When it comes to the lovable puppets of Jim Henson, for many, the Muppets were a formative part of their youth. Whether it’s Kermit and Miss Piggy or Grover and Oscar the Grouch, these characters are synonymous with childhood. After all, can anyone really look at a Muppet and not feel joy and a twinge of nostalgia? So what happens when you mix a beloved group of Muppets with a time-honored Christmas classic and throw in Michael Caine to boot? Well, it turns out you get a delightful holiday treat with The Muppets Christmas Carol.

It’s true that you’ll be hard-pressed to really find a Muppets movie that is bad, but there is something particularly special about The Muppets Christmas Carol. Whether it’s the delightful casting of the Muppets as actors in a play or Michael Caine’s completely straight performance of Ebenezer Scrooge, Christmas Carol is full of treasures that make the movie an easy choice for the holiday season.

The hallmark of a good family movie is the ability to both entertain children and adults, and that’s what Christmas Carol does. As one of Charles Dickens’ most famous stories, A Christmas Carol has been adapted countless times since its inception. The story follows the joyless moneylender Ebenezer Scrooge who not only is a generally stingy curmudgeon but also hates Christmas. In fact, his hate for Christmas is so notorious that his name is synonymous with that hate. In The Muppets Christmas Carol, Caine is cast as our grumpy Scrooge, who never breaks character despite acting across characters like Kermit’s Bob Cratchit with complete seriousness.

Image via Disney+

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On the night before Christmas, Scrooge is visited by his former partners Jacob and Robert Marley (played by Statler and Waldorf), who warn him that he will be visited by three spirits on that night, and that he must repent or suffer in the afterlife covered in chains like they are. As promised, Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Narrating the story is Gonzo, who acts as our very own Charles Dickens with Rizzo at his side.

Although there are many highlights involving the Muppets in the movie, such as humorous gags where they break character and have to be rallied back by Dickens himself or the fact that Kermit is somehow the perfect Bob Cratchit and Robin the Frog is adorable as Tiny Tim, The Muppets Christmas Carol is fantastic also because it is a surprisingly accurate retelling of the original Dickens tale. It’s not a bad introduction for younger viewers who are first being introduced to Scrooge’s tale.

These days, with so much to watch, the holidays are a time when most people go back to their favorites. For some it’s Elf, for others it’s Love Actually, or Home Alone, or even Die Hard. I personally can say that when it comes to the holidays, I don’t like to deviate. Sure, there’s time to catch a holiday blockbuster like Avatar: The Way of Water, but when I’m bundled up at home, I want to watch what is familiar. It’s the same thought process behind people blasting Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” song on repeat while decorating the tree. We know the song by heart, but isn’t that the point?

Image via Disney

While I did grow up watching Sesame Street, I did not really grow up with the rest of the Muppets and I certainly never watched The Muppets Christmas Carol growing up. I knew of Kermit and Miss Piggy, but if you asked me to name ten Muppets I might only be able to name about five. I went into The Muppets Christmas Carol expecting an entertaining story, but without the nostalgia factor, I didn’t expect much else. After all, there are hundreds of Christmas Carols in existence and anyone who has grown up in an English-speaking country has probably been exposed to the story multiple times. But, there is something distinctly charming about the Muppets’ version of Dickens’ story. Particularly because it takes Scrooge’s story and his journey very seriously — it doesn’t really shy away from the grim aspects of Scrooge’s life. The Muppets are there to make you laugh, but you do become genuinely invested in Scrooge’s inevitable redemption.

It’s easy to see why people love The Muppets Christmas Carol. It’s charming and funny and earnest. It’s not afraid to laugh at itself while also leaning into the lesson at the heart of A Christmas Carol. I found myself quickly falling in love with the characters and the musical numbers — even if I could do with more musical numbers — and by the time the credits were rolling, I immediately wanted to watch it again. Christmas classics become classics when they’re able to mix a familiar story with something that is refreshing and memorable. That’s exactly what The Muppets Christmas Carol does. At the end of the day, if you’re familiar with this movie, you’ve probably just been nodding along saying, “Well, yeah, obviously.” But if you’re not familiar with it, it’s time to add this movie to your yearly holiday viewing collection.

Don’t you want to see Michael Caine’s Ebenezer Scrooge deliver a whole turkey to Kermit and Miss Piggy for Christmas? I know I do.

Rating: A