 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Review Date: November 6, 2006
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1992
Common Sense Media says
A gentle, fuzzy version of the Dickens classic.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the Ghost of Christmas Future is scarier than the others and may frighten more sensitive children. In one version of the future, Tiny Tim is projected to die. Scrooge has to confront his cruel behavior and learns life lessons because of it.
What's the story?
Charles Dickens himself, played by the chicken-crazy Great Gonzo (Dave Goelz), narrates this tale of Ebenezer Scrooge's (Michael Caine) spoiled life. Scrooge is hated by all. Even the (puppet) mice in the street know he's no good. Scrooge runs a mortgage company and relishes debtors' misfortune and sneers at his nephew and solicitors. When he is visited by the ghosts of Richard and Jacob Marley and then the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, Scrooge has to decide whether to live out the fate he sees or thaw his heart for a better, more loving life.
Is it any good?
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL may be your child's first introduction to the classic story, and in that capacity this fuzzy version does its job well. It's gentle and includes classic characters your children will love, as well as a few danceable songs. Unlike the grim live-action films of the tale, there's just enough Muppet madness and kindness here to keep kids feeling safe and entertained. There are some great touches: the businessmen soliciting for charity are Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beeker. Robert and Jacob Marley are played by Statler and Waldorf, the two critics from The Muppet Show -- and they continue to heckle, even in death.
But best of all, the Great Gonzo is accompanied by Rizzo the Rat (Steve Whitmire), who has a way of saying what kids are thinking. When the Ghost of Christmas Future shows up in his Grim Reaper garb, for example, Rizzo says, "This is too scary. I don't think I want to see any more." He and Gonzo then disappear until the next scene. This is a good time to either fast-forward through the scary part for particularly sensitive children or to warn and cuddle up with them for the potentially frightening parts. Overall, The Muppet Christmas Carol deserves a place on the shelf with A Charlie Brown Christmas and the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas as heartwarming, kid-friendly holiday fare.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about whether Scrooge learned his lesson and how he saw the error of his ways. What did he miss out on by only caring about work and money instead of friends or family? How do you show the people in your life that you love them? Are you generous? How?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Love. This. Movie.
I first saw this in school on one of the days leading up to Christmas Vacation. I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it, but I LOVED it! It's become one of my favorite Christmas movies. The ghosts may seem a little scary to some kids, but other than that it's fine.
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AGE
Awesome movie!!!!
I love this movie!! The song is boring and the Ghost of Christmas Futer might scare younger kids. When watching this movie watch for these lines:
Rizzo-"Light the lamp not the rat! Light the lamp not the rat!"
and
The Great Gonzo-"You can fit through th bars?"
Rizzo the Rat-"Yeah"
GOnzo-"You are such an idoit"
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AGE
FUNYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
THE FUNNIEST MOVIE EVER.
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AGE
A must see family Christmas movie
The only reason why I would suggest PG is because, as with all versions of the Christmas Carol, the scenes associated with the visits from the spirits may be scary for the younger children. Otherwise, this is one version of the Christmas Carol that our family enjoys year after year no matter how old we get.
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AGE
so fantastic, you've got to see it! we see it every year!
We have been watching this movie every year after thanksgiving since before we had a child. When the child came along we continued watching it. we distracted her during the ghost of christmas future part for a few years and now she has no problems with it. (now age 7)
only bad part is the very long song. good time to go the bathroom.
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AGE
Best muppets movie ever
This movie is awesome. It's one of my favorite movies. But when I first saw it Marley and Marley, and the ghost of Christmas yet to come scared me a little bit, so some kids might find it scary, but other than that it's awesome.
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AGE
Ghost scary for 5 yr old and under.
There is an element of scariness. If you have younger kids, be aware that the first ghost of Christmas past can be pretty scary. Our 5yr old didn't want to finish watching the movie because of it.
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AGE
Uh... 4myB&K...
I can understand your kid maybe being scared of the Marley brothers, despite them being rather humorous, but how is the ghost of Christmas Past scary? She's the sweetest and gentlest of them all... it's because she looks like a china doll, isn't it? Yeah, that's not judgmental at all.
Anyway, this still remains one of my favorite adaptations of the book. It's very well done and the songs are great. I only have a few gripes. The first one is... I didn't find this quite as funny as I used to. I used to think this movie was hilarious. Now it gets a light chuckle every now and then but that's about it. I'm also mixed about this version of Scrooge. In some bits, he comes across as more heartless than he's supposed to and in other moments, he comes across as more generous than he should. Still, I highly recommend this version.
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| Topics: | book characters, holidays, monsters, ghosts, and vampires, music and sing-along, puppets |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment |
| Director: | Brian Henson |
| Cast: | Dave Goelz, Michael Caine, Steve Whitmire |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 120 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 11, 1992 |
| DVD release date: | October 8, 2002 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
| MPAA explanation: | family friendliness, brief suspense. |
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