Michael Caine delivers an emotionally layered performance that just happens to be amongst Muppets in ‘The Muppets Christmas Carol.’

Thanks to a combination of Millennial nostalgia and a soundtrack stocking-stuffed with one banger after another, The Muppet Christmas Carol has become a revered holiday classic. In a sense, it was almost like a precursor to Paddington 2, a film that should be silly and forgettable and has absolutely no business being as good as it is. Part of what makes the film work so well is Michael Caine’s dead-serious performance as Scrooge. Despite being surrounded by singing puppets, Michael Caine plays the role as if he’s doing Shakespeare on the West End. The film’s enduring popularity, combined with Caine’s commitment to the role and refusal to dumb it down for a primarily younger audience, has rendered him cinema’s best Scrooge. This may be a bold statement, given how many gifted actors have played Scrooge over the years, but Caine fills the role with a level of subtlety not often seen in other Scrooges. As we revisit some of the film’s most memorable scenes, we’ll see how and why Caine has set the benchmark for all Scrooges to come.
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Michael Caine Delivers Emotional Range Amongst Muppets

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Michael Caine delivers the iconic “Humbug” with his first line in The Muppets Christmas Carol, doing so with a look of pure disdain. In this scene and throughout the film, Caine never goes over the top with his performance, always playing Scrooge with some nuance, which helps make Scrooge’s transformation believable. His seriousness not only adds gravitas to the film but also enhances the humor. Some of the funniest moments occur when he bellows across the office at the rats who work for him. Despite the presence of these puppets, Caine doesn’t alter his performance in any noticeable way to accommodate them. Replace Kermit the Frog with say, Ewan McGregor, and Caine’s performance would be identical.

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As the ghost of Christmas past enters Scrooge’s bedroom in The Muppets Christmas Carol, Michael Caine oscillates between vulnerability and some lingering anger, as he is humbled and amazed to be in the presence of a spirit but also resentful that he is no longer in a position of power. His vulnerability reaches a peak when he is shown a scene from his younger life in which he was in love and engaged. He breaks down in tears after witnessing the moment he let the love of his life slip away. Midway through the film we’re already feeling sorry for Scrooge, who has emerged as a character with a surprising amount of depth. Caine is especially adept at revealing Scrooge’s sensitivity, which has been buried under decades of bitterness. Despite all the comic relief appearances from Gonzo and Rizzo, we’re never disengaged or distracted from Caine’s performance. At this point, we are fully invested in Scrooge’s redemption.

The Ghost of Christmas Present Brings a New Side Out of Michael Caine’s Performance

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Michael Caine, on a dime, displays signs of frivolity and sociability heretofore unseen as he pals around with the ghost of Christmas present in The Muppets Christmas Carol. Already sensing a wounded bird underneath a cold exterior, we’re now seeing Scrooge as a man capable of charm and humor, which makes the scene in which he watches his relatives joke about how unlikable he is particularly painful. Despite our familiarity with this story, we are still as an audience feeling Scrooge’s pain as he experiences the same rejection from his present-day family that he did as a lonely schoolboy.

Scrooge’s Desperation Deepens With The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
It’s time to grab the tissues. Michael Caine’s desperation and heartbreak at the scene of Tiny Tim’s death is enough to make the eyes of even the most hardened of souls water. It matters not that Tiny Tim in this film is a small frog puppet, the scene depicting the aftermath of his death is still devastating. Scrooge’s full breakdown and come-to-Jesus moment occurs in the next scene, in which he sees his own grave. As he pleads with the final ghost to give him another opportunity to correct his life, we watch him disintegrate as a human being, filled with profound regret.

Although few Scrooges are tasked with performing a musical number, Michael Caine does his best here to stay in tune as he explodes with joyful delight after being granted an opportunity to rectify his life. Caine is not exactly a song-and-dance man but his affability gives him a pass here. One of the most unexpectedly moving scenes in the film’s third act is when Beeker presents Scrooge with a scarf as a gift. Caine conveys the entire history of Scrooge’s life in his reaction as we realize this may be one of the only times he’s been given a meaningful, heartfelt gift at Christmas. Caine fills this small moment with so much meaning, reminding us again of the subtlety he brings to his character. This small but meaningful moment completes Scrooge’s character arc and caps off a brilliant performance.