reminiscent of the original classic story. Not the message, that the Christmas season should be spreaded every year. Not the amazing puppetry, hell no! A phallic meeping puppet flipping the bird to our unlikeable protagonist. Now that's what literature does to ya.
I watched this movie, every year on Christmas day with my mom growing up and shared it with my daughter. She loved it. Plus, I always felt sorry for Bean, the Bunny. T-T I always wanted to give him a hug. When Love is gone always made me cry watching it, but I loved it.
Regardless of what one thinks about this story, Michael Cane's emotional breakdown in the graveyard is the best rendition of that scene in any adaptation
i think what makes this version so great is that it's appealing to kids while still taking them seriously. i never felt 'talked down to' with that movie. the technical aspects are really lovely too. i always liked the way they handled christmas present. and the addition of all the rat muppets. always liked that.
Director Brian Henson has confirmed that the deleted number 'The Love Has Gone' has finally been restored by Disney and will be making a comeback in streaming platforms soon.
@@MystearicaClaws Henson told BBC Radio 2 he was "excited" and "happy" that When Love Is Gone could again be heard in forthcoming versions of his film. The ballad is sung to a young Scrooge by his fiancée Belle in the 1992 reworking of the classic Dickens story. It was removed as Disney felt it wouldn't appeal to young viewers. In the process of cutting the song for the cinema release they lost the video master and couldn't find the negative either, Henson (son of Muppets creator Jim) previously explained in a 2018 interview. The love song remained in the VHS copies of the film but when DVDs were invented only the cinematic master was available. But two weeks ago, Henson received a call telling him the film was being remastered in 4K and asking him to check the new version. At that stage, however, he wasn't told the lost piece of film had been found. "I was so excited. They actually hid it... so I went down and they said: 'But before we show it to you, we've got something else we want to show you'. And they put up reel four of Christmas Carol with When Love Is Gone," Henson told Radio 2, in a programme that will be broadcast on Christmas Day. "I was like, 'No, you did not!' and they said, 'Yes we did! We found it!' I was so happy, I was so happy. "They are all set with the full-length version again. I don't know if they are going to get it up on Disney Plus in time for Christmas because they have all these processes but it is coming back, the full-length version is coming back." Source: www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55232499 from 10th December, which was a lovely Birthday surprise for me!
The reason this is the best Christmas Carol: Out of every version Ive seen, this one overwhelmingly makes you feel like OH MY GOD I LOVE CHRISTMAS. if that makes sense
Something I wish Doug had pointed out in Scrooge's reformation is the red scarf. When he meets with Honeydew and Beaker at the end, he tells them he'll make a donation in the morning. Honeydew says he wishes they had something to give Scrooge, and Beaker reaches up and gives him his own scarf! Caine's face sells this moment; "For me? A present for me?"
In generell he went over this review as if its just one of 100 Movies but its not this Movie has 100 of little thinks in the background and 100 of details but this review does not even see it
Looks like the news just came out today too! That's wonderful! I think they're planning on a 4k release and will fit it on Disney+ if they make it in time.
I would cover my eyes, my ears and my nose in order to not get possessed, i ate that scene so damn much. If my bedroom door was open you could soo onto the hallway and the banister looked similar to the one in the film. Closing the door didnt help as my bedroom door has a window above it so i could see out into the hallway
6:12 [Grover and Kermit yelling over each other] 6:15 "You have done that to me too many times, Piggy! I will not stand for it! I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!!" 6:18 "Of course, it's a orange, I just told YOU it was a orange!!" 6:21 [Miss Piggy and Kermit scream at each other back & forth] 6:23 "Piggy, you are FIRED! You are FIRED! Piggy, you are FIRED!!"
Fun fact about "When Love Is Gone" The real reason that song didn't appear in later versions is that they lost the original Master Copy of the recording- which meant they never could remaster it for over 20 years. HOWEVER the news broke within the last day or so that Disney has FINALLY found the Master Copy for it and has notified the Hensons.
This news has made my year. My vhs copy was eaten by my vhs player a few years ago. Watching it without "When Love is Gone" just felt incomplete. I am so excited for it to come back.
30 years old and still one of my favorite incarnations of the classic Christmas story by Charles Dickens directed by Brian Henson At first he was very hesitant to do it after Jim’s unfortunate passing in 1990 But it succeeded grossing $27.2 million from a $12 million budget I remember renting it a lot on vhs as a kid It's a very lovable adaptation featuring those colorful Jim Henson puppets The story and characters are pretty much the same from the original story, the Muppets add some more flavor to it The sets are creative and the atmosphere, the 3 ghosts are pretty cool, and I love how Gonzo and Rizzo constantly liven the tension breaking the fourth wall They go all the way even showing Tiny Tim's passing at one point so the filmmakers don’t shy away showing the dark, depressing nature of Dickens’ writing Kermit does wonders as Bob Cratchet Some might not like Michael Caine as he has awkward line readings, the singing isn't very good on his part , and the songs are too brief to leave an impact But many stuff is funny like Fozzy Bear's hilarious part during a flashback The kids will love the muppets and the adults will enjoy the jokes simultaneously A flawed but worthy adaptation that is required holiday viewing yearly The movie’s popularity is so immense that it has become a focal point of the festive season for many friends and families, who insist that Christmas hasn't really begun until they've belted it out Not to be missed by anyone who loves the holidays or these Muppets
@@Gamerdad90s I am aware of that. It was his angry face in the thumbnail that tipped me off. Many of his thumbnails are less angry-looking, so this one stood out.
I've ran that suggestion a couple years too, but instead of Top 12 Christmas Carol Adaptations, I instead ran a suggestion for Top 12 Best Scrooge Portrayals in Christmas Carol Adaptations.
Crazy, you'd take out "The Love Is Gone", it ruins the whole scene. The song is well written too. It's a very sad conversation and it sounds not an epic lose but a whimpering defeat. Which is more heart breaking. There is a wealth of difference between a lose, a defeat or destruction. That middle ground is worse!
This is by far my favorite rendition of A Christmas Carol mostly because Michael Caine made me believe that the muppet filled London was a normal thing, that humans and muppets coexist without a second thought, unlike all the other muppet movies that made sure you were always aware that they are muppets
'Doomed, Scrooge. You're doomed for all time! Your future is a horror story, written by the crimes. Your chains are forged by what you say and do, so have your fun when life is done a nightmare waits for you' That part always stuck with me.
The only thing I didn’t like about this otherwise awesome review is that they clearly missed the opportunity to call Tamara’s character Tiny Tam. Edit: 200+ Likes? That’s amazing! Thanks everyone.
The main problem with cutting "When Love Is Gone" (aside from, as you said, making me wonder just what Rizzo was so upset about in the theatrical version) is that it lessens the payoff of "The Love We Found." That's supposed to be a triumphant reprise of the earlier song, making the point that Scrooge will put the lessons of his former bad choices to good use, but without it, it's a reprise without a main song.
Love how the extra Marley is called Robert, i.e. Bob. Weird fact--Statler and Waldorf had previously been played by the recently deceased Richard Hunt and Jim Henson, making the scene something of a tribute but also a bit ghoulish in a way.
Michael Kain dancing with the puppet of the ghost of christmas present is fucking golden. It's like Kain suddenly realized in that moment how silly and amazing his job can be.
18:25 This part makes sense if you think of this as a play the Muppets are putting on. Gonzo acting as narrator, Rizzo worried about the kids, and Gonzo feeding lines to Sam can all be seen as points to this possibility.
'When Love is Gone' is my most favorite song from Muppet Christmas carol. Why they took it out idk. She was giving sad nostalgic smiles as she sang remembering their love. And the song still can resonate today when you lose /fall out of love. Also to me a Christmas carol is kinda boring on its own, but the Muppet's gives it something fun....in my opinion that is.
My biggest problem with cutting "When Love Is Gone": Scrooge and the cast sing a reprise ("The Love We've Found") at the end of the film, and it's beautiful because it hearkens back to his earlier bitterness and sums up the journey he's taken to put it behind him. It's a great way of bookending the main arc of the story. Without the earlier duet between him and Belle, though, my reaction is to the ending is just "well, this is a nice little tune. It doesn't really tie into anything else, though, so whatever." Bad move.
" I would prefer a version ... where everything goes wrong and is geared a bit more towards adults..." -slides "A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong" over to Doug-
This film was dedicated to the memory of Jim Henson and I always thought that the scene where the Cratchet family are mourning Tiny Tim, I felt they were saying goodbye to him.
This movie bombed because of Aladdin, the idiot Jeffrey Katzenberg didn’t want to advertise the Muppets Christmas Carol because he wanted Disney to continue sustaining Aladdin’s box office numbers. He didn’t care for the Muppets franchise!
@@Movypro23toy merchandising is a big factor in promoting movies. But I feel the Muppets franchise still doesn’t get enough attention from Disney, because it’s not as profitable as animated movies.
I appreciate your input NC, it was entertaining, enlightening and insightful, you are truly a credit to your field - but this is still the best Christmas movie of all time. I will die on this hill.
Came back to watch this episode again despite you uploading a different version today. This will always be my favorite and yes , seeing it on TV skipping "the love is gone" definitely made me question my sanity once
If I could work my will, anybody who talks smack about George C. Scott’s portrayal of Ebenezzer Scrooge should be boiled in his own Christmas pudding and buried with a stake of holy through his heart. 😂
True. That's why I like Home Alone 2. It's a rehash of the first movie, but I used to watch it at my friend's place every Christmas when we were kids, so it has become a tradition.
Another fact: Katzenberg forced Brian Henson to cut "When Love is Gone from the theatrical cut over the latter's objections because he believed it was too sad and boring for the young children who would be watching in the audience
I love this movie, I watch it every Christmas. It's so sweet and easily enjoyable for adults, and I like that it doesn't treat kids like they're stupid, I mean it opens with "the Marley's were dead to begin with".
Some learn, some don't
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CHRISTMAS 🎄 STAMPS
Review Batman Return.
Sweet
Nice love your channel
Review Mickey's Once a Christmas (1999).
Michael Caine said that he took this role because his daughter was too young at the time to watch most of his works and wanted to make something she could do. He ended up having a great time making it, and has said that this was one of his favorite roles.
You can tell by his face at the end 🤣 guy genuinely looks like he's having a blast 😊
Aw... How sweet. Come on though, who doesn't have fun with puppets as your co-stars. As long as they're not those freaky uncanny valley puppets. *shivers*
I love how serious he took it. He really sells it and makes it seem like the muppets are truly just as real as he is.
As it should be, he did a fantastic job!
Funnily his irl progression reflects the character
He always takes his roles seriously. Even when he was the villian in a Steven Seagal movie, directed by Steven Seagal.
He missed one of the best bits, where Sam the Eagle is talking to Young Scrooge, and as always with his patriotisum, says "It's the American way!", Gonzo leans over, whispers to him, and he goes "It is the BRITISH way!" then looks around slightly confused.
I love that line!
Underrated scne
One of my favorite lines, too. :P
YES!
There's also a cut song about capitalism from Sam Eagle called Chairman of the Board that's hilarious.
I love the hyper-abridged version.
Scrooge: "Christmas sucks!"
Ghosts: "YOU SUCK!"
Scrooge: "Yay Christmas!"
pooped today
Scrooge: is that your Christmas decoration? That's cringe
Everyone in the story: YOU'RE CRINGE
scrooge crying in the bathroom
Scrooge: Humbug.
Ghosts: stop being a dick.
Scrooge: Okay.
Scrooge: “I don’t need to be better!”
Ghosts: “Yes you do!”
Scrooge: “Ok”
@@sotwoodz2714 Wow, you come in the comments and that's what you post? Seriously, put on your big boy pants and grow up.
“ Whoa that’s scary stuff. So you think we should be worried about the kids.”
“Na, this is culture.”
My favorite line in history.
The Muppets (at least used to) treat kids of all ages with respect. Sesame Street, while for preschoolers, never talked down to its audience. This movie gives just the right amount of scary for the kids.
Hahaha me too!! I still use it to this day!! 😂
The only Muppet material that's good today is the Muppet comic books
Kinda reminds me that line in Muppet Tresure Island after Billy Bones bites the dust. "He DIED?! And this is supposed to be a kids movie!"
“Nah this is culture”
That’s Disney’s motto
Something about the climax that's worth pointing out: In this version, Scrooge knows it's his name on the gravestone even before asking the spirit who the evil dead man was. Caine's acting is pretty fantastic as he tries to stall before looking at the grave and confronting the truth. When he begs for his life, it's not meant to be from a man suddenly shocked into getting his ass in gear, it's meant to be from a man who genuinely hates who he's become and what his legacy will ultimately be. It's much more subtle than other versions, and the music reflects this (although the music could still probably be better). That's probably why Doug doesn't feel a surge of emotions from this climax: because the film is trying to convey different emotions than the ones he's looking for.
That is a good point. Most versions seem to be using fear as the motivation, while this one uses grief over the truth to motivate Scrooge.
Yeah, Caine's great acting implies he always knew, he was just in denial
@@dsilva369 Also the line "Spirit, I know what I must ask. I fear to, but I must... Who was the wretched man who's death brought so much glee and happiness?"
Honestly ive seen as many different versions of A Christmas Carol as i can, and IMO I rarely see a version that convincingly shows Scrooge changing after seeing his future. He never struck me as the kind of person who cared what people thought about him, or afraid of death. Maybe its just me
I agree. I got less of him being afraid of death and more of him sad that he'd wasted his life being a horrible asshole. Him seeing that he'll die soon means that he can't repent and change his ways, which makes him sad that he can't escape his horrible legacy.
For me the Muppet version works because I know they're actually mourning Jim Henson not Tiny Tim.
Know I'm sad 😥
True. This was the first Muppet project to come out after Jim passed away.
Also Richard Hunt, who was the original performer for characters like Scooter, Statler, Beaker and Janice. He died of AIDS/HIV
@@ISBuckley8Another man of great talent lost to AIDS. Just like Howard Ashman, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful.
Kids watching this feel sad for Tiny Tim
Grownups watching this feel sad for Jim, Richard, and everyone else the Muppet family has lost.
"Mmm, you will love business. It is the AMERICAN way!"
"Er, Sam!..."
"Oh yes. It is the BRITISH way."
(As Scrooge and Christmas Past leave the scene) "Remember: don't tip the driver."
"Work hard, lad! And one day you'll be a strong as this very building! (Gonzo and Rizzo crash to the ground on a broken shelf)
"Hmm...I've been meaning to fix that shelf"
"Yes, Headmaster."
Best sam falcon line
@@Dim4323 Sam is an eagle, you uncultured swine.
Kermit: do you drink Wilkins coffee?
Scrooge: no
Kermit: “shoots” you either celebrate Christmas with Wilkins or you just don’t celebrate
drink wilkins coffee
Perfect Cell: Kermit What The Fuck?!!!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
En Garde! Salute Wilkins Coffee!
You mean wilkins?
I think it fits if Scrooge dances awkwardly. He's probably not done it in like 30 years.
I am kind of sad he didn't really talk about the Marley and Marley song.
Im not, fucking terrfied me as a kid
Right?! One of the best villain songs. Describes their evilness but also serves as a dark warning.
The Marley and Marley song _legit_ has some chilling lines: “Your future is a horror story written by your crimes”, “As freedom comes from giving love, so prison comes with hate” and “So have your fun when your life is done a nightmare waits for you”. The guy who wrote “Rainbow Connection” everybody!
@@rogue7723it’s stuff like that which make this movie work. It isn’t afraid to be a little bit more serious when necessary.
Scrooge’s awkward old white guy dance is the exact moment of his transformation.
Also! No one ever points this out so I will: this is one of the most historically accurate versions of A Christmas Carol when it comes to costumes!
Wow....surprisingly....yes, you’re right. The grape bunch hair, the classic top hat and dark waistcoats of 1840s soot covered London.... they even change the style fairly accurately to reflect the more Georgian fashions of Scrooge’s younger years. Haha omg can’t believe I’ve never noticed that.
@@kmb6296 yea no one really notices but it’s so cool that it’s accurate, especially because they didn’t have to do that. It’s the Muppets. They could’ve worn anything and we would have believed it.
Yeah, suprisingly enough, even tho it's a Muppet movie, it's one of the most faithful adaptations of the story period.
Interesting.
Holy crap your right
The fact that Caine underplays it REALLY helps the character though, it shows how Scrooge is just SO UNCOMFORTABLE doing these things, that his body looks like it's trying to resist him.
Also, during the song “bless us one and all” Michael caine almost comes to actual tears.
Michael Caine looks like he’d rather be at the dentist than acting in this movie. He’s not into the role, at all and it hurts the movie.
@@creativecatproductions This is one of his favorite roles, so you don't have a clue what you're talking about.
@@geoffreyfyfe2248 when did he say that? I doubt he said that when the movie came out. It flopped. I guess if I were in a flopped movie that went on to become a huge cult favorite that I'd remember it more fondly too.
Whether he says he loved this role or not, his performance is subpar for an actor of his caliber. The cause escapes me: bad direction, or a lack of commitment? I can't say.
But I can say, without controversy, that I just don't like his performance in the movie. It lacks sincerity, conviction, or passion.
Its not a BAD movie. But Michael Caine is a better actor than this.
@@creativecatproductions You're an idiot who doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. Caine took the role because he and his daughter loved the Muppets and he deliberately played the role as if all the actors WEREN'T the Muppets, with no winking at the audience. And it worked. He's the best Scrooge and you're a fool.
The fact it has Muppets aside, The Muppet Christmas Carol is the closest rendition to the original. Rizzo quotes more from the original story than any other version of the story.
There waa one from the 70's that was pretty close.
And even where it deviates slightly, it keeps with the spirit of the book.
You would be surprised how good zemekas’s version is on that front
You mean Gonzo
@@WULDORI Surprisingly, no. The First Edition prints of A Christmas Carol actually include moments like forgetting jelly beans on the other side of a gate, landing on a flaming hot goose, and telling Gonzo that the ending is too scary and that they'll return for the finale. Charles Dickens was oddly prescient. And a blue, furry whatever.
Michael Caine: How would you like to spend Christmas... UNEMPLOYED!?!?
*The rats start to sing "This is my island in the sun"*
still funny
*HEATWAVE! arriba*
I like that scene in the Muppet Christmas special to
That moment will never not be funny for me. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Classic! 😂
Scrooge: How can I change my fate, Spirit?
*The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come removes his hood to reveal Wilkins.*
Wilkins: Just try a cup of Wilkins Coffee.
Scrooge: What? I don't drink coffee! I'm British!
*A firey grave opens up and Wilkins pushes Scrooge in.*
Wilkins: A life without Wilkins Coffee is no life at all.
Wilkins also sold tea.
Scrooge wakes up and unwraps a present. Inside he finds a teacup full of tea with the word “Wilkins” on it. He hesitates and sips the tea as the camera zooms out to show Scrooge is in a cup of Wilkins coffee, surrounded by multiple cups of Wilkins. The movie end with a jump scare of old commercial mascots as the screen cuts to black and the credits roll.
Well too bad for him I don't drink coffee and I would tear him up if he did that too me...
Come back and he would be terrified...
And the who fuck cares about him...
I think portraying Tiny Tim is so hard because there has to be this deep, underlying sadness to him. Of course he's finding joy in the little things but that doesn't erase the fact that he's dying and he knows it. I think if more adaptations made his sweet smile a little harder to keep up and his voice more earnest rather than just sweet it would hit harder.
Yes, well said! I can relate to trying to stay hopeful despite health issues, and it’s that “trying to” part I need to see before I really connect with Tim.
I haven't seen _Arrietty_ myself, but when Doug reviewed it for Disneycember (since Disney was in charge of dubbing and distributing Studio Ghibli films at the time), he described the human kid in that movie as having a certain manner of talking and looking at life due to his terminal illness, which... if more _Christmas Carol_ adaptations captured that with Tiny Tim, they'd prolly be in the clear.
The part with visiting his nephew always breaks my heart. Scrooge actually joins in on the game and begins to instantly have fun and getting excited, just to find out they were making fun of him. His face going from joy to sadness just gets to me...
Contrasted with the book, where he's still positively joyful that they got any enjoyment out of his existence.
I used to feel sadder about it before I got old enough to understand why people end up cutting ties with toxic relatives.
Yeah, it really hurt to see Scrooge heartbroken like that, but seeing as how he was so cold the last time Fred saw him, you can't say he didn't have it coming.
Yeah, but it was nice later in the story when Scrooge joins Fred's party, just when they're playing the game and about to mock him, altering their outcome with surprise instead of laughing at his expense.
😅 No wonder Scrooge didn't stay long during the Thankful Heart song.
I don't care what anyone else says, the Muppets is EXACTLY what makes this rendition so perfect. What better way to tell one of the most wholesome Christmas stories of all time than with one of the most wholesome group of kids TV characters? The tone of this movie is pitch perfect, such a classic!
Apparently the costuming is super accurate too. UA-camr Abby Cox has a video breaking down the costuming details, time periods they're from, and even how the poor characters wear older clothing about 10 years out of fashion because they wouldn't have had money to update.
@carlotta4th 😧 that's what I read, too. I was pleasantly surprised reading that the Muppets have the most accurate when it comes to the costumes compared to other Christmas Carol adaptations
I personally think the Muppets should go back to this kind of film-making if they ever do versions of well-known stories again - this and Muppet Treasure Island worked because they didn't just use the basic plot as backdrop for Muppet shenanigans, they did a good mix of the original setting and their trademark zaniness. Not so much so with Muppet Wizard of Oz, and is it any surprise they haven't done any more Muppets-do-Classic-Tales films since?
Plus, I think the problem with Tiny Tim is more from the fact that he isn't really a full character in his own right, it's the family and Scrooge's reactions to him and his potential fate that's important. Dickens was actually trying to make a socially-important point with this - nobody is just a number in the system, nobody is disposable as part of the "surplus population", everyone will leave behind grieving friends and family if they die and if you can do something to prevent this kind of tragedy you probably should.
Can't do of mice and men for Very obvious reasons
Oh yeah. There's a Muppet Classic Theatre you can find on youtube where they did a similar thing. When the stories are told with just the muppets in the roles it's great! But when they do wacky things, like making the shoemaker's elves elvis, it just doesn't. . .
Yeah the Muppets Wizard Of Oz was a hit and miss. I'm actually surprised the Muppets haven't done any other classic tales but then again.... they're not the same anymore 😕
@@LilyZerep They did have a special where they did a bunch of classic tales you can find it on youtube 'Muppets Classic Theatre' but those are pretty hit and miss as well.
@@LilyZerep muppets wizard of Oz had potential if they treated it like the other. Have Dorothy and her family be human, then everyone in Oz as a muppet, and going for a more book accurate version instead of the MGM movie. And the muppets could pull off the return to Oz tone that was in the original book.
From IMDB:
This was the first major Muppet project after creator Jim Henson's death. The role of Kermit the Frog was handed down to Steve Whitmire. He said he was incredibly nervous about taking over such an iconic character. The night before he recorded Kermit's songs for the movie, he had a dream where he met Henson in a hotel lobby and told him how unsure he was. In the dream, Henson reassured Whitmire that the feeling would pass. After waking up, Whitmire was confident and able to do the part.
woah
That is a twilight zone episode plot
Avery Merrick the ghost of muppets pass
He did a great job I can’t really tell the difference!
@@baseupp12
A wholesome Twilight Zone episode!
I used to watch this religiously every Christmas. Brings back so many memories :D
Same
I still watch it every year. It’s a Christmas tradition for me.
One of my favorite Christmas movies.
Same Dream Master
@@thefriends6508 me to
The full-length version with the 'When Love is Gone' song is now on Disney+ remastered.
There are 2 versions of it. Of course the proper version is tucked away in the extras. You click on Muppet Christmas Carol and it shows the cut version.
@@phoebelajoie5466 I’m surprised they don’t have the full version as the regular version
@@captainpep3 Who can fathom the corporate mind?
@@phoebelajoie5466 I feel like it makes less sense to not have it in the regular version from a business standpoint, personally. Shouldn’t it be considered the “definitive” version?
@@captainpep3 Yes.
"Does anyone find it strange that one of the most popular renditions of a 19th-century novella written by one of England's most celebrated authors has talking socks in it?"
Does anyone find it strange that one of the most popular renditions of a 19th-century pirate adventure story by one of Scotland's most celebrated authors has a Carribean tribe of pigs, a rock band, and a bunch of pleasure-cruising rats?
Not really, because the Muppets are so awesome and fun that the strange thing would be for their interpretations of famous, beloved works to *not* be popular!
Exactly!
Touche
Seriously! The Muppets versions of A Christmas Carol and Treasure Island are actually my favorite adaptations of both. Michael Cain and Tim Curry just nail their roles as Scrooge and Long John Silver respectively.
Scrooged is a far better telling of the 10,000,000,000,000 versions of A Christmas Carol.
@@lutherheggs451 I love Scrooged, but you sir are a trillion times wrong in this instance
Wilkins: Would you like a cup of Wilkins coffee?
Scrooge: Ba hum bug!!
Wilkins strangles Scrooge with a ribbon from a present
Wilkins: You either celebrate Christmas with Wilkins or you just don’t celebrate
@Mr.Nate_YT I've honestly never seen Wilkins coffee in any store I've been in. Is it not available in California?
@@louisduarte8763 From what I understand it was always kind of exclusive to Washington D.C. , and I'm pretty sure its out of buisiness now.
@@anosmibell6473 my god protect us from Wilkins wrath
There are two types of people: those who know that the Muppet's Christmas Carol is THE BEST Christmas Carol and those who are wrong.
Correct
Exactly
I agree 100% even after all these years, I still watch it every year.
Dom Noble did a rundown of the adaptations of Christmas Carol. He basically said that this is the best because it showed a progression of Scrooge's character
Nah theres a third type those who think the muppets should be Muppets and not touch a classic story about the harshness of the human condition during a time meant to be full of love and how kindness and be the most beautiful thing when shared with others
Aswell as a commentary on the way the poor are treated by those who are better
And how being treated poorly can make others harsh and cold to the world around them
Seeing Kermit play Bob makes me smirk and enjoy the movie but I will never take it seriously
There is something about the way these older Muppet moves have that "grainy" look and warm feel that just lures me in every year. It is the visual equivalent of a heated blanket and hot cocoa. They can't match it with the cgi style stuff of today.
Fun fact, basically up until the star wars prequels, feature length movies were always shot on film. With digital cinema came the ability to make things less grainy, but there is such an artistic appeal to how film captured light and color that many camera companies as well as color correction software now try to come up with algorithms to replicate film as much as possible, sometimes even adding grain. I guess this movie is a good example as to why!
You just described what I’ve never been able to put into words. I’ve always loved the older, nostalgic look that movies used to have, especially from the 90’s. The colors always seemed brighter despite the grainier look to them. Digital is great, but when everything now looks so clean and perfect, it’s hard not to get bored by it.
@@vivir339 I'm glad you liked my description :D
@@thehillisalive cool facts! And ya lol I love the grainy look :)
@Marcus Straya Your name is Marcus...that is literally a boomer name.
And if you listen to the lyrics, she's "smiling" at that point because she's remembering the good times.
I think it was Disney who decided that this song was too sad to leave in. The company who delights in killing parents thought it was too sad.
@@LadyOnikara I thought it was said the kids were fidgeting during test screenings.
@@ejay1118 Yeah, you're right about that
@@LadyOnikara Nah, it's because kids got impatient during this scene
The whole 54 seconds
Regardless of personal feelings about When Love is Gone, it feels almost necessary to the plot. It's her break-up, in song form. Without it, it feels like we're forced to guess what happened to them.
It also needs to be there to set up the ending song when love is found
I agree. When Scroog sings with Belle, you could clearly tell her words stayed with him all these years. He regrets his decision choosing money over his one love and it's the beginning of his change in becoming a better person.
It's like a big changing moment for him too I almost wish they would have at least added a brief moment where we see her break up with him so we as an audience know why heading to that moment was so painful for him
@fingolfin897 When I was kid I didn't like it. Now that I'm an adult, I think it should be put back into the movie.
I really love this version. It incorporates the Muppets but in a way that honours the source material and doesn't completely pander to kids. As a kid the Marley's scared me as well as the spider and the Ghost of Future Yet to Come.
The ghost of past always scared me way more then anyone else
What i love about the Marley brothers bit is how they gleefully sing about how cruel and greedy they were only to instantly shudder and be instantly reminded why they’re cursed as their chains weigh them down.
That’s why I don’t like Muppet Treasure Island as much. Christmas Carol felt like just a regular adaptation of Christmas Carol that just so happened to have muppets in it, the human cast took everything 100% seriously, the songs felt like they could be in just a regular musical version of the story and it rarely deviates
Meanwhile Muppet Treasure Island feels like a Muppet retelling with weird visual gags, the pirates being comedic instead of threatening, Ben Gun being Miss Piggy, the songs being more Muppet like that Treasure Island like (Cabin Fever being a good example) and it deviating in many places from the source material such as keeping Mr Arrow alive, having Jim become captain at the end and having Rizo and Gonzo play themselves instead of having Gonzo play Robert Lewis Stevenson like he did with Charles Dickens
@@mrcritical6751 my guess is it's mainly due to the source material ...Treasure Island is a much more adult story with lots of death and violence involved in near every chapter and it's pretty much impossible to adapt into a children's movie without greatly overhauling the original story.
I think that was the idea, and it worked.
Who could forget that classic scene where Michael Caine was teaching kermit how to blink properly 😁👌.
lol Nathaniel Foga
I've seen you everywhere
What is this magic?
8:26 this in fact is the first Christmas carol movie I’ve ever seen, so Michael Cain will forever be my Scrooge.
Same here too!
@Jarod 1999
Me, too.
Same here. This was my intro to A Christmas Carol, so it has a very special place in my heart and is my favorite adaptation 😊
I heard they cut the “When Love is Gone” song because they thought kids would not be able to sit through it. Just like in Pocahontas when they cut out “If I Never Knew You”.
They almost trashed “part of your world” from little mermaid until Howard ashman flat out threatened Jeffrey Katzenberg lol
That's so weird because as a kid, When Love Is Gone was actually my favorite song in the film. I knew it was sad, but I loved how beautiful it was. So imagine my major disappointment to find it cut from the DVD version years later. It just felt so incomplete without it.
Not going to lie, I used to fast-forward through that song. I didn't like to see them break up
I mean, as a kid who watched the VHS version. I really couldn't sit through it. The music and singing was nice, but the woman's acting didn't hold enough emotion to actually entertain me.
@@dalilahnelson69 I'm with you, something was just really off
27:00 My heart rate shot through the roof when it clicked. The Wilkins Coffee proto-Kermit is insatiable.
I love when Critic throws in just a small continuity joke like this. It's really rewarding for regular viewers.
Isn’t continuity great, when done right?
@@MovieFan1912 You know what else is great? A nice hot mug of *Wilkins Coffee*
@@toxicdemon1315 Yeah, about that, Wilkins Coffee got absorbed into Maxwell House.
@@MovieFan1912 So if we drink Maxwell House coffee, we're technically drinking Wilkins? Seems legit.
@@heinrichze-france4089 Technically, yes.
Belle was smiling because she was reminiscing of the good times in a bittersweet manner. Another song that makes me tear up, that you get a bit wrong.
I remember seeing A Christmas Carol performed on stage with my family and that version made Tiny Tim the narrator when he’s all grown up. In my opinion, it was a good twist. While it may not have added a lot to the story, it gave the message more depth that the child who would have died if not for Scrooge was keeping his name and memory alive many years later. It’s up to you if it makes Tiny Tim’s character better if you don’t like how he is portrayed in the adaptations.
I really deeply like that
That’s actually a really good twist. It reminds me of an Off-Broadway show called A Sherlock Carol, which also has an adult Timothy Cratchit, who in this show has become a doctor. He recruits Sherlock Holmes to investigate the death of Ebenezer Scrooge.
I think it surprisingly work, since the narrator in the book is very conversational. It’s pretty similar to the compromise that Muppets did, where they have Gonzo and Rizzo as the narrators of the movie.
Beaker flipping Scrooge off is why this is the Greatest version.
Wait what that happened?
On god
Yeah totally. Not the, dramatic emotional moments reminiscent of the original classic story. Not the message, that the Christmas season should be spreaded every year. Not the amazing puppetry, hell no! A phallic meeping puppet flipping the bird to our unlikeable protagonist. Now that's what literature does to ya.
@@kriticalitylives HAHAHAHA!
Beaker can't flip people off; he only has four fingers. ;/
I watched this movie, every year on Christmas day with my mom growing up and shared it with my daughter. She loved it.
Plus, I always felt sorry for Bean, the Bunny. T-T I always wanted to give him a hug.
When Love is gone always made me cry watching it, but I loved it.
Regardless of what one thinks about this story, Michael Cane's emotional breakdown in the graveyard is the best rendition of that scene in any adaptation
Fun fact: there is an audio book of A Christmas Carol read by Tim Curry. You are welcome.
Who would later play long John silver in the treasure island muppet movie lol
O_O
Merry Christmas to all!
And to all a Tim Curry reading!
*You have my undivided attention*
@@FlameOnTheBeat funny you should quote home alone 2: it was released 3 weeks before this movie in 1992 and overshadowed it at the box office lol
i don’t need it
I *don’t* need it
*IIIIIIIIIII NEEEED IIIIITTTTT*
i think what makes this version so great is that it's appealing to kids while still taking them seriously. i never felt 'talked down to' with that movie. the technical aspects are really lovely too. i always liked the way they handled christmas present. and the addition of all the rat muppets. always liked that.
Director Brian Henson has confirmed that the deleted number 'The Love Has Gone' has finally been restored by Disney and will be making a comeback in streaming platforms soon.
Praying for physical release too
Whaaat! Where is this information? I had just read it was lost forever
@@MystearicaClaws Henson told BBC Radio 2 he was "excited" and "happy" that When Love Is Gone could again be heard in forthcoming versions of his film.
The ballad is sung to a young Scrooge by his fiancée Belle in the 1992 reworking of the classic Dickens story.
It was removed as Disney felt it wouldn't appeal to young viewers.
In the process of cutting the song for the cinema release they lost the video master and couldn't find the negative either, Henson (son of Muppets creator Jim) previously explained in a 2018 interview.
The love song remained in the VHS copies of the film but when DVDs were invented only the cinematic master was available.
But two weeks ago, Henson received a call telling him the film was being remastered in 4K and asking him to check the new version.
At that stage, however, he wasn't told the lost piece of film had been found.
"I was so excited. They actually hid it... so I went down and they said: 'But before we show it to you, we've got something else we want to show you'. And they put up reel four of Christmas Carol with When Love Is Gone," Henson told Radio 2, in a programme that will be broadcast on Christmas Day.
"I was like, 'No, you did not!' and they said, 'Yes we did! We found it!' I was so happy, I was so happy.
"They are all set with the full-length version again. I don't know if they are going to get it up on Disney Plus in time for Christmas because they have all these processes but it is coming back, the full-length version is coming back."
Source: www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55232499 from 10th December, which was a lovely Birthday surprise for me!
@@mikeshirleyforever I don’t think it’s on the version on Disney+
@@michaelrhett4958 yet
The reason this is the best Christmas Carol:
Out of every version Ive seen, this one overwhelmingly makes you feel like OH MY GOD I LOVE CHRISTMAS.
if that makes sense
This movie just makes me happy.
Its really not......Scrooged is a far better, far more interesting version of Christmas Carol.
I prefer the George C. Scott version. But to each his own.
same.
I like the Patrick Stewart the best
Regarding "When Love is Gone", "Part of your world" from little mermaid almost met the exact same fate for the exact same reasons.
That would give Ariel no songs. It's so weird to think about that.
Something I wish Doug had pointed out in Scrooge's reformation is the red scarf. When he meets with Honeydew and Beaker at the end, he tells them he'll make a donation in the morning. Honeydew says he wishes they had something to give Scrooge, and Beaker reaches up and gives him his own scarf! Caine's face sells this moment; "For me? A present for me?"
In generell he went over this review as if its just one of 100 Movies but its not this Movie has 100 of little thinks in the background and 100 of details but this review does not even see it
@@felixleidig8307 he has done a disneycember on this one i think.
I cry *every* f'n time. 😅
I just read a story that Disney has located the negative for “When Love Is Gone” and restored it for an upcoming 4K release (and future HD ones, too).
Well they sure left it out on the Disney plus version. So I'd bet they're planning on just having that scene be an extra again. Like always. =/
I hope this is true, I'd pay more then I reasonably should for that.
Looks like the news just came out today too! That's wonderful! I think they're planning on a 4k release and will fit it on Disney+ if they make it in time.
At long last! I confess that I'm one of those who pause the movie to look up the song on UA-cam then continue.
Marley and Marley scene scared the hell out of me as a kid.
Me to
the statler doorknob scared me more
Scared me since I was little, including the door knob scene
I would cover my eyes, my ears and my nose in order to not get possessed, i ate that scene so damn much. If my bedroom door was open you could soo onto the hallway and the banister looked similar to the one in the film. Closing the door didnt help as my bedroom door has a window above it so i could see out into the hallway
it was more when they popped up and the music that got me, but yes lol
"I hate to tell ya but you don't have a future", in that moment was one of the most unexpectedly badass lines I have heard in a long time.
"he looks like jabba the hutt melting into that girl from brave" So weird, yet SO ACCURATE. Welp, that's 3 movies I'll never watch the same again.
6:47 To make this even worse, only predators have eyes that look directly ahead. That horse is... a predator.
Yeah it preys on your soul
@@gliscornumber151 The horse feeds on the inevitable entropy of the universe.
Slowly killing us.
That horse is a warrior. As he looks at you you know, you have a choice: The easy way or the hard way.
This is my favorite thread
*laughs in the Horse from Berserk. If you know, you know*
I still firmly believe "It Feels Like Christmas" is the best christmas song ever.
It is the summer of the soul in December!
A part of childhood we'll always remember
I also like god bless us one and all
it’s really well done and it actually made Michael Caine almost cry in scene
I firmly believe muppet christmas carol is the best version XD
It’s when you do you best for love, it feels like Christmas
"Bob Crachit from eight hours ago? Where have you been all these minutes?"
That sounds like something out of A Christmas Carol parody.
6:12 [Grover and Kermit yelling over each other]
6:15 "You have done that to me too many times, Piggy! I will not stand for it! I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!!"
6:18 "Of course, it's a orange, I just told YOU it was a orange!!"
6:21 [Miss Piggy and Kermit scream at each other back & forth]
6:23 "Piggy, you are FIRED! You are FIRED! Piggy, you are FIRED!!"
6:36
I sit down with my mum every Christmas Eve and watch this film, it’s our little tradition :)
We play it every year as we decorate the tree
The doorknob in this movie scared the shit out of me as a kid.
The doorbell ringing repeatedly and the white glow coming up the stairs before statler and Waldorf show up and the ghost of christmas future
Then don't watch John Dies at the End. ;)
And the Ghost of Christmas Future didn’t?
The Jacob Marley doorknob scene in a lot of adaptations is pretty frightening. That's why I prefer door handles!
@@EvenTheDogAgrees -
Is it because John dies at the end? The title spoils the ending. I refuse to watch that movie.
I watch this every year, and every time my mom wants to see “light the lamp not the rat.”
Fun fact about "When Love Is Gone"
The real reason that song didn't appear in later versions is that they lost the original Master Copy of the recording- which meant they never could remaster it for over 20 years. HOWEVER the news broke within the last day or so that Disney has FINALLY found the Master Copy for it and has notified the Hensons.
This news has made my year. My vhs copy was eaten by my vhs player a few years ago. Watching it without "When Love is Gone" just felt incomplete. I am so excited for it to come back.
its better "put a little love in your heart" in #scrooged ... the meaning of xmas
I bought the 20th anniversary edition DVD years ago and it included the song if you select the full screen version.
Next Disney had better pony up for music/character clearance and get A Muppet Family Christmas on D+, pronto!
@@OreoJellyFish what about Disney plus ?
I laughed way too hard at the outtake of the sister asking for dead Tiny Tim's dinner! 🤣
Agreed that had me dead
30 years old and still one of my favorite incarnations of the classic Christmas story by Charles Dickens directed by Brian Henson
At first he was very hesitant to do it after Jim’s unfortunate passing in 1990
But it succeeded grossing $27.2 million from a $12 million budget
I remember renting it a lot on vhs as a kid
It's a very lovable adaptation featuring those colorful Jim Henson puppets
The story and characters are pretty much the same from the original story, the Muppets add some more flavor to it
The sets are creative and the atmosphere, the 3 ghosts are pretty cool, and I love how Gonzo and Rizzo constantly liven the tension breaking the fourth wall
They go all the way even showing Tiny Tim's passing at one point so the filmmakers don’t shy away showing the dark, depressing nature of Dickens’ writing
Kermit does wonders as Bob Cratchet
Some might not like Michael Caine as he has awkward line readings, the singing isn't very good on his part , and the songs are too brief to leave an impact
But many stuff is funny like Fozzy Bear's hilarious part during a flashback
The kids will love the muppets and the adults will enjoy the jokes simultaneously
A flawed but worthy adaptation that is required holiday viewing yearly
The movie’s popularity is so immense that it has become a focal point of the festive season for many friends and families, who insist that Christmas hasn't really begun until they've belted it out
Not to be missed by anyone who loves the holidays or these Muppets
Same I'm also 31 and this is my favourite and first version and second version was the flints tones one
I saw the thumbnail and thought "Does he not like the movie?!" But then I saw that he mostly liked it and said "Phew, now I can like this video."
I was worried about that too, then i nearly died laughing
Michael Caine even says this is one of his favorite acting roles
He's stated before he will also sometimes review movies he actually likes. I've seen a few at the end he even states he likes the movie.
@@Gamerdad90s I am aware of that. It was his angry face in the thumbnail that tipped me off. Many of his thumbnails are less angry-looking, so this one stood out.
@@ThemeParkAvenue was making a simple statement.
You should do a Top 11 "A Christmas Carol" renditions. (There's certainly been enough versions to do it).
1.Muppet Christmas Carol
2. Scrooged
3. 1970's Scrooge
4. Mickey's Christmas Carol
5. 1984's A Christmas Carol
Ever heard of “A Christmas Carol Gone Wrong”???
I've ran that suggestion a couple years too, but instead of Top 12 Christmas Carol Adaptations, I instead ran a suggestion for Top 12 Best Scrooge Portrayals in Christmas Carol Adaptations.
Or you could do that yourself. Just a thought.
@@DigiAkuma
12.Albert Finney
11.Patrick Stewart
10.Reginald Owen
09.Jim Carrey
08.Mr. Magoo
07.Fred Flintstone
06.George C Scott
05.Bill Murray
04.Michael Cane
03.Basil Rathbone
02.Uncle Scrooge
01.Alister Simms
This is a very good film for the first project after we lost Jim Henson.
"I've been waiting 4- no, 5,000 years for this." - Kars
Is that a jojo reference I see? "This took a sudden turn for the awesome."
@@2ODuo1234 lol
so have I
@@quentinparhiala9415 that's not healthy
Yas a JoJo reference
Of all the adaptations of Christmas carol I’ve seen I enjoy this one the most
Crazy, you'd take out "The Love Is Gone", it ruins the whole scene.
The song is well written too. It's a very sad conversation and it sounds not an epic lose but a whimpering defeat.
Which is more heart breaking.
There is a wealth of difference between a lose, a defeat or destruction. That middle ground is worse!
This is by far my favorite rendition of A Christmas Carol mostly because Michael Caine made me believe that the muppet filled London was a normal thing, that humans and muppets coexist without a second thought, unlike all the other muppet movies that made sure you were always aware that they are muppets
'Doomed, Scrooge. You're doomed for all time!
Your future is a horror story, written by the crimes.
Your chains are forged by what you say and do, so have your fun when life is done a nightmare waits for you'
That part always stuck with me.
I'm actually kinda surprised that he didn't bring up how utterly terrifying the Marleys' song is.
The only thing I didn’t like about this otherwise awesome review is that they clearly missed the opportunity to call Tamara’s character Tiny Tam.
Edit: 200+ Likes? That’s amazing! Thanks everyone.
SON OF A BITCH!!!! WE MISSED OUT ON TINY TAM!!!!😂😂😂😂
Great review tho
I swear if he took out his stupid cutaways and took longer making videos maybe his content would be bearable
@@deryberrytwo7219 then why are you here??
Nice pickup!!
I also would have liked if the Critic had pointed out the warm text dedicating this movie to Jim Henson at the beginning
Idea for next year: Christmas Carol-cember. NC looks at all the versions of a Christmas Carol made over the years.
Instead of hoping that Doug will one day do that, why not do it yourself?
@@Silverstar_ That's an odd thing to say 😐
The critic’s an actual movie critic, so he’d do the films justice
(Not to mention he’s apparently seen em all)
Cinema Snob: Now what am I supposed to do to pass the time?
Me: Ruin more of Rob's days?
Watch more porn
The main problem with cutting "When Love Is Gone" (aside from, as you said, making me wonder just what Rizzo was so upset about in the theatrical version) is that it lessens the payoff of "The Love We Found." That's supposed to be a triumphant reprise of the earlier song, making the point that Scrooge will put the lessons of his former bad choices to good use, but without it, it's a reprise without a main song.
Love how the extra Marley is called Robert, i.e. Bob. Weird fact--Statler and Waldorf had previously been played by the recently deceased Richard Hunt and Jim Henson, making the scene something of a tribute but also a bit ghoulish in a way.
Fakefact: Elmo is the ghost of Christmas future, and when he points at the grave he laughs that evil Elmo laugh
"Who wants to die? Hahahahahahahaha!!! Yaaaaaay!"
Guess what Elmo's thinking about today?!?! :D
This is part of my head canon now
9:40 I imagine the fluffier and cuter the puppet, the harder it is to clean and maintain.
Wilkin's coffee is getting more terrifying the more we see that thing
9:00 It's my mom's favorite scene because it looks like he's flipping him off
Michael Kain dancing with the puppet of the ghost of christmas present is fucking golden. It's like Kain suddenly realized in that moment how silly and amazing his job can be.
“The cheesiest fluff crap in a film filled with fluff crap!” Needs to be a shirt! 🤘Thanks for another awesome video!
Give me the Wilkins Coffee so I can watch this review.
18:25
This part makes sense if you think of this as a play the Muppets are putting on. Gonzo acting as narrator, Rizzo worried about the kids, and Gonzo feeding lines to Sam can all be seen as points to this possibility.
Knock knock
Who's there?
Kermit
Kermit who?
If you don't drink Wilkins coffee there's no telling what atrocity *he* will Kermit.
Take this like and Merry Christmas :P
Your punchline makes no sense grammatically. I literally do not understand what you are saying.
@@LuckyVine Kermit in this case is a pun on "commit"
way to Kermit to such a joke 😅
Am I the only one who would like to hear The Nostalgia Critic’s thoughts on The Polar Express?
Nope you’re not alone my friend
Aight bois, this here is the petition for next week's video
He did in an older video. Not a full on review but in a top 11. He said he didn’t like it all that much but understood why others could/did.
no i wanna see this
Years ago he gave a brief review of it.
If he does, he better play a bunch of Mandark dialogue over that know it all kid
'When Love is Gone' is my most favorite song from Muppet Christmas carol. Why they took it out idk. She was giving sad nostalgic smiles as she sang remembering their love. And the song still can resonate today when you lose /fall out of love.
Also to me a Christmas carol is kinda boring on its own, but the Muppet's gives it something fun....in my opinion that is.
The reprise of Love Is Gone is in the end credits and sung by Martina McBride
I agree with all of this comment
13:59 Funny enough, Disney Plus **now** has a version with "Love is Gone" placed back in the film and in 4K no less!
Disney gonna Disney
My biggest problem with cutting "When Love Is Gone": Scrooge and the cast sing a reprise ("The Love We've Found") at the end of the film, and it's beautiful because it hearkens back to his earlier bitterness and sums up the journey he's taken to put it behind him. It's a great way of bookending the main arc of the story. Without the earlier duet between him and Belle, though, my reaction is to the ending is just "well, this is a nice little tune. It doesn't really tie into anything else, though, so whatever." Bad move.
I agree, also the original song was really well done to express the drifting away of scrooge and belle and worse the loss of love in scrooge’s heart.
This is still one of my favorite renditions of the story. I’ve loved it since the 90s.
" I would prefer a version ... where everything goes wrong and is geared a bit more towards adults..."
-slides "A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong" over to Doug-
I can't be the only one who still believes the Ghost of Christmas Past was meant to be Scrooge's dead sister, and he never realized it.
I never realized that
I like this idea, but she did grow up to have Fred
I’ve never heard this theory, but I kinda like it.
@@Mark_Goddin Me too.
I love that idea! Why has no one done this yet!
This film was dedicated to the memory of Jim Henson and I always thought that the scene where the Cratchet family are mourning Tiny Tim, I felt they were saying goodbye to him.
It also was dedicated to Richard Hunt, which is why Scooter didn't appear in this movie.
@Libra Hoshino
Oh, man. . . The Muppets' Christmas Carol is for Jim Henson, what Furious 7 is for Paul Walker.
RIP, to the both of them.
This movie bombed because of Aladdin, the idiot Jeffrey Katzenberg didn’t want to advertise the Muppets Christmas Carol because he wanted Disney to continue sustaining Aladdin’s box office numbers. He didn’t care for the Muppets franchise!
Back when only scheduling and toy promotions mattered for a film’s success and not social media early trash talk lol
@@Movypro23toy merchandising is a big factor in promoting movies. But I feel the Muppets franchise still doesn’t get enough attention from Disney, because it’s not as profitable as animated movies.
Me: I love Wilkins coffee
Me five minutes later: quick, hide my actual coffee.
I've watched this every Christmas Eve since I was a kid.. this and Home Alone must be watched each year.
I appreciate your input NC, it was entertaining, enlightening and insightful, you are truly a credit to your field - but this is still the best Christmas movie of all time. I will die on this hill.
I actually don't know how to feel about this being a NC review because this was my childhood. I still watch it every year to this day.
Don't worry, he likes it.
Same. More than once now since my kid watched it. (I swear I've watched it at least five times this month 😂).
No one can take away your love for something wholesome. I will always unabashedly love this movie.
Came back to watch this episode again despite you uploading a different version today.
This will always be my favorite and yes , seeing it on TV skipping "the love is gone" definitely made me question my sanity once
This was the first version I saw. It's a Christmas tradition in my house to watch it each year
I’ll throw hands with anyone who talks smack about George C Scott’s portrayal of Scrooge. That movie is my jam.
The 1984 one remains the best
If I could work my will, anybody who talks smack about George C. Scott’s portrayal of Ebenezzer Scrooge should be boiled in his own Christmas pudding and buried with a stake of holy through his heart. 😂
4:32 In 2027, when Tower of Terror is replaced by "Plankton's Krabby Patty Heist," we'll be like "Well that joke aged well..."
Remember:
"Nostalgic" doesn't mean "better" - it just means you're more ATTACHED TO IT!
True. That's why I like Home Alone 2. It's a rehash of the first movie, but I used to watch it at my friend's place every Christmas when we were kids, so it has become a tradition.
Another fact:
Katzenberg forced Brian Henson to cut "When Love is Gone from the theatrical cut over the latter's objections because he believed it was too sad and boring for the young children who would be watching in the audience
He also wanted to cut part of your world from The Little Mermaid. He has a history of doing that.
And for once Katzenberg was right! 'When Love is Gone' stops the movie dead, and just reiterates information the movie has already told us.
As a child the song was too boring.
I love this movie, I watch it every Christmas. It's so sweet and easily enjoyable for adults, and I like that it doesn't treat kids like they're stupid, I mean it opens with "the Marley's were dead to begin with".