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The Muppet Christmas Carol was the fourth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. Released in 1992, it was one of many film adaptations of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.
The film was directed by Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson. This film marked the younger Henson's directorial debut. Ironically, in spite of the majority of the cast being puppets, this film is in one sense one of the truest adaptations of the original story. This is because the film is interpersed with scenes of a narrator (Gonzo playing Dickens), who - along with the characters - recites virtually all of Dickens's original lines.
This is the first of the Muppets movies in which the focus of the story revolves around characters played by human beings. Specifically, Michael Caine played Ebenezer Scrooge and Steven Mackintosh portrayed Scrooge's nephew Fred. The rest of the cast was fleshed out with Muppet performers, including Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Cratchit's wife, Robin as Tiny Tim, and (almost obviously) Fozzie Bear as "Fozziwig". Notably, several pivotal roles - in particular, the three Christmas Spirits - were portrayed by specially-created Muppet characters.
The movie, like all Muppet movies, was done as a musical. The soundtrack included performances by the Muppet characters as well as Caine. Songs from the film include Scrooge by the Muppet performers, There's Only One More Sleep 'Till Christmas by Kermit, Marley and Marley by Statler & Waldorf, When Love is Gone by Caine, It Feels Like Christmas by the Ghost of Christmas Present, Bless Us All by Robin, and Thankful Heart by Caine.
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